Percival Cornelius Read, aged 44, was a prominent wheat farmer sharing his time between properties in Springbrook, near Nerang and Pirrinuan, near Dalby.  Read and his employee, Frederick Benn, had attended the Toowoomba Show together in March 1933, and returned home later the same night.  It was the last time anyone would see Percival Read alive.  A month later Fred Benn and another farm employee James Heron, noticed a strong smell coming from the disused 60 foot well on the Jimbour Plains, about a mile from Read’s home.

The lonely unused well, the only landmark for miles of flat countryside, located in Pirrinuan, near Dalby.
Image and text taken from the Truth newspaper, April 10 1938.

Benn and Heron notified Dalby police and a supervised inspection was immediately arranged.  Police and medical examiners visited the property and probed the well using grappling irons, which failed to bring anything to the surface.  Albert Spilling from Dalby, for the Coroner, was then lowered down the well and found the decomposed remains of a man who was fully clothed in work wear, a blanket, an overcoat made of leather, rope and other dress articles.

Randall, Government Doctor from Dalby, identified the decomposed remains as those of Percival Read. Post Mortem examination found the skull had been smashed to pieces. Janet Read, the wife of the deceased, identified the articles that were found in the well as those belonging to her husband. During the course of the investigation, 30 witnesses were interviewed by Detectives.

Portrait of Constable Percy Claude Airs, possibly at his induction, 1929.
Image No. PM2325 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

It was discovered that another farm labourer, Percy Airs from New South Wales, who was hired by Read had recently forged Read’s name on cheques.  He was interrogated by Detectives in connection to the crime.  Airs had previously applied to become a police Constable in 1929, but was discharged from Roma Street Police Station in 1930, for making false statements when seeking enrolment.  Airs eventually admitted to killing Read, putting his body in a car and then throwing it in the well.  The forged cheques had been cashed on the same day Read had gone to the Toowoomba Show.

Percy Claud Airs, aged 27, disclosed he had had words with Read, and had trouble getting money from him.  It was also suggested that Read would not provision his staff sufficiently when away, leaving only corned beef and bread.  Airs was charged with the wilful murder of Percival Read on 30^th March 1933, at Pirrinuan.  He was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment, served in Bogga Road Gaol.

Percival Cornelius Read, for whose murder Airs was sent to gaol to serve a life sentence.
Image and text taken from the Truth newspaper, April 10 1938.

The funeral for Percival Cornelius Read was held at St. John’s Church of England.  It was heavily attended; he had been a member of the Fifth Light Horse, and returned soldiers from Dalby and outer districts marched in the procession, with the coffin draped in the Union Jack flag.

_________________

This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.  The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT – The Dalby Well Murder” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

POLICEWOMEN! By the uninitiated and unthinking the name is uttered to the accompaniment of a snort of derision. The policewomen of Queensland, and there are but two, are ladies of culture, discrimination, and tact. All hours of the day and throughout many hours of the night they work quietly and unobtrusively, literally doing good by stealth.

‘Meet Policewomen Dare and O’Donnell. Foiling park prowlers is just as important in their daily task as detecting the criminal, this writer declares’ By Eric Hanman, The Queenslander, 27 Feb 1936, p. 4, 36

The first women to be appointed into the Queensland Police in 1931, were Miss Zara Dare, 45, and Miss Ellen O’Donnell, 35. Initially, these women performed heavily gender stereotyped functions. In essence, they carried out duties of a so-called maternal police. This did not mean their jobs were limited to ‘mothering somebody’s unwanted babe that had been thrust into their strong arms’, though according, to Eric Hanman’s recollections, it has been known to happen.

Prior to her appointment Miss Dare, born in Shoalhaven, NSW, was a member of the Salvation Army and devoted her efforts to the care of the poor in the slums of Sydney. ‘For 13 years she worked as a sectional leader on the mission fields in China.’ (Hanman)  She was considered the ideal person for police work. Miss O’Donnell, ‘a typical happy go-lucky Queenslander, hailing from Gympie’, kept house for her brother. However, she felt she could do the most good as a police woman and applied for the job.

Courier-Mail article and image about Policewoman Ellen and a lost child, 1954.
Text reads: “Didn’t mind being lost, four-year-old Deslyn Litherland blissfully ate an ice cream given to her by Policewoman Ellen O’Donnell today while police were tracing her home. Deslyn strayed from home, boarded a bus and was taken to Roma Street Police Station. She is now safe and sound at home.”

Public imagination saw these women as either ‘stern, hard, relentless beings mercilessly pursuing the evil-doer’, or as girls sent out to do the jobs done by men. In reality, there was no end to the variety of duties these women were called to perform. ‘All hours of the day and throughout many hours of the night they [worked] quietly and unobtrusively, literally doing good by stealth.’ Dressed in respectable, rather matronly plain clothes Police Women regularly patrolled shopping centres for shoplifters, parks and streets, theatre and hotel lounges watching for young people or children loitering or truanting from schools. Regularly, they advised girls in connection with their conduct, mode of living, and at times, intervened to protect them.

One such case involved two ‘young and very pretty girls’ from England. A young woman, 17 years of age, arrived to Queensland from Midlands with intention to join her older sister in Brisbane:

But, by the time the boat arrived, the older sister had fallen on lean times, and before many weeks had passed they were homeless and destitute. Hungry, shabby, and in despair, they were seated on a bench in a city park, when they were approached by a well-dressed young man, of prepossessing appearance, who with honeyed tongue, and offers of help, drew from them the pathetic story of their plight. It was soon apparent that the man was violently in love with the younger girl, and by impassioned speeches, and verbally painting rosy pictures of the future state of married bliss, he swept her off her feet. Word was quietly passed to the policewomen, and Misses Dare and O’Donnell went to work.

The investigations soon revealed the would-be bridegroom as an unsavoury character, ‘who had a deserted wife and children, a bad criminal record, a lurking place in Spring Hill, and a bestial manner of wringing his livelihood from the earnings of fallen women.’ As the awful truth came out, the prospective bride ‘burst into tears, tears of joy at her escape’. The policewomen did not let it stop at that, filled with pity for the girl, they placed her case before the authorities. The Home Secretary granted the unlucky would-be bride a free passage on a boat back to England.

And thus, ‘owing to their timely intervention many a thoughtless girl has been rescued from the clutches of those – who prey on defenceless womanhood.’ (Hanman)

Policewoman Ellen O’Donnell presenting gifts to children at the Royal Brisbane Children’s Hospital, c1955.
Image PM0450 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Today female officers perform a full range of police duties. The drive to help people links these auxiliary policewomen of the Queensland Police Force in the past with the officers in the Service in the present. In words of Sergeant Dell Fisher, Caloundra Station: ‘when you do your job and charge an offender, there is justice for the victim. As much as we can, the wrong has been put right.’ (Central Regions Inspirational Women in Policing, p. 47)

____________________

This information has been provided by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available.  The article was written by Museum Volunteer and Crime and Policing Historian Dr Anastasia Dukova.

