South African War Memorial, Brisbane, War memorial at Anzac Square, Brisbane, Australia

The South African War Memorial is a life-size bronze statue of a Queensland Mounted Infantryman on a trachyte pedestal at 228 Adelaide Street. The trooper wears a slouch hat with the Queensland hat-badge and emu plumes, and the horse bears the Queensland Government "QG" brand. Two bronze plaques on the pedestal list the 89 Queensland soldiers who died in the South African War.

Queensland's first overseas conflict was the Second Boer War of 1899–1902, in which 89 Queenslanders died. A public committee formed after the war but funds ran short and the project lapsed. In 1912 Brisbane sculptor James Laurence Watts was commissioned for a bronze equestrian statue; sent to England to be bronzed, it was delayed by World War I and unveiled by Governor Sir Hamilton Goold-Adams in December 1919 at Turbot and Edward Streets. It was moved to Anzac Square in April 1939.

The memorial's name reflects Queensland's first military involvement abroad, and this historical connection gives it deeper meaning for locals and visitors alike. The inscriptions on the pedestal tell stories of what this conflict meant to the region's identity.

The memorial fronts Adelaide Street inside Anzac Square, a short walk from Central station and the Queen Street Mall. It stands in the open square, so it can be viewed at any hour; the surrounding memorials and the Shrine of Remembrance are best seen on foot in the same visit.

The bronze plaques on the pedestal display fine details such as the Queensland hat badge, emu feather ornaments, and even the horse branding marks. These crafted details are often overlooked by visitors even though they offer valuable insights into military history.