The contingents from New South Wales and Victoria sailed for China on 8 August 1900 . Arriving in Tientsin , the Australians provided 300 men to an 8 @,@ 000 @-@ strong multinational force tasked with capturing the Chinese forts at Pei Tang , which dominated a key railway . They arrived too late to take part in the battle , but were involved in the attack on the fortress at Pao @-@ ting Fu , where the Chinese government was believed to have found asylum after Peking was captured by western forces . The Victorians joined a force of 7 @,@ 500 men on a ten @-@ day march to the fort , once again only to find that it had already surrendered . The Victorians then garrisoned Tientsin and the New South Wales contingent undertook garrison duties in Peking . HMCS Protector was mostly used for survey , transport , and courier duties in the Gulf of Chihli , before departing in November . The naval brigades remained during the winter , unhappily performing policing and guard duties , as well as working as railwaymen and fire @-@ fighters . They left China in March 1901 , having played only a minor role in a few offensives and punitive expeditions and in the restoration of civil order . Six Australians died from sickness and injury , but none were killed as no result of enemy action .