The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT – Female Bobbies, 85 Years” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

Frederic Charles Urquhart (1858-1921), a Midshipman, Line Repairer, Police Commissioner and Administrator, was born on 27^th October, 1858 at St. Leonard’s-on-Sea, Sussex, England, son of Frederic Day Urquhart, a Major with the Bengal Army and his wife Charlotte, nee Goldie. Urquhart was educated at the All Saints School in Bloxham, Oxfordshire, and Felsted Military School, Essex. Before Urquhart migrated to Queensland in 1875 to join his godfather, General Fielding, he was a midshipman on a sailing vessel called the ‘Essex’ which sailed between England and Australia.  When he arrived in Queensland he first worked in the cattle and sugar industries for three years, before becoming a Telegraph Line Repairer with the Electric Telegraph Department in 1878 at Normanton. When Urquhart was faced with an automatic promotion in a clerical capacity he resigned and joined the police force.

Urquhart joined the Queensland Native Mounted Police Force on 27^th April, 1882 as a Cadet Sub-Inspector and was put in charge of the Native Mounted Police. During his seven years with the Native Mounted Police, Urquhart was wounded twice, having been speared in the groin and in the thigh by a tomahawk and had to travel 270 kilometres to receive medical treatment. He eventually transferred to the general police in 1889.  During his time with the Queensland Police he was stationed in several places which included Carl Creek, Dunrobin, Cloncurry, Coreela, Maytown, Thursday Island and Brisbane and found himself involved in some interesting events.

Group Photograph Of Senior Officers, 1904.
Back Row: Sub-inspector H Ross; Sub- inspector C. Savage; Sub-inspector James Geraghty; Sub-Inspector H. Malone. Front Row: Inspector JW White; Chief inspector A.D. Douglas; Commissioner William E. Parry-Okeden; Inspector Frederick C Urquhart; Inspector J Nethercote
Image No. PM1884 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

In 1890, Urquhart was the first on scene to search for survivors and the bodies from the wreck R.M.S.S. Quetta, a Royal Mail Steamer, en route from Australia to England.  In 1901, during the visit of His Gracious Majesty the King, Urquhart was put in charge of the Royal trains and Government House. When Urquhart was promoted to Second Class Inspector in 1898, Urquhart was in charge of the Criminal Investigation Branch and was eventually at the centre of a controversy in 1899 involving the handling of the investigation into the famous Gatton triple murders.  However, Urquhart survived the enquiry and was eventually promoted to Chief Inspector in 1905.

Urquhart was Chief Inspector during Brisbane’s most tumultuous times, when in 1912 Brisbane came to a standstill which was the result of unionists from the Brisbane Tramways Company going on strike. Urquhart and the then Commissioner Cahill were part of the 3000 police in force during the illegal march attended by thousands in Market Street, which finally collapsed and the strike ending due to the police’s baton charge.  He then went on to become our fourth Commissioner in 1917 on January 1^st and was the first to rise to a commissioned rank from an officer to the top position.

Frederick C. Urquhart, Commissioner of Police 1917 – 1921.
Image No. PM2304 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Apart from being the Commissioner of the Queensland Police, Urquhart was an accomplished writer of poetry that were published as books and some of his works were ‘Camp Canzonettes’, ‘An Ocean Ghost’ and ‘Legends of the Blacks’. He was also noted for being an early explorer of Queensland having charted Albatross Bay, Emberley and Hay Rivers in Far North Queensland.

Urquhart retired from the Police Force in 1921 and was appointed as an Administrator of Northern Territory by the Commonwealth Government and he held this position until 1925.  He eventually settled in Clayfield, Brisbane and he died on 2^nd December, 1935 at St. Helen’s Private Hospital, aged 77 and is buried at the Toowong Cemetery.

__________________

This article was written by Librarian, Records and Archival university student Genevieve Green, and supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available.  The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT – CoP Frederic Charles Urquhart” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

Imagine a time in Queensland when there were no traffic lights and the speed limit for motorcycles was four miles per hour.  Retired First Class Inspector Doug Winning reflected on such a time during his 90^th birthday celebrations.  A father of two, grandfather of four and great grandfather of six, Mr Winning had a 39 year career with the QPS.  He joined the Service in August 1936 and was sworn in as a constable for the newly formed Police Motorcycle Traffic Control Unit.  “Police officers nowadays would probably be surprised at the geographic area we patrolled.  It was a radius around the GPO reaching to Ipswich and Redcliffe, south to the Kingston turnoff and out to the bayside area of Wynnum-Manly,” Mr Winning said.  “But there also was not that much traffic in those days and it was a great experience cruising around on the 10 horse power twin AJS bike with its sidecar”.

Constable Doug Winning riding a 1936 V Twin 1000cc AJS motorcycle, 1936.
Image No. PM0337 courtesy of the Courier Mail.

When the Second World War began in 1939, Mr Winning joined three other men in the police garage and remained there until 1960.  During this time he obtained his A Grade Motor Mechanical Certificate and rose through the ranks to sergeant first class.  “My role at the garage was to repair and maintain the whole Police fleet for a large part of Queensland.  I also conducted brake testing for vehicles involved in accidents and was often called to give evidence in court (the early incarnation of the Traffic Accident and Investigation Squad),” Mr Winning said.

In 1960 he took charge of Camp Hill Station and remained there for 10 years, rising to senior sergeant.  In 1970 Mr Winning was transferred back to police transport where he was promoted to the commissioned ranks to re-organise police motor transport.  During this time, he was closely involved in the acquisition of the land at Mt Cotton and the formation of the police driver training unit.  After becoming inspector in charge of Woolloongabba Station, Mr Winning returned to Police Headquarters where he was involved in various duties including Chairman of the Police Examination Board and involvement with the planning of building a new police headquarters.

Senior Sergeant Doug Winning, cropped from a group photo taken during a course at Chelmer College, during February and March 1970.
Cropped Image No. PM3552 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Mr Winning was an Executive Member of the President of the Police Union and then after reaching a commissioned rank he was President of the Commissioned Officer’s Union.  “As a strong union, we lobbied for and influenced changes in working hours from a 53-hour week to a 40-hour week, improvements in superannuation and the establishment of a sick leave bank,” he said.  Mr Winning spent his remaining years working alongside Commissioner Ray Withrod at Police Headquarters as a first class inspector.  In 1974 he was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for long and distinguished service, particularly in the field of police motor transport.

__________________

This article was written by Sara Martin, Doug Winning’s granddaughter, and featured in the Queensland Police Bulletin of September 2005.  The information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available.  The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT- 1/c Inspector Doug Winning” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

Fighting Crime With Empathy

24 April 2016
11am – 12.30pm

 Police Headquarters
200 Roma Street
Brisbane  QLD  4000

After a career in tactical units and high-volume arrest-oriented policing roles, Corey Allen redefined himself and his role by focusing on empathy, vulnerable persons and building his team’s personal values. His own journey from homelessness to Officer in Charge of one of Australia’s largest police stations has been marked by innovation and creativity in policing and crime prevention.

Showing sustained commitment to social justice and improving the situation of vulnerable people in his division, Corey saw results in the form of unheralded crime reductions. A finalist in the “local hero” category of the Australian of the Year awards, recipient of four National Crime and Violence Prevention Awards, and Griffith University’s Alumnus of the Year, Corey has led a weighty shift in police culture that has been welcomed by the community.

If you cannot make the lecture or would like to know a little more about Corey’s ideas you can see his TedXSouthbank talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azOjseE1aLw

The one and a half hour presentation will start at 11am on Sunday, April 24 and will be both informative and educational. The lecture content will be suitable for all audiences.

