The Defence of Rorke's Drift The Defence of Rorke's Drift The Defence of Rorke's Drift is an 1880 painting by Elizabeth Thompson, Lady Butler depicting the 1879 Battle of Rorke's Drift which took place during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1877 to 1879. The battle and the men who fought in it were made famous in the 1964 film "Zulu". The Battle of Rorke's Drift caused a wave of patriotic fever in the United Kingdom and the surviving participants, especially the officers, were feted on their return in October 1879, first going to Windsor Castle to meet Queen Victoria before posing for Elizabeth Thompson at Portsmouth
Joseph Rorke Joseph Rorke Joseph Rorke (April 26, 1832 – April 11, 1907) was an Ontario businessman and political figure. He represented Grey Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Conservative member from 1886 to 1894. He was born in Tecumseh Township, Simcoe County, Upper Canada in 1832, the son of Richard Rorke, an immigrant from Ireland. He moved with his family to Collingwood Township in 1848. Rorke worked on his father's farm and taught school. In 1859, he was appointed a justice of the peace. From 1860 to 1864, he worked as an accountant for merchants in Clarksburg. Rorke