Australian histories of military psychiatry position the First World War as a starting point, pointing to the unprecedented incidence of psychological trauma, initially named shell shock, as a motivator in medical and psychological practice. However, this was not the beginning of Australian military psychiatric practice, as authorities encountered psychological casualties of war as early as the South African War (1899-1902), albeit on a smaller scale. In fact, links exist between the war in South Africa and the First World War in terms of military-medical attitudes towards psychiatric disorders, affecting battlefield diagnosis and treatment. Underlying the beliefs of many physicians during and after both conflicts was the concept that ideal Australian masculinity precluded psychological trauma, which resulted in an emphasis on physical diagnosis and treatments, as well as the attachment of morality, or lack thereof, to claims by soldiers of neurosis. This article positions military psychiatry as a constantly evolving practice, analysing the parallels between the wars with newly uncovered evidence from the South African War. It argues that these links necessitate a reconfiguration of the Australian historiography of military psychiatry, incorporating the South African War, and repositioning the First World War as a ground-breaking catalyst.