The Museum opens its doors to the public on the last Sunday of each month from 10am to 3pm from February to November in addition to the standard Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm opening hours. Monthly Sunday openings feature guest speakers from across the historical and crime-solving spectrums.

PLEASE NOTE: The Police Museum will open Sunday, April 24 from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.

The first female police officers were not appointed until 1931 and it was not until March 1965 that they were fully sworn-in and attained powers of arrest.

From Sydney, NSW, Mary Patricia Ryan was the 19th female officer to be appointed. Ryan attended school in Victoria where she obtained sub-intermediate marks. After leaving school she attained employment as a shorthand typist.  On 17 June 1953 Mary joined the Police Force and was appointed permanently on 17 June 1954 in Brisbane.

Mary Patricia Ryan’s first commendable arrests were concerning the conviction of Owen Edward Handley on three charges of stealing property and two others on sixteen charges of theft at the Valley Baths in 1955.  On 17 December 1958 she was highly commended for her performance regarding a raid of Black’s Press Agency who were operating S.P. betting. On 30 March 31 she was one of eight policewomen sworn in as a Constable of Women Police when she read out the Police Oath.

Policewoman Mary Ryan’s Identity Card, issued 27 June 1956.

When Constable Ryan took the exam to qualify for the rank of Sergeant 2/c, she obtained the following results: 51.5% for law and 52.5% for police duties.  These pass marks allowed her to become a Sergeant 2/c.  Mary sat the exam on 5 June 1967 and was then placed in charge of the Policewomen’s Office until it was disbanded in 1972.  On 15 December 1968 Ryan sat yet another exam to qualify for the rank of Sergeant 1/c. The marks obtained by her allowed her a pass, with 69.5% in law and a 63.5% in police duties.

Ryan was considered a ‘very keen and loyal non-commissioned officer and is most trustworthy’ by the Inspector of Police in 1968. She studied at the Queensland Police College for training to become a Sergeant 2/c where she was the only Policewoman in the course but her sincere and confident manner quickly earned her respect and acceptance during her time spent there. Her studies included law, principles of management and Queensland police administration. Ryan approached the course with enthusiasm, worked diligently and participated effectively in class and syndicate discussions.

Inspector Vallis Moore Barlow, using a visual aid, instructs a class of Sergeants on the effects of alcohol at the Queensland Police College, Chelmer, 1970.

As a policewoman she displayed above average mental ability and her overall effort was good. By 1972, after the Policewomen’s Office was abandoned, she was deemed suitable for Criminal Investigation Branch duties as she was considered competent, energetic and reliable. During this year she performed duties with the Theft and General Squad only for a short period as she was later the same year attached to the Fraud Squad.

Her exams resulted in the following statements with respect to her capabilities as a Police Woman:

‘Suitable for C.I. Branch duties. Competent, loyal and conscientious.’ – Supt. Simpson
‘Suitable for CIB duties. Competent, energetic and reliable.’ – Supt. Barnett
‘An experienced, efficient Policewoman and competent Non-Commissioned Officer.’ – Supt. Gulbransen

All officers in whom she served with reported favourably on her work and conduct. Her duties performed were always to the satisfaction of the Department she was working in and they were carried out with intelligence and efficiency.  In 1973 Ryan successfully completed the Police Arts and Science Course but resigned two years later on 12 October 1975 for personal reasons.

___________________

This information was researched and summarised by Ms Emily Everett, work experience student, from the best resources available at the Queensland Police Museum at the time of writing.  The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT: Policewoman Mary Patricia Ryan” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

The sisters, Susan Deborah (5) and Judith Elizabeth (7), went missing from a bus stop on their way to school just after 8 o’clock in the morning of 26 August, 1970. A local taxi driver, Ron Brooker, led the search. Drawing on his knowledge of the local roads, he reasoned the perpetrator would use Charters Towers Road to avoid built-up areas. The girls’ neatly folded belongings and school bags were found first.

Police take away the girls’ belongings.
Image courtesy of The Telegraph, 29 August 1970.

Subsequently, the bodies of little sisters were found in the dry sandy bed of Antil Creek, 19 miles south of Townsville. Post-mortem reports by a government medical officer stated both girls had been sexually interfered with and stabbed three times in the chest. Susan had been strangled to death, while Judith had died of asphyxiation. The examination established the girls died within four hours of their kidnapping. In his interview, Graham Tough, the man who found Susan, said ‘I went all to pieces. Don’t tell me about brave men…It was a hell of a shock. It hit me hard.’ (C-M, 29 Aug 1970)  In October, Standard White Cabs Ltd was presented with a Departmental Plaque by the Minister in Charge of Police as a token of appreciation and thanks to all of the employees involved in the search. (Commissioner Whitrod to Standard White Cabs Ltd, 16 Oct 1970)

In the first week ‘hundreds of reports have come into the Townsville police headquarters relating to the murders of Judith and Susan Mackay’, but as the hefty case files confirm, ‘none has answered the question of how the two sisters “disappeared” so completely.’ (C-M, 31 Aug 1970) The bus the girls would have caught was running 15 minutes late that morning, but Judith and Susan were gone within a mere ten minutes of leaving their home. A woman living at Aitkenvale hostel near a Ross River bus stop, the stop the girls disappeared from, saw them getting into a car, a 1963-64 brown Holden sedan with grey/blue driver side door. The car was again seen parked on the creek bank at the approximate time of the murders.

Anonymous letters to police.

In describing the area, Police Reporter Jim Crawford said it was such as ‘likely to frighten any little girl unless she had complete confidence in the adult with her.’ (C-M, 31 Aug 1970) The tracks showed the girls playing in the sand barefoot, further confirming the operational theory the abductor was known to them. The sisters were sternly warned not to enter strangers’ cars. Posters offering rewards for the abductors or murderers of seven girls who went missing from NSW and WA between 1964 and 1965, still hung prominently on the Townsville Station front wall.

The suspect cars.
Image courtesy of The Telegraph, 29 August 1970.

The efficiency with which the girls were taken and the knowledge of the secluded creek bank, prompted the police to appeal to the locals to come forward with any details of recent sex offences against young children. Commissioner Whitrod was quoted saying the Townsville killer might have committed other sex offences. (Sunday Mail, 30 Aug 1970). The driver of the suspect car was described as a man 5’9”, ‘aged about 35, dark haired, grubby and wearing a white shirt’. (Truth, 30 Aug 1970) The state-wide manhunt was mounted with every police unit available patrolling city and country roads, while letters containing information concerning the gruesome crime continued to pour in drawing on the investigative resources without offering any viable clues.

Handwritten letter signed ‘Concerned Grandma’.

Suspects

• A leading Brisbane psychiatrist described the suspect as “the guy next door” and about 30 years old, a perfectly respectable citizen with a perversion. (C-M, 29 Aug, 1970) He went on to warn all other parents to watch their daughters, ‘the fact that he has committed these crimes means nothing to him,’ he continued, ‘he may commit more.’
• A Warwick man, born 28 Jun 1941, was interviewed at Mount Isa concerning his whereabouts on 26 August 1970, in relation to the murders. The inquest revealed, the man was arrested at Charleville on four Warrants of Commitment on 25 August and charged with Stealing as a Servant at the Charleville Magistrates’ Court.
• An inmate of Townsville’s Stuart Prison had confessed to the murder of the Mackay sisters, claiming he committed the crime while astral travelling from his cell.
• Lastly, a man seen at a service station in Ayr in a car containing two girls, late on Wednesday, or early Thursday, who bought $3 worth of petrol, was a person of interest.

