Cathie Morant, a distant relative of Morant, has been lobbying the council since August 2021 to add his name to the list of fallen soldiers inscribed on the memorial on the corner of North Terrace and King William Street.

Harry Morant was court-martialled and executed in 1902 for shooting Boer prisoners while serving with the British Army’s Bushveldt Carbineers. Prior to that, he served briefly with the 2nd South Australian Mounted Rifles.

Following an application lodged with Heritage South Australia in July 2023, Heritage SA has given its conditional support for works that would add a new plaque to acknowledge ‘Sergeant, HH. ‘Breaker Morant’ to the steps of the memorial. 

The condition is that the plaque is subject to the approval of the City of Adelaide, which is the owner and custodian of the memorial. 

The council has to approve such a plaque before it can be manufactured and installed, and any final details of its location and associated material must be confirmed by the Department for Environment and Water and Heritage SA in consultation with the council. 

Last night, Morant and James Unkles, who has lodged the development applications on Morant’s behalf, addressed the council’s City Community Services and Culture Committee. 

Unkles said the application was not about having Morant on the pedestal or the memorial itself. He said an “enormous amount of effort” went into assessing the original application and coming up with “a very appropriate compromise”. 

The state heritage listed memorial – built in 1904 with public funds and featuring a soldier on horseback atop a 3.7 metre high granite pedestal – holds the names of 60 South Australian soldiers who died in the Boer War.

“Morant did not fall but like other volunteers, he served rendered loyal and exemplary service without military or civilian infractions, was promoted to sergeant and commended in writing by his commanding officer,” Unkles said. 

“Service is not always positive, but must be respected.” 

But the state RSL opposes Morant’s name being included. 

“This proposal seeks to overturn 120 years of history by adding a plaque to the memorial steps bearing the name of a soldier who clearly does not meet the well-documented eligibility criteria,” RSL SA representative Ian Smith told the meeting. 

“This proposal attempts to advance a demonstrably false argument that there is only one requirement for inclusion, and that is service alone.

“The RSL asks that the committee respects the 120-year-old history of this memorial and the wishes of those who built it and handed it in trust to the City of Adelaide, and urges it to endorse and affirm that is a closed site of historical significance and not provide consent for this or any other proposal to alter or amend the memorial or its immediate environments to include Morant’s name or any other names.”

Five other speakers requested to address the committee, but in the interest of fairness and time, they only heard from a representative from either side of the argument. 

Others who came to the meeting prepared to speak were advised they may address the council meeting next week. 

Deputy Lord Mayor Keiran Snape said if he were in Cathie Morant’s position he would likely pursue the action too, but said he didn’t think the council had the jurisdiction or expertise to judge ‘Breaker’ Morant’s service record. 

Snape said he was concerned that if the council approved the move it would set a precedent and open the council up to including about 1500 other names of those who served. 

“That’s a precedent I think we’re just not able to set,” he said. 

“My understanding is…the last surviving members who gave their service in that way before they passed in the 70s were approached on this or something similar to this, and rejected the inclusion of Breaker Morant. 

“We are standing with the previous decision of the council and those who have served and created the monument in the first place.” 

Councillor Phillip Martin said he agreed it raised equity issues and that while he supported the council’s choice to reject the application, he was generally supportive of Breaker Morant’s story being told. 

“It may not be at the memorial, it may be close by but I think it is such a story in Australian history that’s been retold not only through countless newspapers, magazines, books, movies even,” he said. 

“It seems to have some sort of resonance with Australians and perhaps South Australians as well.”