28 May 1866   First Scottish Volunteers

On 28 May 1866 a meeting was held at the Black Bull Inn to arrange the formation of a Rifle Company of Volunteers.Thirty-six men attended and as a result a new Scottish Company was formed which was to be attached to the local forces. This was the first Scottish Company to be raised in Australia.

A year later, on 18 May 1867, the Company paraded, for the first time, in their uniform at the Armoury on North Terrace, then marched to the north parklands for drill. The uniform consisted of a scarlet tunic, Hunting Stewart kilt, a sporran of white and black tassels, red and green hose tops, Balmoral cap and badge depicting a thistle. On the 24 May that year the Company took part in the Queen's Birthday Review. When the Duke of Edinburgh visited Adelaide in November 1867 one of the Company's pipers attended the civic dinner. The Duke conferred the title of Duke of Edinburgh' s Own on the Company. However, the life of the Company was short-lived as it was disbanded in 1869.

Robert H. Gray, Facts and Events , Volume 2 No 1, August, 1987.