The initial investigation produced no viable suspects. In 1986 Homicide Squad opened the review of the earlier investigation into the murders. In 1998, Mrs Thwaite’s statement describing a man with two young girls in his car purchasing petrol at an Ayr Service Station, aided the police in filing charges 28 years later.

to be continued…

____________________

This information has been provided by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available.  The article was written by Museum Volunteer and Crime and Policing Historian Dr Anastasia Dukova.

The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT – The Mackay Sisters Murder (Part 1)” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

1970
Judith Elizabeth and Susan Deborah Mackay disappeared from a Ross River bus stop on their way to school on 26 August 1970.

Mrs Thwaite was an attendant at an AYR Service Station in 1970, she supplied $3,00 worth of petrol, to the alleged offender. She described the little girls in the back seat of his car, crying and saying “You promised to take us to see Mummy”, they had tear stained faces.
                                     Recollections of Detective Sergeant 2/c John Sanderson, CIB Ayr.

According to Detective Sergeant 2/c John Sanderson’s recollections, Mrs Thwaite saw the sisters’ photograph on the evening news, recalled seeing the little girls in the car that day, and immediately approached him. Det. Sgt Sanderson was then the Officer-in-Charge of the Criminal Investigation Branch at Ayr. He went on to obtain a six page statement from Mrs Thwaite concerning her observations. (Sanderson)   In her statement, Mrs Jean Thwaite indicated she saw a Holden sedan 1964 model around 11-30am on 26 August. She described the driver as ‘about 30 years, dark hair, clean shaven, hair parted and brushed tidily, fair complexion, square type of face, and although he did not get out of the car, she judged his height to be about 5’8” or 5’9”.’ (CIB Townsville Report, 31 Aug 1970, p. 2.) The report shows the witness noted two girls in the car, one in the front and one standing on the back seat. The girl in the back was crying.

Mrs. Thwaite’s was brought to Townsville where she ‘identified the school uniform being worn by the two little girls as being identical with the school uniform worn by children at the Aitkinvale State School.’ (Sanderson) Jean Thwaite’s statement played a key role in the review investigation by the Homicide Squad at Townsville some 28 years later.

1986
Homicide Squad opened the review of the earlier investigation into the murders in 1986. The reasons behind the review were complex and varied: the immense volume of information flowed into the Townsville CI Branch in the initial weeks of the investigation in 1970; the investigation was co-ordinated by one man, the head of the Townsville CIB, while attending to normal Branch tasks thus subjecting himself to long and exhausting periods on duty; there was no facility within the recording structure; the recording procedures of the era have shown to be inadequate and liable to loss of information; the investigative team comprised from detectives from diverse parts of the state, who upon return to their home districts invariably facilitated fragmenting of aspects of the investigation; and finally the culprit was never identified.

Early news coverage and reports show senior police were working long hours, ‘grabbing perhaps three hours’ sleep at night.’ (Sunday Mail, 30 Aug 1970). Off duty police offered their services without pay, perhaps inadvertently contributing to later information fragmenting.  The 1970s case files confirmed, the Townsville CIB was flooded with tip offs during the first week of the investigation, many were unsubstantiated and a good few were after the reward money.

Shortly, a Townsville Bulletin printed an article examining the decision to re-open the investigation peppered with ‘some rather startling revelations’ (CIB internal correspondence, Jan 1986). According to the article, Detective Inspector Pat Gallwey stated the investigation did not follow stringent police practices and was not reported properly at the time. (Townsville Bulletin, 14 Jan 1986) The article also showed that DI Gallwey was certain the name of the person responsible for the murders were in the files reviewed, and ‘it is just a matter of drawing it out of all that information.’ (TB) Gallwey was one of the detectives originally assigned to the case.

Townsville Bulletin, 14 Jan 1986

1998 – 1999
Arthur Stanley Brown, 87 years, a retired school maintenance man, was charged with the double homicide. Contrary to the Townsville Bulletin article, Brown’s name did not come up in the 1970 investigation. However, witness statements confirmed Commissioner Whitrod’s speculations, the offender was known in the community. ‘Brown’s name hit the headlines in 1998, after a woman broke a 30-year silence to tell the police he had molested five children related to his first wife – often at the same spot where the Mackay sisters’ bodies were found in 1970.’ (The Age 22 Jul, 2002)

Judith and Susan Mackay, 1970

The trial for the murders of Judith Elizabeth and Susan Deborah Mackay, began on 18 October 1999. The jury of 8 men and 4 women was taken by bus 25km south-west of Townsville to Anthill Creek, where the bodies of Susan Mackay, 5, and her sister Judith, 7, were found on August 28, 1970. Several witnesses told the court Brown had a Vauxhall sedan with a mismatched driver’s side door. A relative of the accused stated Brown told her that he took door off and buried it in his yard, as ‘he didn’t want anyone interviewing him or annoying him.’ (C-M 21 Oct 1999) The evidence against the defendant was significant but circumstantial. The jury was unable to agree on a verdict. Brown was due to be re-tried but his mental state was called into question. A special jury found Brown fit to stand trial, however, the Mental Health Tribunal overturned the ruling. Brown was shortly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. No further charges were filed against the accused, Brown was 89 years old in 2001. He died a year after, a free man.

____________________

This information has been provided by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available.  The article was written by Museum Volunteer and Crime and Policing Historian Dr Anastasia Dukova.

The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT – The Mackay Sisters Murder: Review Investigation (Part 2)” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

Patrick Short was the first native born Queenslander to reach the rank of Commissioner.  Born at Ipswich, in the Colony of New South Wales before separation, Patrick joined the Queensland Police Force on 15^th May 1878.  Following just six weeks’ training at the old police depot, Victoria Barracks, Petrie Terrace, Mr Short steadily rose through the ranks serving at St George, Booligar, Taroom, Roma, Mitchell, Hodgson, Southwood, Ipswich, Marburg, Clermont, Rockhampton, Caboolture, South Brisbane, Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), Maryborough, Toowoomba and Brisbane.  Mr Short was regarded as a very experienced administrator in all phases of police work.

Commissioner of Police, Patrick Short.
Image No. PM2295 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

On 16^th January 1921 Patrick Short became Commissioner of Police and a report of police strength in June showed he was responsible for 1066 General Police, 28 CIB Investigators, 13 Water Police, 13 trainees and 91 Native Trackers.  Queensland’s population at the time was 766,426.  The newly appointed Commissioner stated “Naturally, I am very pleased at having been promoted to the Commissionership.  I am also very gratified at having attained that rank from the humble one of an outback constable.”

During Commissioner Short’s tenure he condensed the number of police districts from twelve to ten and oversaw changes to the police act in regard to improving police pensions and family allowances. In 1924 he witnessed legislation which provided a system of appeal against promotions to members of the Police Union up to and including the rank of Senior Sergeant.

