Many of the Streets around Marsfield follow the names Military legacy with many being named after famous battles fought through British and Australian history with victories and ‘heroic’ Defeats being prominent from the archers and knights of Agincourt to the warships of the Royal Navy
Abuklea Road
Named after the battle of Abu Klea fought between the British Empire and Mahdist State of Sudan. The Street is located west of Marsfield Curzon hall.
The battle of Aby Klea also known as the battle of Abu Tulayh was fought between British and Sudanese forces from the 16th to the 18th of January 1885. The battle was fought between 1400 British Troops under the command of Herbert Stewart and Charles W. Wilson and 13,000 Sudanese Sudanese troops. British troops were deployed to lift the siege at Khartoum, The modern-day capital of Sudan, despite a battle lasting approximately 15 minutes against a force vastly superior in size and defeating them only losing 76 to 1100 inflicted upon the Sudanese the British did not arrive in time to lift the siege of Khartoum and the city was taken and the commanding British officer killed. Despite victory in this battle, the loss of the city saw Britain withdraw from Sudan. One reason the battle is seen as significant is Williams Mcgonagall’s poem commemorating the soldiers who fell in the battle as well as referencing them as “Sons of Mars”
Learn more about the battle here
Agincourt Road
Named after the battle of Agincourt fought between England and France during the 100 years war. The street connects to epping road and is located south west of Macquarie University campus.
The battle of Agincourt was fought on 25 October 1415 between the Kingdom of England led by Henry V and the Kingdom of France led by Charles I d’Albret and other French Nobles. The battle saw a force of 6-8 thousand English troops overcome 14-15 thousand French troops. The English outnumbered and less well equipped than their french counterparts won the battle with careful use of terrain which was muddy and slippery due to both rainfall the night before as well as being torn up by the mounted French knights. Alongside careful planning and the use of large numbers of longbowmen, the English won a decisive defeat. The battle is noticeable as it not only saw a smaller army overcome a larger one but the use of archers to wipe out a large portion of France’s noble mounted knights saw a shift in warfare over the next decades.
Learn more about the battle here
Balaclava Road
Named after the battle of Balaclava which was fought between a combined coalition of Britain, France and the ottoman empire against the Russian empire. The street connects to Epping road and runs through Agincourt Road southwest of Macquarie University.
Fought on the 25th of October 1854. The battle was an indecisive clash between a coalition made up of Britain, France and the Ottomans numbering 28 thousand against the Russian empire which fielded 25 thousand troops. The battle was a part of the year-long Siege of Sevastopol The battle saw heavy fighting with no clear outcome or victory to one side. The battle is also considered prominent due to the famous “charge of the light brigade” which saw a doomed cavalry charge into gunfire which is romanticized today. The Russians viewed the battle as a victory and their morale was boosted whilst the allied troops launched no further attacks or actions that day due to the loss of morale due to the tragic charge.
Learn more about the battle here
Talavera Road
Named after the battle of Talavera fought between France and Holland against Britain and Spain during the peninsular war. The Street is located north of Macquarie university.
The battle was fought from the 27th to the 28th of July 1809. It saw 55 thousand British/Spanish troops fight a force of 26 thousand French/Kingdom of Holland troops near the town of Talavera de la Reina in Spain. After pushing France out of Portugal the British sought to help the Spanish push the French out of Spain. The battle saw the joint Anglo-Spanish force repel multiple assaults by the French eventually forcing them to retreat after both sides had suffered heavy casualties. The battle is seen as a Tactical Anglo–Spanish victory due to the French withdrawal but a Strategic French victory due to them being able to withdraw almost entirely, losing very few troops in the process. The battle is famous for it being the setting for “sharpes eagles” as well as being seen as the beginning of the end of France’s control over spain.
Learn more about the battle here
Taranto Road
Named after the battle of Taranto fought between the British and Italian navies during the second world war. The road lies between Macquarie University Village and the University sports fields.
The battle was fought between Britons and Italy’s fleets during the night of the 11th - 12th of November 1940 and saw the British launch the first ever first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history. The British fleet attacked the docked italian fleet using torpedoes and planes to decimate the italian fleet leading to a decisive british victory. The battle is prominent as it revealed the dominance of naval aviation with the use of planes being used in naval warfare and began the beginning of an age of warfare in which planes played the key factor in naval warfare instead of the large ship guns that had until then been the dominant factor in naval warfare.
Learn more about the battle here
Vimiera Road
Named after the Battle of Vimeiro between an alliance of Britain and Portugal against the French Empire. The street goes through Epping road past the Macquarie university campus.
The battle was fought between France feilding 13-14 thousand troops and an alliance of Britain and Portugal who combined fielded an army of 17 - 20 thousand troops. The battle took place near Lisbon, The modern day capital of Portugal. The battle saw the future Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley and his portugese allies defeat the French army under general Jean-Andoche Junot which ended the first French invasion of Portugal. The battle is notable for the allied forces inflicted heavy casualties upon the French force who could not push through their defences. The French army surrendered and were returned to France with their weapons by the British Navy causing a massive outcry against the decision.
Learn more about the battle here
Waterloo road
Named after the battle of Waterloo between Napoleon leading France against a coalition led by Britain and Prussia. The street runs through Macquarie University and past Waterloo park.
The battle was fought on Sunday, 18 June 1815 near the province of Waterloo in modern day Belgium. The battle was the final defeat of Napoleon and saw almost 200 thousand soldiers take the field. The battle saw large numbers of troops wounded, missing or killed. The battle was won when the British lines which were close to breaking under a French onslaught were supported by the arriving Prussian army in which Napoleon had tried to prevent from taking the field in time to support the British. The battle is noticeable as Napoleon’s famous tactic of dividing his opponents and taking them on one by one failed.
Learn more about the battle here
Bibliography
Battle of Abu Klea. BritishBattles.Com. https://www.britishbattles.com/war-in-egypt-and-sudan/battle-of-abu-klea/
Martinez, J. ‘Battle of Agincourt, Facts, Summary, & Significance’. Encyclopedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Agincourt
Bunting, T. ‘Battle of Balaklava, Crimean War [1854]’. Encyclopedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Balaklava
‘The Peninsular War, The Battle of Talavera 27th-28th July 1809’. Peninsularwar.Org. http://www.peninsularwar.org/talav.htm
Lengel, E. (2020, July 12). Forgotten Fights: Strike on Taranto, November 1940. The National WWII Museum, New Orleans https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/taranto-november-1940
‘Battle of Vimeiro.’’ BritishBattles,Com. https://www.britishbattles.com/peninsular-war/battle-of-vimeiro/
History.com Editors. (2018, November 7), Battle of Waterloo. HISTORY https://www.history.com/topics/british-history/battle-of-waterloo
Albers, J. (2013), Campus Martius: Die urbane Entwicklung des Marsfeldes von der Republik bis zur mittleren Kaiserzeit (Studien Zur Antiken Stadt).