English: Photograph by Josiah Barnes of soldiers waiting to board a troopship. Photographic print on paper. The black and white photograph depicts a group of soldiers on a wharf waiting to board a WW1 troopship. They stand in line with their kit bags, the soldiers toward the back of the line have musical instruments, including a piano accordian and a trumbone. An officer stands at right holding a white cane.

The soldier toward the back of the line holds his kitbag which reads: 'V. V 3951'. This man is probably Vere Vains (MM) of the 23 Infantry Battalion who departed Melbourne on HMAT Warilda on 8 February 1916.
Josiah Barnes' two sons, Norm and Victor, left for war in 1916 (both returned to Australia after their service). Barnes appears to have taken an interest around this time in photographing the troopships as they departed for war from Melbourne.
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Object number: 00027624