Commissioner Patrick Short with three mounted police on street patrol, c1925.
Image No. PM0377 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

After more than 46 years’ service with the Queensland Police Force, Commissioner Short retired on six months leave of absence as from 15^th January 1925.  He died at Wooloowin on 14^th February 1941 at the age of 81 years and is buried in the Lutwyche Cemetery.

__________________

This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.  The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT- CoP Patrick Short” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

TWICE SHOT – Leading Through a Firestorm

Senior Sergeant Daryl Elliott Green

29 May 2016
11.00am – 13.00pm

 Police Headquarters
200 Roma Street
Brisbane  QLD  4000

On 1 May 2000, Constable Daryl Elliott Green was on a routine call out with Sergeant Christopher Mulhall and Constable Sharnelle Cole when they were ambushed and shot multiple times. Over the next decade Daryl endured a series of facial reconstruction surgeries, experienced depression for the first time in his life, and PTSD. He nonetheless demonstrated an incredible strength of character, determination, motivation and resilience. Following an initial 20-month recovery period, Daryl returned to work with the Queensland Police and simultaneously completed a Master of Applied Finance qualification.

Assisted by the strong support of good friends and family, Daryl achieved significant professional and personal goals. He now speaks professionally on his remarkable journey – from joining the Queensland Police Service at age 18, the harrowing experience of being shot at age 27, his ‘dark years’ of operations, depression, anger, anxiety, frustration and recovery – to his new direction and desire to share his story and lessons learned.

As he delves into the events of the night, the lead up to the shooting and road to recovery, Daryl gives a highly visual behind-the-crime multimedia walk through complete with audio from the shooting, CSI-style ballistics mapping, crime scene reconstructions, and step-by-step facial surgery imagery. He brings the lessons from his experience to life with energy, humour, optimism and audience participation.

Please note: The 2 hour presentation will begin at 11.00am on Sunday, May 29.  The lecture topic is only suitable for those high school aged and above.

Learn more about Daryl and his speaking at:
 TWICE SHOT – Daryl Elliott Green 

The Museum opens its doors to the public on the last Sunday of each month from 10am to 3pm from February to November in addition to the standard Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm opening hours. Monthly Sunday openings feature guest speakers from across the historical and crime-solving spectrums.

The Police Museum will open Sunday, May 29 from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Entry is free.

An increasing amount of original archival or historical police records are being stored in hostile storage environments at police stations or being handed over to local interest groups without authorisation.  Police records can be very interesting, and Queensland’s important historical events are traced through them.  These records are in heavy demand at Queensland State Archives (QSA) and their care is tightly prescribed by legislation.  Police records need proper care, as dictated by the State Archives, long after the Service has finished with them.  Police records illustrate the many extraneous duties undertaken by police, social and cultural norms, and even political movements.  For example, during the depression, police acting as School Attendance Officers described the extreme poverty affecting many families.  Many children could not attend school as they did not have sufficient clothes on their backs or food to eat.

In 1924, police performed many other extraneous duties, including; Acting Clerk of Petty Sessions, District Registrar of Births and Deaths, Electoral Registrar, Protector of Aboriginals, Officer-in-charge of flood warning stations, and Collector of tobacco statistics for commonwealth government.  Knowing exactly where police records are and how to access them is essential for the Police Museum to perform its key duties.  Museum staff are frequently asked to conduct research in a number of different areas for internal and external clients, and for display material.  A large volume of their research time is taken up with service records, station histories and general information on different aspects of police history.  There are increasing numbers of enquiries about the Native Mounted Police and Indigenous Police Trackers.

Since 1988 there has been firm legislative requirements for the proper maintenance of police records, further enhanced by the introduction of the Public Records Act in July 2002.  While the Act clearly makes the Police Commissioner responsible for all public records held or created by police service employees, all QPS personnel are responsible for ensuring the safe custody and preservation of records in their possession and special protection of public records older than 30 years.  Disposal of records does not necessarily mean destruction; it can require the record’s transfer to QSA or other approved placements.  Records lodged with the QSA are stored in an ideal environment. They are reviewed periodically and restored to their original condition when required.  Records in a dilapidated condition can often be restored to a readable condition.  They are then microfilmed and made available to researchers.

Interior photograph of the filing/sorting bays, Information Bureau, Roma Street Headquarters, 1992.
Image No. PM2885 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Archival records, that is all records created more than 25 years ago, or more recent records documenting events of historical significance, must be assessed for decisions on retention, disposal and archival location.  If you have archival records, compile a list of the type of records held and their date range; then contact the Corporate Archivist to be advised on the record’s requirements.  The Corporate Archivist will also arrange transfer of records to QSA as necessary.

__________________

This article was written by Clare Hackett, retired Police Officer and Corporate Archivist, for the Queensland Police Bulletin, November 2002.  The information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.  The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

A blog about Commissioner William Harold Ryan would be interesting; one of his earliest announcements in the top job promised to seek various pay increases for all Queensland Police. Later, as a means to reducing crime in the suburbs, Mr Ryan introduced a bicycle patrol, and it was he who sanctioned the recruitment of the State’s first Policewoman. There were other achievements, however when we opened our paper file on Mr Ryan the following article said it all, published in the Brisbane Telegraph 17 July 1954, author unknown, the day after he was tragically killed:

Commissioner of Police William Harold Ryan, 1925 – 1934.
Image No. PM2298 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Mr William Ryan, former Police Commissioner, who died in the Brisbane Hospital last night, was one of the fabulous figures of the Queensland Police Force. Mr Ryan was stuck by a taxi near his home in Sherwood Road last evening and died in hospital a few hours later. He was 81 years of age. He joined the police force in 1893 as a constable and rose through the ranks to be appointed Commissioner in 1925, retiring from the force on May 8, 1934. Mr Ryan served throughout the whole of Queensland – Townsville, Bowen, Woolgar, Charters Towers, Proserpine, Plane Creek, Ravenswood, Cairns, Mareeba, Roma Street, Petrie Terrace, Georgetown and Charleville.

Fabulously famous in the north in the days gone by for his black tracking exploits, Mr Ryan always proved himself an expert bushman. He became known as the ‘Flying Sergeant’, a nickname which cattle thieves bestowed upon him. The north in those days was riddled with cattle thieves and Mr Ryan had a habit of bobbing up everywhere most unexpectedly to get his man. When his presence in any particular area gave rise to suspicion he would casually remark, “I am going fishing”. Thus he became known in the north not only as the ‘Flying Sergeant’, but as an expert angler.

Bronze Medal of the Royal Humane Society.
Image from ‘The Saleroom’.

In 1901 he rescued three girls from drowning at Sarina Inlet and won the Bronze Medal of the Royal Humane Society for his bravery. One of the girls became the wife of ex-Inspector F.B. Kearney, of Kedron, and one his own wife. To carry out the rescues Mr Ryan, then a young constable, swam more than two miles. Semi-conscious at the end, he still had the hair of the third girl clenched in his teeth as they were dragged from the water near the beach. As he walked out of his office in 1934 for the last time on his retirement he once again casually remarked, “I am going fishing”.

__________________

This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing. The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT- CoP William Harold Ryan” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

 What happens when you ring 000
and ask for the police?

