In honour of police officers who have died performing their duty, or whilst seconded from their police role and enlisted to serve during World War 1, police motorcyclists will make their way to the Australian Capital Territory to attend the annual Wall to Wall Ride for Remembrance ceremony, scheduled for Saturday, 16 September this year (2017).  The Queensland Police Service remembers 144 men and women killed whilst at work since inauguration in 1864, and the ride is another way mates, colleagues and family members of these officers can honour them.

Entrance fees are payable and donated to Police Legacy, to assist the families of deceased officers.  Motorcyclists promote responsible riding and every year since the first ride of 2010, hundreds have joined the journey from their city’s own monument of remembrance, to the National Police Memorial, Canberra.

Victoria Police are credited with the creation of the Wall to Wall Ride for Remembrance, and the generous provision of batons to Police Commissioners in each state and territory.  These are passed ‘to the most senior officer participating in the ride, who will then hand deliver them to the Wall of Remembrance in Canberra at an official ceremony’ (Queensland Police Bulletin 361, August 2011).  States will add the names of officers who died on duty in the preceding year to a parchment scroll contained within the hollow baton.  The batons are made from timber, have a turned handle and carved emblems; those of that state’s police service, the Wall to Wall Ride and National Police Remembrance Day chequered ribbon.

Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart handing over custody of the baton to Assistant Commissioner Paul Doyle, in readiness for the 2013 Wall to Wall Ride of Remembrance.
Image No. PM4037 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Queensland police first participated in the ride to Canberra in 2011, and registration rates have steadily increased.  In 2014, 168 Queensland Police Service employees (police officers and civilians) registered for the event, in 2015 this increased to 184, and 192 Queensland riders joined other state jurisdictions with total participation of 2081 (riders and pillions) in 2016.  This year 200 entrants are expected to join the important journey from the Queensland Police Memorial, currently situated at the Oxley Police Academy.  The Memorial was originally placed at a publically accessible site on George Street, Brisbane, but was moved to the Academy prior to the commencement of major redevelopment at the riverside location on Queens Wharf Road.

The Queensland Police Memorial was originally located in George Street, Brisbane.
Image taken 2013 and courtesy of Monument Australia, monumentaustralia.org.au

The Queensland ceremonial passing of the baton from Police Commissioner Ian Stewart will take place on Wednesday 13 September at the Oxley Police Academy.  Registered motorcycle riders will embark on their journey to Canberra for the ceremony on Saturday.  National Police Remembrance Day will be marked by marches in each state on Friday 29 September.

Queensland marks National Police Remembrance Day with the annual parade on 29 September 1997. A Senior Constable monitors traffic from the sidelines, kitted out in riding breaches, leather leggings, helmet, gloves and a BMW K1100 motorcycle.
Image No. PM2501c courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

If you don’t ride, don’t worry; pillion passengers are welcome.  Transportation of motorcycles is also available for those who don’t wish to ride the return journey home.  More information about this special event can be found at: Wall to Wall Ride for Remembrance

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This article was written by Museum Assistant Georgia Grier from the best resources available.  Statistics provided by Acting Senior Sergeant Steven Young, Gold Coast Road Policing Unit.  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- Wall to Wall Ride for Remembrance” 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

Inspector William Harris, in Texas to inspect the new police station and arrange for it to be fenced, reported on flooding in the town to the Police Commissioner by letter dated 4^th April 1890;

“On the 23^rd [March] I arrived at Texas and the rain which commenced on the 22^nd continued until the evening of the 25^th when the Severn River and its tributaries were bankers [word unclear]. The 26^th being fine the floods were receding fast and I arranged to leave on my return journey early on the 27^th but at 1.00 that morning rain set in again and it came down in torrents all that day until about 5.00pm when the flood water from the river commenced to run over its banks above the township, known as the old township and by 7.30pm or thereabouts the water entered the hotel in which I was standing in the new township and continued rising until 3.00am on the 28^th when all then at the hotel, 10 men, including myself were on the ceiling joists.  The water was then up to the wall plates of the hotel which was on blocks about 2ft from the ground and the plates being about 9ft from the floor.  I calculate the depth of the water to be 11ft and running strongly.

At this time I looked at my watch and saw it was 3.00 and felt the hotel moving noiselessly from its position.  All hands then made for the outside through openings which we had previously made in the gables and were riding on the ridge capping of the building which was floating down with the stream until it collided with a tremendous crash against a tree into which five [men], including myself jumped from the roof of the building, four escaped to the other trees and one a decent man named James Grain was knocked or fell off and was drowned.

At daylight on the morning of the 28^th I saw nothing of the hotel which doubtless broke up after the collision but from my position in the tree I saw that a cottage and Iron [word unclear] Store and Post Office which were in line with the hotel had been carried away and the police station which was unoccupied had been carried down the stream about 200 yards and held fast by trees.

About 6.00 on the morning of the 29^th the water had subsided sufficiently to enable us to leave the trees and wade to the verandah of a house about 200 yards distant and in the evening I went with others to the residence of Mr Myles, Sheep Inspector about a mile distant on high ground overlooking the township.  When signs of the flood were apparent Mr Myles invited all who wished to go to his place and 45 persons, men, women and children accepted his kind hospitality.”

A snippet of the report by Inspector Harris, dated 4 April 1890.
Scan courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.           

The report to the Police Commissioner continued for another two pages.  Notable events included the location and burial of James Grain.  There were other deaths attributed to the flood; of both adults and children, plus the enormous loss of cattle and horses.  Tobacco crops were lost too with the Government and residents from Stanthorpe stepping up to offer rations and clothing.  Inspector Harris finished with information about the station buildings and town policing;

“With regard to the police station I may say one side was hanging outwards from the bottom and some of the partitions have been washed out.  But otherwise it did not appear to me to be seriously damaged.  The stable and closets have been washed away and I saw no sign of them about.  The station I was told could be removed and rebuilt on the Reserve I have mentioned for about £50 and I think it would be well to send ‘Police Carpenters’ up to remove it, until something is done with it.  Mr Myles promised to see it is not interfered with.  Constables have been despatched from Stanthorpe to preserve order and prevent as far as possible people taking what did not belong to them as I heard they had been doing.”

Inspector Harris only lost his ‘travelling necessaries – including hat and boots’ and returned home to Toowoomba on the 3rd April.

Architectual drawings of the Texas Police Station.
Plan courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

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This report was written by Inspector William Harris to Police Commissioner David Thompson Seymour in 1890, the report available in its entirety with the Texas Police Station file.  The article was collated by Museum Assistant Georgia Grier.  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 – Texas and a flooding Severn River” 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 Police Museum welcomes you on September 24, open as usual on the last Sunday of the month, but there will be no lecture.  This is due to the hosting of two events next month; the annual Mounted Police Unit open day at their facility in Moggill on October 15 (by special invitation to myPolice subscribers), and the usual 11:00am lecture titled Fraud Prevention on October 29.

To keep updated with the latest event information, please consider subscribing to our blog if you haven’t already.  We are also on Twitter @QPSMuseum

Standard Police Museum opening hours:
Monday to Thursday, 9am to 4pm
Last Sunday of the month (Feb – Nov), 10am to 3pm

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

Queensland Police Museum –Sunday Lecture Series
On location at the
Queensland Mounted Police facility, Moggill
October 15, 2017

Ever wondered how police horses remain so composed whilst working amongst rowdy crowds? Have you considered the training required by horses and their police officer riders? Would you like to see where police horses live, train, eat and sleep?  Answers to these questions will be provided at the Queensland Mounted Police Unit Display Day, to be held on October 15 at their facility at Moggill.

The complex is set on 9 hectares in rural Moggill, at 122 Hawkesbury Road, and comprises of 18 stables, outdoor and covered training arenas, offices and storage facilities. There are 16 troop horses in residence, in various stages of training.

The Display Day will include troop horse training demonstrations, covering sensory and environmental conditioning. There will be information on the health, care and stabling of horses, and opportunities to ask questions about the day to day operations of working with horses within the policing environment.  Bookings are essential; please see display day details and RSVP information below:

At about 8.45am on 9 October 1967 a postman delivered a small parcel to 29 Earl Street, Petrie Terrace. Mrs Tracey Phillips aged 22, wife of Bill Phillips, tattoo artist, took the package from the mailbox to her bedroom and opened it in the presence of her husband and young son. Inside the parcel she found a wooden box with an inlaid lid. When she lifted the lid of the box it exploded causing serious injury to her chest, face and hands. Mrs Phillips had both her hands amputated and was blinded in one eye as a result of the explosion. Her husband and son were also injured.

Mr and Mrs Phillips bedroom after the explosion.
Image courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

The explosion also caused considerable damage to the bedroom furniture. Small fragments of wood and pieces of explosives imbedded themselves into the walls, furniture and into the bodies of both Mr and Mrs Phillips. A report by Constable 1/c Neil Raward from the Technical Section read;

Proceeded to 29 Earl St., the front bedroom of the house was covered in dust which apparently came from the ceiling after the explosion, the boards in the walls and ceiling had been damaged and nails supporting them had been pushed through due to explosive effect. The boards were pitted with small pieces of timber which were apparently part of the box in which the bomb was contained. The bed clothing and mattress on the bed had been shredded by the blast. Took possession of these articles. The windows in the bedroom and hall were shattered and the tattoo room next to the bedroom had been littered with debris. On arriving there was a distinct odour of exploded gelignite. The doors of the cupboards beside the bed had fallen across the bed.

A detailed examination of the debris in the rooms was made. Fragments of a 9 volt Exide Transistor battery were found, as was a portion of an electric detonator and yellow insulated lead wires. Recovered numerous fragments of soft timber which were embedded in the walls and ceiling and also which were on the floor. Some of this timber was inlayed. Blood and hair was adhering to the walls behind and beside the bed. Received bottle containing piece of metal from Detective Sergeant Sid Atkinson, which was removed from face of PHILLIPS. Also received pieces of timber and glass which were removed from PHILLIPS and his wife.

Detectives arrive at the Petrie Terrace property to examine the crime scene. The sign reads ‘Bill Phillips Tattooist, Engraving & Ear-piercing’.
Image courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Police investigators spent a considerable amount of time researching the type of box and explosive used but despite a long and thorough investigation, this crime still remains unsolved after 50 years.

Precis of Action Taken or to be Taken (yellow), including names of the victim and investigating officer, the Telex message received from Chief of Police, Melbourne, in the Police Communications Centre, Brisbane (pink), and the typed report from the Technical Section (white).
Documents courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

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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- Petrie Terrace Parcel Bomb 1967” 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

LOOKING OUT FOR LABS: HOW TO SPOT
A CLANDESTINE LABORATORY

29 October 2017
11:00am – 12:30pm

Police Headquarters
200 Roma Street
Brisbane  QLD  4000

Entry is FREE

Community members will learn how to spot the tell-tale signs of clandestine drug laboratories during this month’s presentation at the Queensland Police Museum.

Detective Sergeant Peter GALOVIC from the State Drug Squad will deliver a presentation entitled “Looking out for labs: How to spot a clandestine laboratory” at the Queensland Police Museum on Sunday, October 29 at 11am.

“A clandestine drug laboratory is an illicit operation involving a combination of apparatus and chemicals that people are using to make dangerous drugs. The most common type of laboratory we are seeing in Queensland are those used to make Methylamphetamines or more commonly referred to as “speed” or “ice”.

“These labs are extremely volatile. They can explode, they can ignite or emit odourless and colourless gases that can be lethal. The most frightening thing is that they can be concealed in what appear to be ordinary suburban dwellings in ordinary suburbs.”

Detective Sergeant GALOVIC is a qualified clandestine lab investigator working with the Illicit Laboratory Investigation Team (ILIT) in the Queensland Police Service (QPS). He has more than 35 years’ experience in law enforcement and is also the QPS’s state training officer in clandestine drug labs.

Individuals who believe they may have discovered a clandestine laboratory should immediately notify police and should definitely not enter the suspected area.

The one-and-a-half-hour session which includes question time will begin at 11am on Sunday, October 29, and will provide up-to-date content including a representation of a drug lab.  The session 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 on Sunday October 29 from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters,
200 Roma Street, Brisbane.

After the introduction of photography into the QPS in 1892, no provision had been made for a properly designed and built darkroom, studio or office under the one roof.

Though hard to imagine now, first police photographer Sergeant John Raphael Thompson was forced to to operate in a ‘temporary’ dark room from a blackened out storeroom, making the developing process time consuming and exacting.

In the makeshift conditions Thompson would mix his own emulsions for spreading on glass plates to record images.

This all changed on November 17, 1905 when the Department of Works designed and approved a police darkroom and studio.

The new studio was built by police carpenters at a cost of £17-0-0. The studio was built at the back of the old CIB headquarters in Queens Park, behind the mounted police’s horse stables.

The former CIB Station located in Queen’s Park

The then modern accommodation was used for close to 40 years, providing the police photographic support services  with the necessary facilities of the times to effectively support CIB officers in investigations, ID photos and copies of wanted and missing persons photos.

In 1942 the Photographic section moved to Morcom House across from Queens Park where is remained until the 1960s.

Police photographers in 1953

During this period the photographic section experienced significant progressive changes that enabled a more efficient and mobile service in the section.

The section faced a huge setback in 1954 when a a major fire caused severe destruction and damage to most of the furniture, operational photographic equipment, photographs and negatives on record at the Photographic Section.

A police photographer at work in 1967

Despite this the section progressively recovered before relocating to the then new Police Headquarters located on the corner of Quay Street in 1962 with five staff.

The new photographic section included a colour laboratory for processing and printing colour negative film and the first colour enlarger which allowed for colour photographs of injuries and crime scenes to be taken for the first time, a first for any police service in Australia.

The old Police HQ on Makertston Street

On March 10, 1990 the photographic section moved to its current location on the fourth floor of Police Headquarters on Roma Street.

Since then the photographic section has witnessed monumental changes in technology and the size of its operations and workforce.

It was not until the turn of the 21^st century when the QPS made moves toward the now proven technology of digital imaging.

The current database, known as the Forensic Register came online in 1998 and by the end of 2008, the changeover from crime scene film capture to digital capture, was complete, albeit with a small amount of non-forensic film still being processed for a number of years afterwards.

The Photographic Section continued processing speed camera film until April 2016 when TCO changed to full digital capture.

Hard copy production remains in-house and today is managed and operated by civilian staff and laboratory technicians who are specialists in film processing, print production and digital imaging.

Today the size of the unit stands at close to thirty staff and the studios have advanced a long way from 1905.

In 2017 the section reopened after undergoing extensive renovations and is now home to state of the art facilities making it one of the most technologically advanced policing sections in Australia.

To celebrate the 125th anniversary of the photographic section, QPS Media in conjunction with the Photographic Section is producing this blog series to celebrate the achievements and evolution of the section.

In 1898 the first moves to secure a home-based police officer in the Myrtle Town and Pinkenba districts, followed the extension of the rail line to Pinkenba, the erection of the wharves, the reopening of the meatworks and the subsequent rise in population.  These moves were by way of written submissions to Police Commissioner William Parry-Okeden and local council members, by the management of the Queensland Meat Export & Agency Co. Ltd. of Eagle Farm, and the Pinkenba Railway Station Master. The submissions complained ‘of drunks, larrikins etc. in the area’. At this time the district was policed from the Petrie Terrace Police Depot.

Suggested site for Pinkenba Police Paddock, 1901.

A further eighteen months passed, then on February 17, 1899 the Commissioner directed that a police station be constructed at Pinkenba. Eighteen tenders were submitted, as at this time work was scarce and many carpenters and tradesmen were setting up independently against their employers, often submitting lower tenders to win employment.  After a bitter struggle involving various accusations, the tender was let to L. C. Young who duly erected the police station, stables, lock-up and earth closet, for the sum of £366 15s.

The station was described as being of wooden construction with two bedrooms, a kitchen, a sitting room, breakfast room, bathroom, front veranda and police office.  Additional buildings included a 12 foot by 10 foot lock-up with veranda, as well as a stable and fodder room. The lock-up and station each had a 1000 gallon water tank. The area was enclosed with a picket and split paling fence. Annual rates on the property stood at 16 shillings.

Floorplan for the Pinkenba Police Station, cell block and stable with fodder room, 1901.

Heavy rains in 1904 left the police station yard lying under several inches of water rendering all approaches impossible to negotiate without first wading through muddy water. In addition, it was also considered to be a menace to the health of the occupant’s and the general public. The situation was remedied by a ballast truck load of gravel (approximately seven tons in weight or six dray loads) for the sum of ₤1:18:0. Minor flooding seemed to be an ongoing problem, and later in the year fifteen loads of cinders at 1 shilling per load were used to fill up the yard and approaches to the station.

By 1907 police extraneous duties included Assistant District Registrar of Births and Deaths, Receiver of Income Tax, Inspector of Slaughter Houses and School Attendance Officer. However, the bulk of police work revolved around bigamy, wife desertion, ill-behaved seamen, stowaways, deserters, illegitimate births and the distributing of very large numbers of Indigence Allowances.

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This article was written by Assistant Curator Virginia Gordon (c2000) and Constable W.H. Larkman (c1975) from the best resources available within the Queensland Police Museum.  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- Policing Pinkenba (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

Flood prone Pinkenba Police Station suffered more disaster; in a memorandum dated March 14, 1908, Constable James Reville wrote;

“I made a mounted patrol (on police horse ‘Bismark’) throughout the division to ascertain if any of the residents were in danger from the flood waters or needed assistance. Although Pinkenba, the Serpentine Country and portion of Eagle Farm presented the appearance of a huge lake, the residents were not in any actual danger as owing to the flat level nature of the country, the water broke over the Pinkenba flats into the Brisbane River and over the Myrtle Town flats into the bay when it had reached an average height of 20 inches in Pinkenba township …”

Next, and on October 20, 1908, a grassfire destroyed the police paddock fencing in McBride’s paddock. Constable Reville phoned the Petrie Terrace Police Depot from the Railway Station to request assistance.  A constable and five recruits cycled the distance to assist the Constable and concerned citizens attempting to put the fire out, using McBride’s horse and dray loaded with casks of water.

Pinkenba was at this time a busy place with plenty of police work. However, as bigger and better wharves opened further up river, fewer ships docked there, and with the eventual closure of the meatworks, the area receded into a quiet pleasant village with its local pub. Families grew up and stayed in the area creating a friendly, closely-knit community.

In September 1911 it was reported that all taps at the station were leaking and the bath was in a bad state of repair resulting in damaged floor boards. Acting Sergeant William Lenham advised the Police Commissioner, now William Cahill, that he repaired the taps and fixed a new plunge bath.  In May 1914 a new stove was required as well as repairs to the bathroom plumbing. Constable Charles Price advised in July of 1914 that he obtained and fixed new stove linings and repaired the plumbing for a cost of ₤1, 4 shillings and 11 pence.  The Department of Public Works finished applying two coats of paint to the exterior and interior of the station, the cell, water closet, stable and feed room, and two galvanised iron tanks in 1929.

Memo by Constable Cooke describing the boundary of the Pinkenba Police Division, 20 June 1934.

In March, 1933 Constable Leroy Cooke made an application for electric light to be installed throughout the station which was approved. Alternations and repairs were made to the station, with the addition of a new 1000 gallon water tank for the kitchen, the raising and levelling of the lock-up tank, a new white enamel bath tub, drain pipe and repairs to the rain guttering above the breakfast room.

On 14 February, 1957 a new chip heater, hand wash basin and bath were installed. In July of that year, Senior Constable Graham Adams sought to enclose the front veranda of the residence to form a sleep out as well as to extend the police office to create a public entrance. These renovations were completed by 28 September, 1958.  On 10 September, 1964, Police Commissioner Francis Bischof received a report regarding the rationalisation of suburban police resources. The report recommended the closure of Pinkenba Station and the transfer of Senior Constable Adams to Hamilton Police Station.  Pinkenba Police Station was closed on 5 October, 1964. Responsibility for the division was transferred to Hamilton Police Station, however the Pinkenba building was retained as a police residence.

Town of Pinkenba.
Map drawn and published at the Survey Office, Department of Public Lands Brisbane, August 1962.

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This article was written by Assistant Curator Virginia Gordon (c2000) and Constable W.H.Larkman (c1975) from the best resources available within the Queensland Police Museum.  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- Policing Pinkenba (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

A History of Boggo Road Gaol
26 November 2017
11:00am – 12:30pm

Police Headquarters
200 Roma Street
Brisbane  QLD  4000

Entry is FREE

Construction of Boggo Road Gaol, by A. Lind & Son, began in October 1901 and was completed by June 1903. The gaol opened on 3 October 1903 and was named after the district in which it was located, unofficially known as ‘Boggo’ in the 19th century.

Thousands of men and women passed through the gates of the various prisons at Boggo Road during 1883 – 1999. The vast majority of them went unnoticed by the general public, but every once in a while certain prisoners gained notoriety because of the nature of their crimes, or the way in which they served their time.

A history of Boggo Road Gaol will be presented by retired Prison Guard Stephen M. Gage who will speak about the gaol’s fascinating evolution, some infamous inmates, long suffering prison officers, and even a resident cat!

This one-and-a-half-hour presentation which includes question time will begin at 11am on Sunday, November 26, and will provide entertaining and up-to-date content 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 on Sunday November 26
from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of
Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.

The very first edition of the Queensland Police Department’s ‘Vedette’ in November 1977, a journal for police officers described by the Editor, I.W. Hatcher, as ‘the birth of what we hope will be a lusty new baby’, featured an article about new police uniforms;

Police men and women have rarely been accused of leading the State’s Public Servants in the fashion stakes.  Of necessity, police uniforms have been functional rather than fashionable.  But a new range of police uniforms which has been approved for general issue in the future is likely to change the police image in Queensland for the better.

Police officers wearing winter uniform, c1975. They carry wireless radios and the female is also carrying her police issue handbag. We have one original handbag on display. Image No. PM2984 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Agreement on the new uniforms was reached after many months of deliberation and recommendations by a Uniform Review Committee, under the chairmanship of Superintendent Bob Matheson.  The nine new uniforms include five different winter and summer uniforms for women police and four for the men.  There has been a colour change in the basic uniforms in that it is now recommended that it be based on the dark blue of the New Zealand police uniforms.  Samples of the new material were made up as uniforms and were subjected to field trials in Rockhampton, Southport, Cairns, Brisbane City Watchhouse, Gympie, Roma, Mackay, Brisbane Mobile Patrols, Mount Isa, Longreach, Charleville and Kingaroy.

Constable 1/c Phyllis Reynolds models the summer uniform, in 1973.
Image No PM1811 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Information fed back to the Uniform Review Committee indicated that all members involved in the field trials were in favour of the new material.  The five new female uniforms are smart and stylish and give a considerable variety.  They include a dress, a safari jacket and skirt, and safari jacket and slacks for summer.  Female winter wear includes a dress and safari jacket and slacks.  Separate new female summer and winter headgear also has been approved.  The new men’s uniforms include a winter uniform with lumber jacket, a summer uniform, a country uniform which includes shorts, and a new range of dress and working uniforms for the Water Police.

Senior Constable Robert (Bob) Harding wears the new Water Police uniform which now features shorts, 1979.
Image No, PM3645 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

A full description of all of the new uniforms will be contained in the usual departmental circular which will be made available to members in the near future.  It is also intended to publically launch the new uniforms at a media showing some time early in December.  Many officers in the metropolitan area have not yet seen the magnificent facilities at the Academy.  The public launching will be held at the Academy next month and the Commissioner issues an open invitation to all members and their families to look over our training institution at the same time.  More details on the launching in the next issue….

(Photos were not included in this edition, and those pictured here were taken from our image collection.)

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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 New Suit” 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

A tall police officer always in Plain Clothes with a distinctive face kept popping up amongst our image collection. It took a couple of years before we discovered who he was and could put a name to the ‘face’.

___________________________________

Bernard Cornelius O’Sullivan was born at Rifle Range near Toowoomba to James and Martha. In 1918 the O’Sullivan family was living in Helidon and Bernard was working for his maternal grandfather at Forest Hill. He applied to join the Queensland Police Force in August 1918 and his application boasts no fewer than seven references to his good character as an ‘honest, straight forward and industrious’ man.

Six foot tall Bernard was recruited on 16 September and found to have good dictation, reading and maths, and was a fair horseman. After ten weeks of training at the Petrie Terrace Police Depot, Bernard was sworn in a Constable 2359 on 4 December 1918.

Group of fourteen police officers with Plain Clothed Constable Bernard O’Sullivan standing middle row at right, Woolloongabba Police Station, 4 September 1925.
Image No. PM2243 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

He was transferred to Woolloongabba Police Station and remained at this station for the next 18 years. In October 1923, after four years and ten months of service Bernard applied to be appointed on Plain Clothed duty at Woolloongabba in lieu of an officer who had been transferred. In support of his application Senior Sergeant Reardon said of Bernard:

‘I have much pleasure in recommending Constable Bernard O’Sullivan for Plain Clothed duty, as he is conversant with the duties required. He had on several occasions assisted Plain Clothes Constable Troy when investigating intricate cases. He has a thorough knowledge of the district and takes special interest in his work. He gave every satisfaction when he did Plain Clothes duty. He is a good all-round man, sober and trustworthy.’

Bernard’s request was granted on 18 October and he remained in Plain Clothes for the rest of his time at this station.

In April 1925, two years after becoming a Plain Clothed officer Bernard received thanks from Mr James Wilson, Head teacher at Buranda State School, who expressed his appreciation of the ‘tact and skill exhibited by P.C. O’Sullivan in the arrest and conviction of two boys on a charge of wilfully and unlawfully destroying nine panes of window glass at the school and for the theft of a number of keys’.

PC Constable Bernard O’Sullivan acted as Scorer for the 1925-26 Qld Police Cricket Club Team.
Image No. PM1839 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Aged 27 Bernard married Myra Coyne on 6 July of 1927 at the St Stephens Cathedral in Brisbane and they went on to have five children, three boys and two girls.

In April 1934 all the plain clothed sections in all the stations were amalgamated under the CIB but Bernard continued to work from the Woolloongabba Police Station. In that same year Bernard made application to be promoted to Acting Sergeant and put forward his evidence:

‘I have a good knowledge of Police Duties and have successfully prepared and established cases against many offenders for various offences, including breaking, entering and stealing; Stealing, false representation, assault, bodily hard, wilful destruction of property, indecent dealing, unlawful carnal knowledge and other offences.’

Bernard was not successful in this endeavour until May 1936 when he became an Acting Sergeant and was subsequently transferred out of Plain Clothes and sent onto Mareeba. He spent two and a half years at his station as OIC and held the extraneous duties of Protector of Aboriginals, Acting Inspector of Slaughter houses, Industrial Inspector, Inspector of Factories and Shops, Acting Inspector of Stock and Licensing Inspector. He was subsequently transferred to Mount Isa, Toowoomba, Charters Towers, Townsville, Cloncurry, Ipswich, Maryborough, and ended his career as an Inspector in charge of the South Coast District.

1943 Senior Sergeant O’Sullivan was highly commended for his work toward the conviction of George Elias for the wilful murder of Naum Poplo at Mt Isa in 1941. This case dragged on for more than a year and was played out in front of four different juries.
The article come from the Courier Mail of 30 September 1941 and O’Sullivan’s image comes from The Truth 12 July 1942.

Bernard received three favourable records throughout his career. In 1932 PC Constable O’Sullivan was granted £3 4 shillings and 2 pence being portion of a reward given by Wills, Gilchrist and Sanderson Pty. Ltd, for the arrest of prohibited immigrant Henry Bolicke. In 1940 Sergeant 1/c O’Sullivan and other officers were commended for the manner in which they carried out their duties in connection to the murder of Lily Agneta May at Mount Isa on 11 February 1940 and in 1943 Senior Sergeant O’Sullivan was highly commended for his work toward the conviction of George Elias for the wilful murder of Naum Poplo at Mt Isa in 1941.

At the age of sixty, and after 40 years, 11 months and 15 days of very solid service Inspector Bernard Cornelius O’Sullivan retired on 19 November 1959.

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This article was written by Curator Lisa Jones from the best resources available within the Queensland Police Museum.  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- B.C. O’Sullivan: A distinctive face and a solid policing career”  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

Clair Jessen was the wife of Alfred John Jessen, sworn into the Queensland Police Force in 1944 and serving many city and country communities, including from the very remote Burketown Police Station in 1960.  Mrs Jessen wrote down some of her experiences as a police wife, and today we bring you Part 1 of her memoirs – A Promotion to Burketown.

Burketown Police Station, c1950. Image No. PM1500b donated to the Queensland Police Museum by Constable Donald Afflick in 1990.

Like most women I can remember the night my husband, a young Policeman, proposed to me; “I can’t offer you much,” he said, “but you will always have 3 meals and a bed”.  I must say over the years he kept that promise, though the three meals and a bed weren’t always to my liking.

Our first transfer was to Rockhampton.  After much searching we found a house to rent.  The previous tenant, a bachelor during the years he lived there, had never washed a floor or anything else. Just viewing only the house was rather daunting, however it was a large roomy house, cheap rent and we were flat broke, so a month before we moved in Operation Clean-up started. We decided to clean the dirty lino in the rooms to save a little money and after weeks of scrubbing, the dirty lino changed to a pretty floral pattern.

Toilet — a shocker! It was the first time I had seen fungus growing out of a toilet bowl and potatoes starting to flower under the sink cupboard. The back yard was a jungle, and the previous tenant, fond of a beer or two, would stand on the back landing and throw empty bottles out into the backyard.  It was so bad our dog had to go into kennels until we mowed and cleaned any broken glass.  But finally, after all the hard work we had rather a nice house. Little did I know this first posting was to toughen me up for the next transfer.

My husband arrived home one day to tell me he had a promotion and transfer to the Gulf.  He had not told me he had applied as he was very down on the promotion list so had little chance. However, we were lucky, as no one had applied for it and he jumped 200 men.  I thought it could not be so bad.  Hadn’t I, a city girl, just spent 3 years in Rockhampton, and wasn’t that the bush?  I was soon to be enlightened. We spent hours with a map spread out on the floor, trying to find Burketown and a slight shock when we found this little dot on the map.  It was then it dawned on me, that not only did we jump 200 men, but 200 men had jumped aside to let us have this posting, while they safely applied for coastal towns and civilisation.

So, in the year 1960, we went by train to Cloncurry where we spent the night before flying on to the Gulf. I can remember that evening standing on the old pub verandah, walking down the deserted street with just a few stray dogs and drunken men were wandering around, and I thought Burketown cannot be worse than this. But six months later when we returned to collect a new Police Jeep, Cloncurry looked like Paris, for any town that had electric light and ice cream surely had it all.

After the night in Cloncurry the next morning we found ourselves boarding the plane for the remainder of our journey. The old plane on this flight was known as the milk run as it touched down at every station as it delivered supplies. The only other passengers were a couple of native men moving from station to station looking for work. The rest of the seats were removed from the plane to make room for produce being delivered during the flight. The male attendant had little thought for our comfort, his main concern was to hand out supplies wherever the plane landed.

Meanwhile, the station owner would look into the plane, giving the new Sarge a nod and handshake, few words spoken.  However, as we learned later as soon as we left, word was sent over the Gulf that we had arrived.  So I have no doubt by the time we landed locals already knew our height, weight and colour of our eyes – such is the power of the Bush Telephone!

The last landing was ours and as I looked out at the dry dusty saltpan, not a tree or a blade of grass could be seen, just a few people standing around.

I truly felt like leaping back into the plane and flying away.  The few people standing around it seems was the whole town of about 20 people.  Apart from our arrival, plane day was the only time to see a new face and get news from the outside world.  If you were lucky there might be an old newspaper on board, no matter if it was a week old, it was read from cover to cover, then handed about for others to read.  From the airfield it was only a short drive down the dusty dry road, passing a few tin shanties along the way before pulling up at the Police residence.  There are no words to describe the sight of this old low set wooden building, one end the Police Residence, the remainder Police Station and Constable’s quarters, again not a tree or blade of grass to be seen, built we were told around 1880, and long condemned…

Part 2 of Clair Jessen’s memoirs will be provided next week.

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This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the memoirs of Clair Jessen titled ‘Three Meals and a Bed”.  The Police Museum is open from 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 Memoirs of Clair Jessen Part 1 – A Promotion to Burketown” 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

Clair Jessen was the wife of Alfred John Jessen, sworn into the Queensland Police Force in 1944 and serving many city and country communities, including from the very remote Burketown Police Station in 1960.  Mrs Jessen wrote down some of her experiences as a police wife, and today we bring you Part 2 of her memoirs – Cooking up a Storm.

Last week (12.12.2017) we ended where there are no words to describe the sight of this old low set wooden building, one end the Police Residence, the remainder Police Station and Constable’s quarters, again not a tree or blade of grass to be seen, built we were told around 1880, and long condemned…

The front and back walls were not of timber but heavily gauzed. I think it was meant to let in the breeze, however after so many years, it was black and choked with dust, making it impossible to see out or let in any breeze, not that it mattered considering the view.

The posting was to a two-man station. We were met by a young Constable who was happy to see a new face in this remote part of the world. It was a bit daunting for a city girl to suddenly be in such isolation, with no power, searing heat and no fans to cool the house. We had bought a second hand kerosene fridge, which in such heat proved to be useless. To make matters worse, we were told our furniture was delayed and would not arrive for another week.

It was then my husband said: “Clair, I don’t wish to stay at the one and only hotel, but we are in luck, there is still a mattress here bought from the previous Sergeant and yet to be collected. We can sleep on that and borrow crockery from the Constable.”  So for the first week we slept on the mattress thrown down on wooden floorboards – my introduction to the Gulf!

About 20 people lived in this tiny town, though police work covered a large area.  The [Indigenous residents] in our time were a fine group of people, the women kept their small tin huts spotless.  There were only six wooden buildings: a tiny hospital, post office store, shire clerk’s residence, police station and a little hall for all functions. The store sold everything from petrol to a can of baked beans. With its wooden walls, floor and counter it looked like something from a western movie. From the ceilings hung some very old dusty cotton frocks, the coat hangers were rolled newspaper tied in the middle with string and hanging from a nail in the ceiling. They were never sold or removed during my time there. So they dangled from the ceiling looking like some long forgotten Christmas decorations.

Everything in the store seemed to come in tins, from drums of flour, sunshine milk, vegetables and even butter, which I never got used to. Because of the heat it became almost liquid and tasted nothing like butter. Dried dates were sure dried after being jammed into drums for months and I never forget Tom Pipers Stew; tinned meat, a great standby for weeks on end.

The kitchen was at the back of the house getting all the hot western sun.  Also in the back of the kitchen stood my worst enemy: a wood stove as old as the house itself.  Despite the heat it had always to be left alight for cooking and for making cups of tea.  Water was pumped in from a lake, it came through the colour of weak tea, so a precious bucket of tank water was always in the kitchen, but only for cooking and drinking.

The bathroom seemed to be put on as an afterthought. You went down a few steps into this dark dreary room with tin walls, a tin bath and a tin chip heater. Again the water came through the colour of weak tea, so we certainly did not linger there.  Did I mention the toilets: 3 wooden boxes as old as the house at the back of the house? One for our use, one for the Constable and a spare for visitors. I never found the courage to use them late at night, apart from the long dark walk, there were the red back spiders who called it home.

The muddy water we also had to use for washing clothes.  We had no hose or connections so the discoloured water had to be carried across and filled into big empty petrol drums and dropped in alum which, left overnight, would clear the water for washing. But you could never wash till you remembered to clear the water.  So washing day was a big ordeal.  Once again, I needed the help of both men to haul the water over to the tubs and also with the hand washing.  With a sigh of relief wet clothes were hung on the line and only then would we see a dark cloud approaching. Was it welcome rain?  Too late – it was a dust storm that covered everything – us and the washing, so it all had to be taken down and dumped back into the tubs till we found the energy to do it all again.  The men hated washing day as much as I did.

Next, I had to learn to make bread. We were able to cut open large olive oil tins which we used to bake the bread in. The bread was kneaded in a large, clean old washing dish for there was nowhere to buy the right tools.  However, no matter what advice my bread was always a flop till the day I asked the Constable to help me knead the bread. As he did so, he told me how he hated the place and in his anger he kneaded the bread again and again.  The bread rose to the top of the tins and was my first success. One could understand the Constable’s anger.  After all, the six women in the town were married, the only entertainment was the pub which was the downfall for many lonely souls.

At last Clair makes the perfect loaf of bread, with the angry assistance of the town’s Constable, c1965. Image courtesy of the Jessen family.

Supplies for the store came in by boat once a month, also bringing only basic vegetables such as potatoes, pumpkin and onions.  As for fresh fruit and greens, we had to wait until someone had reason to go to Mount Isa.  They would fill their truck with fresh vegetables for the return trip.  When they arrived after such a long, hot journey they could hardly be called “fresh”, and I soon learned to cut out all the squashy bits.  You could not be choosy when everything was so scarce.

We were on the Flying Doctor’s run but he visited only once a month. Meanwhile we had a matron who could cope with most problems. Matron was a down-to-earth no-nonsense woman who could stitch wounds, deliver babies, and patch up fingers after a fight.  She could also outthink any man and if she wasn’t at the hospital the next place to look for her was at the pub.  But she certainly was the right person for such a difficult job.  Anything really serious matron would call the Flying Doctor and he would advise.  The only problem — all of the Gulf tuned in to these calls — a little light entertainment.  I always prayed I would have no personal problems.  My prayers were answered.  The dentist only came every six months, meanwhile if toothache was bad enough you had to make the long rough trip to Cloncurry.

We were truly isolated. I had little in common with the other women. They, having spent some years in the Gulf, would find comfort at the hotel rather than a cup of tea.  On one of my melancholic days I would look outside at nothing but dry endless saltpan with only a few crows sitting on a wire fence. With their black feathers they seemed like undertakers just waiting for my demise.

Part 3 of Clair Jessen’s memoirs will be provided next week.

__________________

This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the memoirs of Clair Jessen titled ‘Three Meals and a Bed”.  The Police Museum is open from 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 Memoirs of Clair Jessen Part 2 – Cooking up a Storm” 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

Clair Jessen was the wife of Alfred John Jessen, sworn into the Queensland Police Force in 1944 and serving many city and country communities, including from the very remote Burketown Police Station in 1960.  Mrs Jessen wrote down some of her experiences as a police wife, and today we bring you Part 3 of her memoirs – Remoteness Embraced.

Last week (19.12.2017) we ended where I had little in common with the other women. They, having spent some years in the Gulf, would find comfort at the hotel rather than a cup of tea. 

One of the problems living in the outback were haircuts.  The Sarge had to become my barber and most times I looked worse after the cut than before.  I remember the day the Postmistress pleaded with me to cut her hair, even though I told her I didn’t have a clue. However, I picked up the scissors and cut from side to side till the poor woman covered her hair with her hands saying “that’s enough, thank you”.  I could not help but notice she wore a scarf for a month, and much to my relief never asked me to cut her hair again.

Strangely enough, though we were in cattle country fresh meat was always a problem.  We had to rely on a station owner who, when he had the time would slaughter a beast to bring into town.  The meat, cut into great slabs and still bleeding, was then thrown onto the back of the truck with a few branches over the top in a hopeless attempt to keep the flies away.  As much as I needed the meat, I came to dread the sight of the truck coming in.  Once again, Sarge had to come to my rescue, as seeing meat in this way I could never manage.

Due to the heat and our useless fridge, I could only buy a week’s supply.  Next morning after opening the fridge you would have to clean up the blood that had dripped during the night — a far cry from butcher shops today.  Holbrooks sauce was a real standby when meat was in doubt.  When visiting a station, if the owner reached for the Holbrooks sauce, then so did we, and so when the meat ran out it was back to Tom Pipers Stew.

The meat truck, with Clair holding the tray of meat, c1965. Image courtesy of the Jessen family.

My thoughts go back to the one and only wedding reception held in the Gulf in my time there.  A young local girl and her intended husband working in the area on bridges and roads, drove to Mount Isa by themselves to get married.  Then next morning before returning, they loaded their jeep with food for the reception.  On their return the groom killed and cooked a pig over hot coals.  The bride and groom ironed sheets borrowed from the hospital, to use as tablecloths.  Let me tell you, ironing sheets with a hot petrol iron is no easy task.  That evening, the young couple climbed back into their best clothes and entered the hall, and a local played “Here Comes the Bride” on the squeeze box.  A great time was had by all.  After we all left, the young couple went back in their old clothes and cleaned up the hall.  It truly was a bush wedding!

Then came the exciting news that the Governor of Queensland, Sir Henry Abel Smith, and his wife were touring the outback and would have an overnight stay in our area.  It was decided Lady May would meet the station wives for morning tea at the Hospital.  Then shock, horror… the Governor would meet the men at the Police residence!  As old and decrepit as our dwelling was, there simply was nowhere else.  As I looked around at the old and dirty wooden floor boards, and the large piece of sapling holding up the caging door into the dining room, I thought, ‘if the Governor wants to see life in the Outback, he certainly would see it at my place’.

A quick check on my crockery revealed my best tea set was cracked and chipped from this last move.  A quick trip to the store to ask them to help me get a good tea set; “Don’t worry, we know what you want”.  After a long and nervous wait, a parcel finally arrived, only to contain very heavy white cups and saucers, those used in railway refreshment rooms.  When the great day arrived, I put the few good cups in front on the table, of course for the Governor and his staff.  After a brief greeting, for it was a men’s day only, I retired to the kitchen.  Later, peeping into the room to check all was going well only to see the cattle men drinking from the best cups, while the Governor sipped his tea from a railway cup.  After Sir Henry’s visit, I’m sure his report on our living conditions did result in a new house being built.

We had less than one year in the new house before moving on.  After our transfer to the Gulf in 1960, 3 years, 3 months and 5 days came the news we had waited so long to hear.  Joy to be leaving, but I also felt sorry for the other women, who for some reason, had to stay on in this desolate area.

Our transfer was to Pittsworth, a small rural town just outside Toowoomba.  Folk came from all around and called in to say goodbye.  One station owner after the usual chit chat turned to me and said, “Well Clair, when you first came, we all thought you were a good sort, but I have to say you’ve gone off”.  There was no answer to that, except when he left I took a good long look in the mirror.  Three years of heat, dust, bad diet and bad haircuts had taken their toll.  He spoke the truth; I had gone off!

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This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the memoirs of Clair Jessen titled ‘Three Meals and a Bed”.  The Police Museum is open from 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 Memoirs of Clair Jessen Part 3 – Remoteness Embraced” 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

In August 1907, Sergeant Clare of the Esk Police Station reported that the residents of Toogoolawah were complaining about the need for police protection after disturbances on the streets and at Thorns Club hotel. These problems were initiated by larrikin behaviour from about 200 men employed on railway line construction.

Sergeant Clare sent constables from Esk whenever he could in an endeavour to curb ‘the noise, disorderly conduct and language used’, by the railway workers.

The Government Architect plan of the Toogoolawah Police Station, 1911.
Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

He also remarked that ‘Toogoolawah is rapidly growing. The population within a radius of five miles is something like 500 persons, from two to three hundred being employed on the dairies and condensing factory on the Cressbrook properties, the township consists of two Hotels, two Stores, two boarding houses, Saddler, Baker, Butcher, Billiard Saloon, Shoemaker, Blacksmith, Fruit shops, Q.N. Bank in addition to private houses’.

The following month Crown Land was located suitable for a police station. It was a ten-chain road adjoining the eastern side of the township, of which a portion of two acres the local Shire Council agreed to being resumed for police purposes. The Reserve was proclaimed in the Government Gazette on 19 September 1908.

Reports from Toogoolawah Police Station dated October 1956 indicate that a B.S.A. motorcycle was attached to the station, similar to this one received at the Police Depot in the same year.
Image No. PM1603 courtesy of the Courier Mail.

On the 3 September 1908, Sergeant Clare obtained a cottage suitable for a police station, directly opposite the proposed site for the police station. The cottage was rented temporarily until a new police station, cells and stables were erected on the newly acquired police reserve. The cottage had four rooms with an attached kitchen and about half an acre of fenced land. It was rented from Mr. E.A. McLean at 10 shillings per week.

The Toogoolawah Police Station opened on 17 September 1908, in the cottage, and Constable George Rayner was placed in charge.

In November 1909 the new police station had been erected on the police reserve. It contained a livingroom, three bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, office and dining verandahs at the rear and in front. The detached cell with verandah, and stall with fodder room were constructed shortly after. A second constable was stationed at Toogoolawah in 1913.  The current police station is still on the original site.

Toogoolawah Police Station nowadays.

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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 Butcher, a Baker and Toogoolawah Police Station” 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

George Charles Rayner was born at Moraby, near Yeulba, on 28 October 1876. Before joining the Queensland Police Force he was employed as a stockman. His employer, Mr. Moore at Miles described him as ‘a willing and hard worker, honest and sober’.

Rayner was sworn in as a Constable on the 4 March 1899. He was stationed at Charleville for about 18 months, before being transferred to Bundaberg in January 1901. Three months later Rayner resigned to help his mother and brothers at Moraby Station. On the 6 August 1901 he married Edith Bunt, whose family lived in Chinchilla.

Application For Admission Into The Police Force, submitted by George Rayner on May 6, 1897.

Two days later Rayner applied to be reappointed to the Queensland Police Force, and was accepted and sworn in. He served at Nanango, Stanthorpe, Roma, Harrisville and Esk before being placed in charge of the new Toogoolawah Police Station on the 17 September 1908.

Rayner was stationed at Toogoolawah for almost ten years. During this time four complaints were made to the Commissioner of Police regarding Constable Rayner’s conduct. On one occasion one of the complainants was overheard to say, ‘since he came here Toogoolawah is done, a fellow cannot get a drink on a Sunday and our gambling is about settled’. In defence Rayner said, ‘I have tried to do my duty fearlessly and without favour during my time at Toogoolawah and consequently have made enemies amongst the gambling and larrikin crowd’.

Upon further investigation by police inspectors, especially amongst the leading business people of the township, there were found to be no grounds for complaint. The Inspectors found Rayner to be ‘zealous in the discharge of his duties’, and the residents spoke well of the manner in which the Constable performed his duty.

Page 1 details a complaint of misconduct against Constable Rayner. The matter is investigated and reported, and found to be groundless.

Page 2.

On the 15 April 1918, Rayner applied for a transfer as one of his four children was about to leave school and the opportunity of pursuing a trade in a larger town. The following month he was sent to Ipswich.

Constable Rayner also served at the Stephens, Roma Street, South Brisbane, Townsville, and Woolloongabba police stations. While at Stephens he was promoted to Acting Sergeant. Rayner became a Sergeant while serving at Roma Street in 1931.

Sergeant Rayner retired from the Queensland Police Force on the 28 October 1936, and died in Brisbane on 15 December 1956, aged 80.

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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 Busy Constable Polices Gamblers and Larrikins” 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 Museum welcomes you to the 2018 Sunday Lecture Series.
Unless otherwise advised, lectures are held on the last Sunday of the month (between February and November) from 11am until 12.30pm, within the Police HQ ground level conference room.

Entry is FREE and spaces are limited so please arrive EARLY;
the room opens at 10.45am.

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We look forward to seeing you at an event soon.

On 8 January 1880, a bank official named Mr Wilkinson, of Grassmere, wrote to the Commissioner of Police recommending the construction of a police barracks at Bollon on Wallam Creek;

“ …at the races at Bollon on New Years day the place at night was a scene of riot, the publican had no authority and the house was in the possession of a lot of roughs who dragged people out of their beds all night long and on the penalty of throwing them into the creek … I was one of the victims.”

In September 1880, Inspector Thornton selected Allotment 4, Section 4, as a site for the police barracks. In November 1880, Inspector Morisset visited the buildings that were in the process of erection. He recommended a second door be added to the centre of the living room to give access to the cell, and that the back verandah be floored level with the rest of the building. Mr Heard, the contractor, quoted ₤12 and 10 shillings for the additional work.

Constable Hickey was transferred to Bollon in March 1881, when the buildings were handed over to the Police Department. A return of the strength of the police force at the end of December 1881 showed two constables and a tracker were stationed there.

In July 1882 Mr Lewis Abrahams of St George purchased the land the police barracks were built on. The land had not been reserved for police purposes when selected by Inspector Thornton in 1880. In January 1883 Inspector Armstrong suggested repurchasing the land as the improvements were substantial;

“The Quarters including Watchhouse and fence are all of sawn timber and painted, in point of fact it is the best erected station that I have seen in a remote place.”

Land reserved for police paddock, 1885.
Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

The land was reserved for police purposes on 25 October 1883.  Tenders were also called for the erection of a Court House on the police reserve, completed in 1884 at a cost of ₤387.  In December 1886 the kitchen built of bark with an earthen floor was in a dilapidated condition. Expenditure of ₤10 and 3 shillings was approved for a new kitchen to be built by Constable James McNamara. The new kitchen is also of bark construction, with doors and shutters.

In July 1888, Senior Constable McNamara offered to produce a 20 by 12 foot building suitable for the Constable at Bollon to live in, and also for a saddle and storeroom. Timber was sourced from an old building, along with new timber, and bark for the roof. The building was to have a fireplace and boarded flooring. The total expenditure approved was ₤4 and nine shillings.

In March 1891 Bollon was appointed as a place at which Courts of Petty Sessions were to be held. Senior Constable Thomas Walsh was appointed as an Acting Clerk of Petty Sessions with a salary of ₤10 per annum.

Hand drawn plan of Bollon Police Station in 1892.
Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

In October 1892 Travelling Inspector John Ahern found the barracks, lockup, and yard, clean and in good order, although the buildings required painting. Weapons held at the station consisted of one Martini Henry carbine and three Webley revolvers. The horses were in fair condition, and all except ‘Mixture’ were old, useless and worn out. He purchased one horse for ₤12 to maintain efficiency. He also reported that there were only 7 persons arrested during the preceding 12 months.

The Bollon Police Station story continues next week…

__________________

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 Beginnings of Bollon Police Barracks” 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