26 June 2016
11am – 12:30pm

Police Headquarters
200 Roma Street
Brisbane  QLD  4000

FREE ENTRY

The Brisbane Police Communications Centre (BPCC) coordinates police resources within the immediate area of communication and in response to community requirements, natural disasters, or any special police activities being performed. The Centre is able to allocate individual resources and supply police with a wide range of assistance and information. This includes such things as computer inquiries, requests for support from the Queensland Ambulance Service, Fire and Emergency Services, and from specialist police services such as the QPS Dog Squad.

The BPCC caters for minor incidents like a small gas leak to major incidents such as terrorist actions, and is often the first point of contact for members of the public. Incidents range from minor to traumatic and in all circumstances BPCC staff display a very high degree of professionalism, a broad range of legislative knowledge and advanced computer skills. The fast paced environment requires a specialised reporting structure to maintain expected high standards.

Senior Sergeant Bruce Rodger of the BPCC will present ‘What happens when you ring 000 and ask for the police?’  Senior Sergeant Rodger will outline the role of a 24/7 telecommunications operator including their management of urgent calls using QCAD (Queensland’s Computer Aided Dispatch program), how they determine the resources necessary to respond, how they maintain contact with officers and how police vehicles or other emergency services are dispatched.

This one and a half hour presentation will start at 11am on Sunday, June 26 and will be both informative and educational.  The lecture content will be suitable for all audiences.

The Museum opens its doors to the public on the last Sunday of each month from 10am to 3pm from February to November in addition to the standard Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm opening hours. Monthly Sunday openings feature guest speakers from across the historical and crime-solving spectrums.

PLEASE NOTE: The Police Museum will open Sunday, June 26 from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.

In 1863, a separate Queensland Police Act was promulgated which took effect on 1 January 1864, marking the beginning of an independent history for the Queensland Police Force. On 31 December 1864, 21 ordinary constables took to the streets. Vigilant guardianship of person and property was one of the key principles of police duty. Absence of crime was considered the very best evidence that can be given of the complete efficiency of the police. A nascent Queensland Constable took an oath to see and cause Her Majesty’s peace to be kept and preserved, and to prevent to the best of his power, all offences against the same.

Police parade “Under Arms” at Petrie Terrace Police Depot, Brisbane, 1867.
Image PM0159 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

According to the former Police Magistrate WRO Hill recollections, Brisbane of the early 1860s was not a very attractive city, with uniform streets, atrociously kept shops, and houses few and far between…Bullock teams frequently blocked the thoroughfare. (Forty-Five Years’ Experience in North Queensland, 1861 to 1905, p. 20) In 1861, Brisbane census recorded a population of 6051 and 1,144 (1,115 inhabited) buildings, by 1864 the town’s population doubled to 12,551 with an ordinary police presence of one police officer to 600.

Early view of Queen Street, Brisbane, c1859.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.

The first areas to develop were North Brisbane with the commercial centre in Queen Street, Kangaroo Point, and Milton.  The central area was known as Petrie Bight, its immediate districts, such as Fortitude Valley and Petrie Terrace, soon became epicentres for criminal activity, mainly theft, drunkenness and common assaults.  In 1864, an anonymous correspondent to the Brisbane Courier, signed as E.T.M., expressed his concerns regarding the environment of Petrie Terrace. Several letters had appeared in the columns relative to the wants and what is not wanted in the area; the rising locality was ‘blessed with three public-houses’ and ‘therefore, it is requisite that the peaceable inhabitants should have three policemen’.

Lord Alfred Hotel, 1929. Originally Prince Alfred hotel built circa late 1860s and rebuilt in late 1880s.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.

Despite the limited police presence, thousands of persons were apprehended annually and appeared before the Police Magistrates daily. The majority of cases disposed of at the Police Courts were offences against good order: drunkenness, drunk and disorderly behaviour; minor offences against property, such as larceny; and a range of offences against the person which often involved the police, such as assaults, assaults on police, resisting arrest, rescuing or aiding a rescue of a prisoner, and obstructing a constable during execution of his duty. After drunkenness and common assaults, offences against the police formed the most numerous sub-category tried at the Police Courts:

On the night of 16 February 1880, Constable Elliot had occasion to arrest George Hawkins in the centre of Caxton-street, opposite Caxton Hotel, a landmark notorious for overindulging and disorderly behaviour. Hawkins resisted the constable, striking him on the face and other parts of the body. During the struggle, Hawkins bit Constable Elliot and tore off a portion of his whiskers. At the trial, the constable’s face still bore evidence of gross ill-usage. The bench found the defendant guilty, and fined him £3, to be recovered by a levy and distress, or in default of distress, one month’s imprisonment. A cross-case arising out of this, in which Hawkins charged the Constable with assaulting him, was dismissed, after several witnesses had been examined.

Constable George Elliott, previously of the Royal Irish Constabulary, joined the Queensland Police late in 1879, aged 33 years, and remained in the force for two more years following the incident. He was discharged in 1882. (Dukova, A History of the Dublin Metropolitan Police and Its Colonial Legacy, p. 186)

Mounted and Foot Police parading outside the Victoria Barracks, Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, 1881.
Image PM0156 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Over the first decade, the number of ordinary beat constables patrolling Brisbane increased from 20 (1864) to 92 (1874). As per the newspaper court coverage, the year was remarkable for high rates of offences against policemen on duty in central Brisbane. As a rule drunk and disorderly behaviour walked hand-in-hand with assaults, and assaults on police especially.

City Brewery, Perkins & Co, Brisbane, 1872-1882.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.

Crime and policing historian Dr Anastasia Dukova in conjunction with Queensland Police Museum invite you to come join an ordinary patrol Constable on a beat of colonial Brisbane. Digital Colonial Brisbane, proudly supported by Brisbane City Council, will take you on a walk through Brisbane’s criminal underbelly: www.digitalcolonialbrisbane.com

If you would like to learn more about Irish heritage of the Queensland Police Service, please see Anastasia’s recent book, A History of the Dublin Metropolitan Police and its Colonial Legacy (http://www.palgrave.com/gb/book/9781137555816).

In 1949 the productive reign of Cecil James Carroll, Commissioner of Police, came to an end with an early retirement due to health reasons.  On 6^th July Chief Inspector, John Smith, distributed this ‘Extremely Urgent’ personal memorandum to all members of the Queensland Police Force:

Portrait of Commissioner of Police Cecil James Carroll, (1934 – 1949).
Image No. 2299 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

With very profound regret, I have to advise every Commissioned Officer, every non-commissioned officer, and every Constable of the Police Force of this State, of the sad fact that our esteemed Commissioner, Mr C.J. Carroll, M.V.O., M.C., retires from the position of Commissioner of the Queensland Police Force on the 23^rd of this month on the grounds of ill health.

As you are all aware, Mr Carroll took over control of the Queensland Police Force on the 8^th May 1934, and has completed fifteen years’ service as head of the Police Force.  It is scarcely necessary for me to dwell on the superhuman efforts which he has put forward during his period of office in the interests of the Police Force as a whole, and the numerous instances in which he displayed a personal interest in the welfare of individuals who suffered in health through their activities as members of the Police Force, and those who received injuries in the course of their duties.

Group photograph of members of the Townsville Police Force taken on occasion of the first official visit by the Commissioner of Police Mr CJ Carroll (seated front and centre), c1934.
Image No. PM2422 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

There is not one member of the Police Force holding any rank in the service about the rank of Sergeant 2/c who did not received his promotion either from or on the recommendation of Mr Carroll, and there is only one Sergeant 2/c in the Force who was appointed to that rank prior to Mr Carroll taking over office.  The numerical strength of the Police Force has increased during his regime out of all proportion to its numerical strength at the time he took over office, and the ranks, particularly the non-commissioned officer ranks, have in most instances doubles and in some instances trebled under his administration.

The equipment of the Police Force was very meagre at the time Mr Carroll took over office.  There were one or two cars, a few motor cycles and pedal cycles, but very little other equipment of any consequence.  Under his administration the Force has been fully equipped with motor transport, a wireless station has been established, Modus Operandi and Technical laboratory were inaugurated, as well as an up-to-date Photography Section.  The Police Welfare Club was started, and the Youth Club is now well under way to maturing.  In addition, he has successfully steered the Police Force through one of the most troublous periods in the history of the British Empire.  He has raised the tone of the Police Force on to a plane never previously achieved by any administrator of the Department.

Inspector James Toohill, Minister for Home Affairs Edward Hanlon and Police Commissioner Cecil Carroll inspect the new Black Maria in front of the garage at the Petrie Terrace Depot, 1936.
Image No. PM1427 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Every serving member of the Police Force, from the most senior to the most junior, will appreciate the personal interest which Mr Carroll has always displayed in relation to the welfare of members of the Police Force, particularly the great bulk of the members constituting the rank and file.  He has ever been ready to support any scheme or suggestion or claim which has arisen which would be for the benefit of his men.  I now confidently look to every member of the Police Force to associate himself in a tangible way with a testimonial which it is proposed to present to Mr Carroll, as concrete evidence of the high esteem in which he is held by members of the Police Force of all ranks.

Chief Inspector Smith reiterates his request for testimonials and a contribution, particularly from higher ranked police, to be used on 19^th July 1949 at the presentation and in honour of Mr Carroll.

__________________

This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.  The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT- CoP Cecil James Carroll” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

July 2016 marks ten years since the Queensland Police Museum first held a Sunday Lecture.  Old electronic folders highlight some of the topics; they commenced with our Curator Lisa Jones, speaking about the historic Ocean Island Murders.  Many grizzly titles have ensued including ‘Forensic identification of fatal crocodile attack victims’, ‘The Gatton Murders’, ‘The Kilcoy Massacre’, and ‘The unsolved murder of Betty Shanks’.

Television cameraman Carl Wiely (right) as he attempted to film another arrest by Queensland Police in Alice Street, Brisbane during the Spring-bok demonstration, 1971. Courier Mail image 21 July 1971.
Image No. PM1342e courtesy of the Courier Mail.
Retired Queensland Police Inspector Barry Krosch, formally of the Special Branch, together with a cohort of special guests provided secrets and scones with tea and coffee for this riveting presentation in November 2013.

Other interesting topics have been presented by Scientific Section and Special Branch, Fingerprints and Forensic Mechanics, the Dive Unit and popular guests the Dog Squad; a favourite time and again, particularly with puppies in tow.  In 2015 we took a field trip to the Mounted Police Unit in a purpose built facility at Moggill.  The tour was by invitation only for those on our E-Alert list and it proved to be a successful event, even when storms threatened.  Later that day heavy sleet managed to bucket down on Brisbane and surrounds, but the horses were safely stabled by then, and our many weary visitors had gone, well fed and well informed.

Brisbane C.I.B. members Detective Sergeant D. R. Brown, Detective Senior Constable G. A. Phillips, Detective Sergeant B. J. Murphy, and Acting Inspector W. Osborn working on the Marilyn Wallman murder, 1972.
Image PM1931a donated courtesy of the Courier Mail.
Sergeant Jeremy Keith of the State Intelligence Behavioural Specialist Unit presented our February 2016 lecture titled ‘Criminal Behaviour Profiling’.

Now called the Sunday Lecture Series, we advertise through this Blog site, Twitter @QPSMuseum, and Facebook at Queensland Police Service.  Lectures commence at 11:00am on the last Sunday of each month from February to November.  They generally run for 1.5 hours and are held in the large ground level conference room of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.  Entry is free, as is attendance at the Police Museum which is also open on the last Sunday of each month (February to November), from 9:00am until 3:00pm.  Please find upcoming lectures for 2016 tabled below.  We hope to see you at our #SundayLectureSeries soon.

Dog Squad member Frank Lanaro and his police dog Ben, 1993.
Image No. PM1799 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
This image entitled “Companions” was taken by Senior Constable Adrian Freeman for the Police Photographics Award in 1993. The image won a Certificate of Merit. We used it for Dog Squad presentation of September 2013, the title being ‘The Long Paw of the Law’.

This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.  The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT- A Decade of Sunday Lectures” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

The Queensland Police Pistol Club Inc. (QPPC) was originally established in 1963 as the Pistol Activities Section of the Queensland Police Rifle Club, by a group of officers seeking to improve their knowledge and skill in relation to their Service-related handguns.  The first Dunlop Shield Interstate competition was contested between serving police officers in Brisbane in 1964.  This event developed into a major annual National Championship involving police, military, government and private security personnel throughout Australia.

Queensland Police Pistol Club Logo.

The principal aim of the QPPC is to promote the spirit of competitive pistol shooting, and safety with firearms, amongst members of the Queensland Police Service.  Members have participated in intrastate, interstate, national and international competitions with distinction and credit to the Queensland Police Service.  Teams have participated in major competitions in Singapore, USA, and the prestigious Bisley Shoot, in the United Kingdom.

The Club provides advice, training and coaching to members. As a result of recent changes to the Weapons Act 1990, the Club has affiliated with the Sporting Shooter’s Association of Australia Inc. (SSAA) to ensure that its members have access to SSAA ranges throughout Queensland to be able to satisfy the conditions of their weapons’ licences (handguns or long arms).

The monthly Police Bulletin detailed state-wide achievements in national championships, and in 1995 the QPPC received many accolades for their team’s collective successes.  A snippet of the write up is reproduced here, and celebrates the training speed and accuracy gained by Constable Nicola Steel.

Police Bulletin – Issue No. 62, March 23, 1995
The 12 members of the Queensland Police Pistol Club team, which contested the 31^st Australian Police and Services Pistol Shooting Championships in Melbourne last month, carried all before them.  The QPPC fielded two teams of five members each in Divisions 1 and 2, and two other officers competed as individuals.  Constable Nikki Steel (Police Communications Centre) was the first Queensland female officer to compete in the women’s division of the championships.  She has only been shooting competitively for six months and is now the Australian Police and Services Female Champion.

Constable Nicola Steel, Australia’s number one Police and Services female pistol shooter in 1995, with trophy at the Australian Police and Services Pistol Championships.
Image No. PM2558 courtesy of the Queensland Police Service.

In 2016 police will compete in the 16^th Australasian Police and Emergency Services Games to be held on the Sunshine Coast.  Eligible firearms are those identical to currently issued weapon and duty holster.

_________________

This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available.  The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT- Queensland Police Pistol Club” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

Equipment of today’s operational officer.
Reflections over the past two decades.

31 July 2016
11am – 12:30pm

Police Headquarters
200 Roma Street
Brisbane  QLD  4000

FREE ENTRY

This Sunday Lecture will take you on a path over the last twenty-five years of the evolution of the police uniform and kit to that worn by today’s general duties police officers within Queensland; from light blue shirts to dark navy polos, from bush hat to baseball cap, from notebooks to iPads.  This presentation will discuss the now, with references to the past and the future, of police uniform and accoutrements, from a General Duties officer point of view.  Learn about the evolution of material technologies, miniaturisation, fit-for-purpose requirements, and see how the kit of the frontline officer has evolved.

The presentation will be by Senior Sergeant Warrick Jackes, a jack-of-all-trades officer who’s service commenced at Beenleigh in the 1990s, then transferred to the Academy as a facilitator.  He has enjoyed a long stint as an operational advisor, and was readily deployed to flood-bound towns in central and far western Queensland during the early 2010’s.

This one and a half hour presentation will start at 11am on Sunday, July 31 and will be both informative and educational.  It is suitable for all audiences.

The Museum opens its doors to the public on the last Sunday of each month from 10am to 3pm from February to November in addition to the standard Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm opening hours. Monthly Sunday openings feature guest speakers from across the historical and crime-solving spectrums.

PLEASE NOTE:
The Police Museum will open Sunday, July 31 from 10am to 3pm, and is located at Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.

From the Office of the Commissioner, Brisbane, and dated 13^th August 1949 by an unknown hand a short biography was written about the service of John Smith, Registered Number 1353, originally from the Darling Downs.  Some of it has been reproduced here.   Mr Smith had become the 8^th Queensland Police Commissioner after a career spanning 37 years; the additional service in the top job saw many initiatives introduced.

Commissioner of Police, John Smith, c1949.
Image No. PM2305 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum

At the age of 20, Queensland’s new Commissioner of Police joined the Police Force as a Constable on the 1^st July, 1910.  John Smith served in various parts of the State, including many stations in the outback, and has thus acquired a practical knowledge, not only of departmental requirements, but also of public requirements, in relation to the Department throughout the vast territory which is Queensland.  He is equally at home on foot, or horseback, or at the wheel of a modern motor car.

Traffic offences were on Smith’s radar continuously, perhaps sparked by an incident early on in his policing career.  In 1912 the young Constable took a civilised stage coach ride from Cunnamulla to Eromanga, but when leaving Thargomindah the Cobb and Co. horses began to run at cracking speed.  It was evident the driver had been drinking and had limited control of the beasts.  The quick thinking and capable policeman arrested the drunk driver, bundled him into the cabin, took charge of the coach and proceeded to Eromanga where Constable Smith charged him with the offence of Driving under the Influence.  It took 21 years for the Constable to receive a promotion to the rank of Sergeant, after which he quickly rose to the position of Commissioner.  Notable duties during his rise included several positions on the occasions of visiting royals; as a member of the Royal Mounted Police Escort during the visit of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in 1920, and specialist duties during other royal visits in 1927, 1934 and 1945.

Left to Right: Sub Inspectors John Smith, Florence M. O’Driscoll, Charles J. L. Perrin, with Police Commissioner Cecil J. Carroll, outside Parliament House, Brisbane c1937.
Image No. PM3112 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Commissioner Smith was closely associated with the formation of the Police Citizens Youth Welfare Club, of which he was the first chairman.  He was also closely associated with the Police Welfare Club, of which, for a time, he was President.  He represented Australia at the General Assembly of the International Criminal Police Commission held at Oslo, Norway in June 1953.  His decorations included the Royal Victoria Medal from King George V, the Silver Jubilee Medal from King George VI, and the Coronation Medal, from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

__________________

This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.  The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT- CoP John Smith” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

Charles Henry Brooks was born on the 16 August 1855 in Elmbridge, England. Initially he was employed by the Midlands Railways Company, and later joined the Derbyshire and London Police having served with them for almost three years before venturing out to the Colonies and Queensland.

Charles Brooks was sworn in as a constable on the 19 September 1878, aged 23 years. In 1881 he married Johanna Nankiwell and they had six sons and one daughter. He served at Brisbane initially and was transferred to Maryborough, Mount Perry, East Bundaberg, and finally Mackay. At the time of his promotion to acting sergeant in 1895, Inspector Meldrum found Brooks “to be intelligent and zealous in the performance of his duties”. Five years later, Senior Inspector Douglas described him as “a most excellent mounted man, intelligent and active”.

Acting Sergeant Charles Henry Brooks was awarded an Imperial Service Medal in 1916 for his dedication to duty, having served for over 35 years. Image No. PM3937 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Brooks was appointed the watch-house keeper at Mackay, or formally known as the Superintendent of Mackay Prison on the 8 April 1903. His wife was employed as the Matron. He remained in this position until he was superannuated on 16 August 1915. He had served the Mackay community for 20 years in his capacity as a police officer, and like so many other officers had become an integral member of the community.

Even before retirement Brooks had a talent for the breeding and showing of poultry. In 1909 in the non-competitive section he had a white-laced Houdan Cock, and was highly commended for his white Leghorns consisting of two Hens and a Cock, which were much admired.

Grandchildren of Charles Henry Brooks with empty hen house, Mackay c1926. Granddad off to the show perhaps? Image courtesy of the Brooks family.

In June 1910 a group of gentlemen met and formed the Mackay Poultry and Kennel Club. Brooks was part of a sub-committee to draw up the rules. At that same time a Mr. Hines, a visiting poultry expert from the Gatton College addressed this newly formed group on how to scientifically improve “egg production and general development of the bird”. Mr. Hines also talked about his visit to Mr. Brook’s poultry yard and his specialising in White Leghorns. “Mr. Hines paid a warm tribute to the enthusiasm displayed by Mr. Brooks and to his trap-nesting system of detecting his best layers. Mr. Brook’s methods are as thorough as his small space allows, and the lecturer advised anyone interested in poultry to pay a visit to this yard. It may be mentioned that Mr. Brooks has a White Leghorn hen that has laid 292 eggs from the 21st June, 1909 up till yesterday (17th June), and with three days to go he will nearly have reached the 300. This is a hen which was bred by Mr. Brooks”. (Daily Mercury, Mackay, Monday 20 June 1910) The hen managed to lay a grand total of 296.

During May 1911, Mr. Brooks dispatched two of his white leghorn cockerels to Wooldridge Bros., of the Range Egg and Poultry Farm, Toowoomba, which ran one of the largest poultry plants in Queensland. They were purchased for stud purposes in preference to any other strain in the Commonwealth. In 1912, Mr. Brooks purchased from Mr. Padman of Adelaide, a famous poultry prize winner, a white leghorn cockerel to add to his stock. Mr. Brooks was not the only one keen to improve the quality of his chooks.

A white Leghorn. Image courtesy of ‘Chicken Breeds List’.

In 1926, Charles Brooks left Mackay to live with his daughter at Rosewood. He was a poultry steward at the Rosewood Show Society for a number of years, and involved himself in a number of other societies. He died there on 24 June 1935, and after the funeral his body was transported to Mackay where he was buried.

____________________

This information has been provided by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available.  The article was written by Assistant Curator Virginia Gordon.

The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT – A/Sergeant Brooks and his chooks” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode