Museum

The Queensland Police Museum has a catalogued collection of photographs, currently in excess of 4100. We gratefully receive donations of photographs and objects, relevant to the history of police in Queensland, through an accession process consistent with our Collection Policy which includes the recording and retention of Gift Agreements. At the time donations are accepted, every effort is made to obtain and record as much detail and knowledge about the object or contents in a photograph as possible, often from the limited memories of family members making donations many years after the service and passing of the Queensland police officer. Other images arrive at the Museum through the process of cleaning up; when stations or units complete their retention and disposal process, uncovering old photographs of their staff, buildings, vehicles and animals, and cleverly think to pass them to us for safe keeping.

Image No. PM1975 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Many photographs arrive with limited information and so we set about looking for clues as to the era and location the images were taken at. Here’s another mystery example we would love some help identifying. This group of 11 police officers, 8 uniformed and 4 plain clothed, plus 1 female, was taken outside the Roma Street Police Station circa 1922. We believe the back row contains (from left to right) Constable Cecil Cuttiford; Constable Charles Ambrose; Constable Robert McKellar; Constable Edward Bradfield and an unknown Plain Clothed Detective. Seated is the unknown female and an unknown Plain Clothed Detective; Senior Sergeant Edward Blackmore; an unknown Commissioned Officer; Senior Constable Alfred Gamble and an unknown Plain Clothed Detective.

This unusual photograph includes who we believe to be the young female secretary. Can you help to confirm the identities of the named officers, or do you know any of the unknown policemen, or the secretary?

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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.
Email: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT – Help to ID police personnel in this photograph” 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

POLICE COMMUNICATIONS
Sunday, 24 June 2018 | 11:00am to 12:30pm

Police HQ, 200 Roma Street,
Brisbane QLD 4000
FREE ENTRY

From Whoa! To GO! Senior Sergeant Sean Sutcliffe will brief you on the role of the Brisbane Police Communications Centre and how it coordinates police resources in times of emergency including during natural disasters, special police investigations and when responding to community requirements.

Queensland Police Communication Centres collectively answer over 100,000 calls every month. Calls for assistance include to Triple Zero / 000, after-hours calls for service and calls from other Government agencies.

The Brisbane PCC is staffed by police officers and civilians, operating 24/7 to manage the receipt of these calls. Duty Officers, Communication Coordinators, Dispatchers, Inquiry Operators and Call Takers each play their part in answering and responding to requests for assistance. Responses include the dispatch of police and other emergency services as well as the supply of information to officers at jobs.

Senior Sergeant Sutcliffe will also discuss the misuse of the emergency service. In 2017, there were more than 5,830 nuisance Triple Zero calls recorded at centres, over 5,870 calls deemed to be false or hoax calls, and at least 28,800 calls classified as ‘no voice’ calls, typically associated with ‘pocket dialling’ or children playing with phones.

Some of the nuisance calls received by police include:

A caller asking when Blue Heelers will next be screened,
A caller enquiring “What day is it? … I’ve just woken up”,
Caller reporting a person playing loud music on the train,
A request for the call taker to guess their name and serial number,
A caller trying to order a pizza.

This one-and-a-half-hour presentation will start at 11:00am on Sunday, June 24, and be both informative and educational. The presentation is suitable for all age groups.

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, June 24 from 10:00am to 3:00pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.

An annual meeting of Crime Investigation Branch (CIB) Superintendents was held at Brisbane in June 1947. It brought together delegates from police services in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and Tasmania, hosted by Brisbane representatives Inspector Frank Kearney (Chairman) and Sergeant Roy Walker. The conference was opened by the Commissioner of Police, Cecil Carroll, with these words; (reproduced in part) “This is a very restless age we are living in and there are troublous times facing us, and we must have the best resources available to meet them”.

Commissioner Carroll continued to speak of the important work conducted by CIB officers, advancing technologies such as the Modus Operandi system, solving serious crime with knowledge and information, and the far better prevention of crime; addressing child delinquency by getting children out of State Institutions and back home. Other topics for discussion included the policing of airports, with an increase in illicit gold-dealers using air transport to convey gold from Perth to other States, and serious consideration given to the permanent policing of all dromes.

Plain clothed officers in attendance for the Officers Conference in Brisbane, 1939.
Back Row L – R: Inspectors Honan, Kearney (circled), O’Driscoll, Henderson, Keeffe, Howard, Smith, Watson, Maloney, Perrin.
Front Row L – R: Bock, Loch, Toohill, Police Commissioner Carroll, Meldon, Lipp, Jessen, McIver, J Smith.
Image No. PM3023 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Agenda Item 2 examined the post-war procedure regarding the registration of aliens, Item 4 looked at bicycle stealing and whether a Reference Book, similar to the very detailed Jewellery Reference Book, be produced, with the idea not being endorsed due to the similarity of bicycle designs of the day. The subject of fires in wool stores was the hot topic in Item 20; the spontaneous combustion of wool bales in two Pyrmont stores, believed caused by the storage of damp wool. Scientists, the Fire Brigade and the Wool Realisation Commission provided advice concerning ideal storage conditions, and a resolution was made to bring the matter to the Commissioners’ Conference with a view to obtaining further scientific research to determine causes and prevention methods.

Shorthand and typewriting by members of the Detective Force was discussed. Superintendent N. James from Sydney stated, “Members of the New South Wales Police Service generally are encouraged to improve their education and become qualified in special subjects, such as shorthand-writing, touch typing, accountancy, book-keeping, wireless operating, technical drawing, photography, chemistry, handwriting, forensic medicine, ballistics and draftsmanship.” The variety of such specialised fields raised many questions from other State representatives. Suggested alternatives were offered from around the table, including; “At present shorthand and typing are done by females” (Perth and Brisbane).

When the circus comes to Ipswich town, c1947. Detectives in attendance to supervise the travelling sideshow men. Sergeant Cook is pictured to the left of the image. Can you identify the other two detectives?
Image No. 3903 donated by Judy Cook, 2014.

Further Agenda Items included reducing motor vehicle thefts by the recording of chassis and engine numbers on registration certificates, the pillage of cargo by waterside workers, best police pistols, the supervision and issuing of permits to travelling sideshow men. In total, 58 Agenda Items were tabled and addressed. In conclusion representatives praised the organisers from the Queensland Police Force for hosting such a successful conference. Superintendent Sheridan from Adelaide also offered; “We have had many opportunities of seeing the Queensland Police officers at work, in the streets conducting the traffic, and also the cadets in their preliminary training. We also visited the wireless station, which we found a very fine one and we were very impressed by it.”

Inspector Kearney ended by saying; The Conference is desirous of placing on record its appreciation for the assistance given by the shorthand-writers and typists.”

Probationary Officers on the parade ground of Petrie Terrace Police Depot, Brisbane, participating in physical training as part of their recruitment.
Image No. PM0293 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

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This article was written by Museum Assistant Georgia Grier 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.
Email: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT- A Conference of Interstate CIB Agents” 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 pardoning of Chinese national Hop Kee in 1892 ended a yearlong police investigation and repeated pleas from the prisoner and his supporters, approximately 1700 residents of Mount Morgan and Rockhampton, to review all the evidence in the case against him for murder. The petition signed by these supporters revealed unwavering support for Hop Kee, ‘known to be a sober, hardworking, industrious and well-behaved man’. A further look at the evidence confirmed it was insufficient. It appeared this was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A photograph of Hop Kee, charged with murder and later pardoned.
Sunday Mail image, 12.05.1936.

The petition outlined the observations of witnesses on the day another Chinese man, a fruiterer named Lee Ying, died:

that Lee Ying was found with extensive head wounds, upon his bed inside his Mount Morgan hut, the wounds caused by being hit with a tomahawk after which he was utterly confused, and shortly succumbed to an unconscious state before his death six hours later at 3pm,
during the period of confusion, being drowsy and unable to control his movements, Lee Ying was asked by Police Constable Martin Mooney who of three Chinese men had attacked him. The men were lined up in front of Ying who indicated towards Hop Kee, also a fruiterer,
the extent of the injuries would have caused major blood loss but no blood splatter was located on the clothing of the accused, nor garments in his home and other likely places, and there was insufficient time for Hop Kee to clean up before others arrived at the location,
a small smudge of blood located on the accused’s hat was more likely to have come from the constable who had assisted Lee Ying to hospital directly from his blood-stained hut, and immediately prior to handling Hop Kee’s hat for the purposes of collecting evidence,
two witnesses required the interpretation of their testimonies from Chinese to English. The interpreter was later described by His Honour as vague and uncertain,
it was also suspected the first interpreter, Sam Hand, was a relative of the deceased, and the second interpreter, Sam Young, indicated that the language he spoke was very different to the language spoken by the witnesses,
one of those witnesses did clearly recall sleeping in the neighbouring hut of Lee Ying, but did not hear any noises during the night in question, nor see anyone, and that the other witness worked in a nearby garden and saw no one in the vicinity,
another witness suggested there was ‘bad blood’ between the accused and the deceased, but then suggested the deceased had committed suicide,
Lee Ying was lying next to the tomahawk, and there was no connection between it and Hop Kee, who had been consistently described as quiet and respectable.

It was fortuitous for Mr Kee that Senior Constable Michael O’Sullivan was in the process of transferring from Winton to Mount Morgan, just weeks before the fixed execution date, and was reading through the evidence of the case. O’Sullivan later offered; “To me, it was far from satisfactory. I made careful examination of all the facts and circumstances, and the further I went into the matter the more I became convinced that it was a miscarriage of justice”.

Mr Justice Harding had sentenced Hop Kee to death for the murder at Happy Valley in Mount Morgan of Lee Ying on October 15, 1891. Whilst Hop Kee remained incarcerated at the Rockhampton Gaol during May 1892, Ministers considered the petition and a report by Senior Constable O’Sullivan highlighting “serious discrepancies and very weak points in the evidence”. This re-examination proved beyond reasonable doubt that Hop Kee was innocent of any crime, prompting his release from Rockhampton Gaol in April 1893. Hop Kee later named his first child Michael, grateful for the assistance of the police officer in his release from gaol and eventual pardon.

Pictured c1910, Sub Inspector Michael O’Sullivan was the officer in charge of the CIB at the time and went on to become Deputy to Police Commissioner Patrick Short in 1921 during Mr Short’s absences from Queensland.
Image number PM0109 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Of interest, Constable Mooney was transferred to Clermont in July 1892. Senior Constable O’Sullivan was promoted to Sergeant in 1899 after a move to Emerald. In 1921 an entry was made in a handwritten Personnel Register which confirmed that O’Sullivan was ‘Appointed Deputy of the Commissioner during the Commissioner’s absence from the state’.

You can find more about Michael O’Sullivan in previous posts written by Queensland Police Museum volunteers; The Luck of the Irish and Michael O’Sullivan.

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This article was written by Museum Assistant Georgia Grier 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.
Email: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT – From Death Sentence to Pardon, Hop Kee is Cleared” 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

Image No. PM2834 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Many photographs arrive with limited information and so we set about looking for clues as to the era and location the images were taken at. Here’s a group of talented musicians, all members of the Police Pipe Band in 1961 when the photograph was taken at Wooroolin, probably assembled there for the Wooroolin – Tingoora R.S.L. Highland Gathering and Sports Day. We have identified a few members, but need help to piece other names to their faces; so far we know, (from left to right) Drum Major Constable Dales Whyte, unknown, Constable 1/c Frank (Francis) O’Gorman, unknown, Senior Constable Neville Montgomery, unknown, unknown, unknown, and (kneeling from left to right) unknown, Constable Barry Cannon, unknown. Can you help to identify any of these kilted band members?

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“FROM the VAULT – Help to ID Police Pipe Band members in this photograph” 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

POLICING MORETON BAY 1842-1859

Sunday, 29 July 2018 | 11:00am to 12:30pm

Police HQ, 200 Roma Street,
Brisbane QLD 4000

FREE ENTRY

The Moreton Bay District was a very large area extending from the current border in the south, to the Toowoomba Range in the West, the coastline in the East and by about 1857 had stretched northward as far as Buderim. The two main police stations at Brisbane and Ipswich managed much of the affairs in the District. There was initially a small population in both of these towns with only a small number of officers to police the district. Duties involved the usual arrests and control of affrays, along with huge distances and interactions with both European and Indigenous communities.

Curator Lisa Jones is currently undertaking research for her PhD in pre-separation policing and will present ‘The policing response to the murder of Fredrika Klumpp and her son Gottlieb in August 1857′. She will outline the crime, the difficulties impacting the policing response, the justice system and the individual officers involved.

This one-and-a-half-hour presentation will commence at 11am on Sunday, July 29, and conclude at 12:30pm. It will be both informative and educational and is suitable for any audience.

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

The Star of Courage is awarded for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril. It is the second highest Australian Bravery Decoration. Only four Queensland Police officers have been in receipt of the Star of Courage since the award was established in February 1975.

The Star of Courage is a silver, ribbed star with seven points ensigned with the Crown of St Edward. The obverse has the shield and crest of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms Surmounted by a Federation Star. A suspender bar is engraved with the words For Courage. The medal ribbon is blood-red with a central magenta band.
Image courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Australian Bravery Decorations date from the establishment of the Australian honours system in. The Group Bravery Citation was added in 1990.

The decorations recognise acts of bravery by members of the community.

There are four levels of decoration:

On 6 June 1986, Rodney Lew Edwards joined the Queensland Police as a Constable with his first posting at the Woolloongabba Police Station. Less than five weeks later, at about 8.40pm on 10 July 1986, the Constable was on an official meal break at the Boomerang Café on Main Street, Kangaroo Point, when he heard a loud crash and went to investigate. It was discovered that three motor vehicles had collided outside the café, with one of the vehicles upside-down and well alight.

Two passers-by were dragging the female driver clear of the burning wreckage but her body was on fire. Constable Edwards smothered the flames with blankets then helped to move the badly injured women clear of the crash scene. It was then that the Constable learned there was a child strapped into the rear seat of the burning car and made several desperate attempts to free the child from its restraint harness.

Due to the intense heat and flames, Constable Edwards was forced away from the burning vehicle and could not save the trapped infant.

Assistant Commissioner Ron Redmond congratulates Constable Rodney Edwards for his attempts to rescue a child from a burning car. Constable Edwards, with no regard to his own safety, tried to free the child following a multiple vehicle crash at Kangaroo Point on July 10, 1986.
Image No. PM3490 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

By his actions Constable Edwards displayed conspicuous courage in most perilous circumstances. He was awarded a Favourable Record after having suffered burns to his face and hands, and the Star of Courage at a ceremony held on March 16, 1988.

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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 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 – Courage by Constable Edwards in 1986” 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

North from Coolangatta to Cape York and west to Camooweal, the Queensland Police Museum collects, researches and promotes the history of police in the state of Queensland. Displayed year-round in our exhibition space (ground level, Police HQ, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane) a snippet of this history will again be displayed at the Royal Queensland Exhibition (the Ekka) from August 10^th 2018.

Last year’s display focused on evolving technologies used by police; the C.M.I. Speedgun with radar technology, seen in the cabinet on show during the 2017 Ekka, was introduced in 1976 as part of a police campaign against speeding on Queensland roads.

QPM Ekka Display, 2017. Image by the Queensland Police Museum.

The Truth reported the usefulness of a Police Museum in 1936. It described how “a complete record of exhibits was kept from every cause celebre or big case from 1845 to 1902!”

An investment in new display cases enabled more objects to be securely shown at the Ekka in 1949.

The 1979 display focused on police stations; a tent was used for shelter in the one-horse town of Duchess, with handcuffs secured to a nearby tree for prisoners. The prefabricated portable used as early as 1913 was also reconstructed for display using beam frames and corrugated iron sheets. The original construction was designed and built in Brisbane then delivered and erected onsite. The Ekka display included such details as a portable stretcher for the stationed officer, and a straightjacket for violent prisoners.

A mock up of Duchess Police Station, 1979.	Prefabricated portable example, 1979.

In 2014 the museum’s Ekka display provided a timeline from commencement of a Queensland Police Force in 1864 to the present-day Service 150 years later. Uniforms, accoutrements and confiscated evidence was also on display along with the newly released Book of Names listing 29,534 individual police officers in service to the community of Queensland at some time between the inauguration and sesquicentennial.

Consider a visit to the Technology and Fashion Precinct (Level 1) of the Agricultural Hall to view our 2018 display along with many other initiatives by the Queensland Police Service to protect and support your community.

Image No. PM4035a of the Queensland Police Museum’s 2014 Ekka display.

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This article was written by Museum Assistant Georgia Grier from the best resources available within the Queensland Police Museum. 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.
Email: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT- Qld Police Museum at the Ekka” 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

Image No. PM0166 courtesy of the Telegraph Newspaper.

Of course, many photographs arrive with limited information and so we set about looking for clues as to the era and location the images were taken at. Here’s another example, a photograph taken at the Oxley Police Stables in 1948 when four constables were preparing to exercise their horses. The names of the first three policemen are known; John Czislowski, Leo Lucht and James Pomerenke. Can you identify the Constable leading one black beauty, pictured on the far right of the image?

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“FROM the VAULT – Help to ID a Mounted Police Unit Member” 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

FORENSIC PHOTOGRAPHY

Sunday, 26 August 2018 | 11:00am to 12:30pm

Police HQ, 200 Roma Street,
Brisbane QLD 4000

FREE ENTRY

Sergeant Owyn Butters of the Photographic Section will describe and visually demonstrate the current diversity of forensic imaging techniques, traced back to their beginnings with the Queensland Police.

His multimedia presentation will be supported by physical examples of the equipment employed, including the latest terrestrial scanning and aerial video platforms. There will be interactive opportunities for audience members to experience client products following the Q & A session.

This one-and-a-half-hour presentation will start at 11am on Sunday, August 26 and will be both informative and educational and is suitable for any audience.

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

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey, along with Minister for Police and Minister for Corrective Services, the Honourable Mark Ryan and Commissioner Ian Stewart, have issued an urgent plea to Queensland motorists in the lead up to this year’s Queensland Road Safety Week.

Queensland Road Safety Week is a joint initiative of the Department of Transport and Main Roads and Queensland Police Service working in collaboration with RACQ and CARRS-Q.

The road toll as of 8am this morning was 14 more than this time last year, with 166 lives lost so far.

Mr Bailey urged motorists to consider the risks of unsafe driving every time they got behind the wheel.

“We are preparing for our fourth annual Queensland Road Safety Week next week, but driving safely is a year-round responsibility for all motorists,” Mr Bailey said.

“Last year, distraction, drink driving and riding, fatigue, speeding and not wearing a seatbelt were a factor in 56% of road deaths. These, more than any other road deaths, are preventable and unnecessary.

“In total, 247 people were tragically killed and 6450 people were hospitalised in 2017 – many with life-altering injuries.

“We all need to take responsibility for our behaviour on the roads and one simple way to reduce trauma is to start by following the road rules.

“Imagine how much safer it would be if everyone obeyed the speed limit, didn’t race through orange or red traffic lights and put their phones out of reach. This is entirely achievable, but up to each individual to do the right thing.

Events are happening across the state during Queensland Road Safety Week, including regional expos, roadside awareness programs, truckie toolbox talks and school/community events.

Minister for Police and Corrective Services Mark Ryan said the key to making Queensland roads safer was educating the public and ensuring young Queenslanders were learning good driving habits.

“Unfortunately, too many Queenslanders know the pain of losing a family member or friend to road trauma, so I am delighted to see the unified response to the challenge of promoting road safety,” Mr Ryan said.

“I would also like to recognise all those police, fire and ambulance officers who respond to crashes daily. In doing their jobs, they are confronted with road trauma and its aftermath and they are to be commended for their professionalism and compassion.”

Commissioner Stewart said Queensland Road Safety Week was the time to make a commitment to safe road use and help reduce the road toll.

“The QPS encourages Queenslanders everywhere to re-educate themselves on the road rules and to challenge the behaviours that lead to devastation on our roads,” Commissioner Stewart said.

“By improving our driving habits, we can all play a part in reducing injury and loss of life on our roads.”

For more information on Road Safety Week and how to get involved, visit this link.

The campaign runs online and on social media from 27 August until 7 October.

To watch the videos visit this site or follow Join the Drive to Save Lives on Facebook.

To make a pledge, download a Speak Up for Road Safety Facebook filter and make your pledge using the #SpeakUpSelfie hashtag.

You can also share your stories or life-saving tips on social media by using #SpeakUpForRoadSafety or #QRSW2018 hashtags.

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) have launched specially designed patches to again demonstrate its support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) youth throughout Queensland through its involvement in this year’s Wear it Purple Day.

Wear it Purple Day was established to demonstrate to young people that there is hope, that there are people who support and accept them, and that they have the right to be proud of who they are.

To demonstrate our support, officers may wear their boots with purple laces and wear the newly developed LGBTI Load Bearing Vest (LBV) patch on Wear It Purple Day.

Commissioner Ian Stewart said this was a great way for rainbow youth everywhere to know that their support base included police.

“’Wear it Purple’ is a simple message: you have the right to be proud of who you are and sexuality or gender identity does not change this – ‘Wear it Purple’ if you agree – and we do,” Commissioner Stewart said.

“We know that this small display of support can have a significant impact on LGBTI young people.

“This symbolism of the purple shoelaces is simply to encourage people – including our police – to think about walking in someone else’s shoes for the day.

“This is an important message and one I am proud to support as Commissioner.”

National LGBTI Health Alliance and Beyond Blue studies show that LGBTI people are more likely to attempt suicide than the general population with the average age of first attempt being 16 years, specifically:

LGBT young people aged 16 to 27 are five times more likely
Transgender people aged 18 and over are nearly eleven times more likely
People with an Intersex variation aged 16 and over are nearly six times more likely

Recruited in 1924, Constable Harold Vincent Sjostedt commenced in the usual Brisbane city precinct before effecting a joint venture with another officer, Constable Ernest James Dawson, and the Main Roads Commission in 1929. The Constables’ motorcycled through Queensland to police major road construction sites, inspect heavy vehicles and monitor the speed and behaviour of drivers passing through. Any drivers found breaching the regulations of the Main Roads Commission were issued infringement penalties.

Constable Sjostedt was also known for impressive abilities with a camera lens, and many sobering images tell of outback adventures, rough living conditions and unpredictable weather. Long distances were travelled on isolated roads and a love of camping was necessary, plus an ability to dig oneself out of a sand bog ’15 miles from Proserpine’ in 1933.

“This is me sitting on Dawson’s bike, he got bogged in the sand about 15 miles from Proserpine”, 1933. Image PM0697 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

“Our camp about 25 miles from Bowen”, 1933. Look closely inside the tent – utter devotion! PM0694 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

“My bed on top of the bike away from the fleas”, 1933.
Image PM0719 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

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“FROM the VAULT – Motorcycles, Main Roads and Mosquitoes” 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

Ernest James Dawson was sworn as a Constable on May 11, 1927. Initially stationed at Roma Street and Woolloongabba Police Stations in Brisbane, Constable Dawson was seconded to the Main Roads Commission in the Cairns District in December 1929. Ernest married Ellen Moriarty in Coraki, New South Wales on May 15, 1928 and they had one son John James who was born on June 24, 1929.

From the collection of images taken by Constable Harold Sjostedt (see him in FROM the VAULT – Motorcycles, Main Roads and Mosquitoes), there are fortunately a few confirmed to be of Constable Dawson. This photograph of Constable Dawson looking relaxed amongst their camp near Ayr was taken c1930, whilst he enjoyed his pipe and the company of a cat.

“Snap of [Constable Ernest] Dawson and a cat at our camp near Ayr.” c1930.
Image No. PM0714 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

On August 6, 1930 Constable Dawson was conducting traffic duty on the Yungaburra Road near Lake Barrine when he lost control of his motorcycle and careered off the road. The 29-year-old Constable was transported to the Atherton Hospital for an emergency operation to treat internal injuries. Although the operation was initially successful, Ernest developed pneumonia and further surgery, conducted in Brisbane in January 1931, resulted in the Constable’s death from a haemorrhage.

On January 19, 1931 a large funeral procession commenced in Ann Street, Brisbane, with mounted police, uniformed officers and plain clothed detectives marching solemnly infront of and behind the Constable’s flower laden hearse whilst pedestrians watched on respectfully. Constable Dawson was laid to rest in the Toowong Cemetery. Although illustrating a sad event, these images give us a wonderful insight into Brisbane’s past.

The funeral procession for Constable Ernest Dawson passes Anzac Memorial in Ann Street, Brisbane, January 19, 1931.
Image No. PM0616a courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

The hearse is followed by vehicles transporting family members in the funeral procession. Ann Street, Brisbane, January 19, 1931.
Image No. PM0616b courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Detectives and uniformed Officers march at Constable Dawson’s funeral procession, Ann Street, Brisbane, January 19, 1931
Image PM0616c 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 – A Fitting Farewell” 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 first Ball arranged by the Queensland Police Welfare Club was held in Brisbane City Hall on August 1^st 1934, and proved a great success. There were upwards of two thousand persons in attendance, and it is claimed by competent judges that it was the biggest function of its kind which has ever been held in the city. Taking into consideration that a period of only six weeks elapsed since the formation of the Welfare Club until the Ball was held, it is indeed a record of which the whole force may be proud.’ [Police Union Journal, July 31, 1934].

Policewoman Eileen O’Donnell is pictured left and stands with three debutantes before they are presented to his Excellency the Governor Sir Leslie Wilson, at the first Queensland Police Ball, August 1, 1934.
Image No. PM1721 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

The above-mentioned Welfare Club was situated within the Roma Street Police Station. An initiative of Police Commissioner Cecil Carroll, it had arisen from informal sporting meets with the rationale that ‘the policeman is debarred from doing things the average worker can do once he ceases work’, and therefore opened for the use by police once they had ceased their day’s work. The Club was licensed and provided a variety of recreational facilities including billiard tables, dart boards and a library.

The inaugural Welfare Club Ball in 1934 was a great success, with Commissioner Carroll and his wife in attendance along with the Queensland Governor, His Excellency Sir Leslie Wilson with Lady Wilson and their daughter Miss Margery, Chief Justice and Deputy Governor Sir James Blair, the Home Secretary Edward Hanlon and Policewoman Eileen O’Donnell.

The crowd of 2000 pose for a photograph at the inaugural Police Ball, Brisbane City Hall, August 1, 1934.
Image No. PM0279b courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

The Ball raised considerable money to further the club and community programs, and when the Police Citizens Youth Welfare Association took over from the Welfare Club in October 1947, the Police Ball tradition continued into the mid-1970s. Brisbane City Hall was the venue used until the 1960s when it moved to the Cloudland Ballroom. Police Balls were also held in regional towns including Toowoomba and Ipswich.

The Queensland Police Ball continues; Commissioner Frank Bischof discusses the upcoming event with three debutantes from the Main Roads Department, all of whom with be presented to Sir Alan Mansfield, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland, at Brisbane City Hall on August 7, 1963.
Image No. PM1731a courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

The Brisbane City Hall Ballroom is decorated for a Queensland Police Ball, c1965.
Image No. PM2478 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 (February – November) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.
Email contact: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT – Queensland Police Ball, 1934” 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

POLAIR – Policing By Air

Sunday, 30 September 2018 | 11:00am to 12:30pm

Police HQ, 200 Roma Street,
Brisbane QLD 4000

FREE ENTRY

The Queensland Police Service operates two helicopters to conduct operations within the greater South East Queensland area. These ‘choppers’ are based in Brisbane and the Gold Coast and are also deployed to other areas of Queensland.

Senior Sergeant Pam Leech is the Officer in Charge of POLAIR Queensland and will present at this week’s Sunday Lecture Series. Senior Sergeant Leech will outline the variety of technology fitted to POLAIR 1 & 2 such as Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) and Searchlight (TRAKKA beam), plus the introduction of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), or Drones, used to aerially examine crime scenes, and will illustrate the types of scenarios undertaken by POLAIR teams in support of police operations on the ground.

This one-and-a-half-hour presentation will commence at 11am on Sunday, September 30 and will be both informative and educational. The lecture content will be suitable for all audiences.

PLEASE NOTE: The Police Museum will open Sunday, September 30 from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Queensland Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.

It was 40 years ago this month, in late October 1978, Queensland police were notified of the discovery of a decomposing body, found north west of Mount Isa close to the dry bed of Spear Creek, and wearing only a loincloth. The discovery of the first body, believed to be male, and subsequent searches of the surrounds located a further two bodies, badly decomposed and with limbs scattered by scavenging animals made gender identification impossible. The apparent triple murder was quickly reported to Police Headquarters in Brisbane. Scenes of Crime Officer Senior Constable Neil Raywood, the Director of State Microbiology, pathologist Doctor John Tonge, Homicide Squad Detective Senior Sergeant Frank Swindells and Detective Senior Constable Jim O’Donnell departed for Mount Isa on the same day.

Returning to the scene at sunrise on the second day of investigations, local police Chief Inspector William McArthur, Officer in Charge of Mount Isa District, and Detective Senior Sergeant Reginald Ashmore mustered troops to conduct a line search looking for evidence. The victims had each sustained a gunshot to the head, but no bullet casings were found, and the only helpful discovery was a broken ladies chrome wristwatch marking the time of 3.20 and a silver Capricorn zodiac medallion. Examinations of the red dusty earth and though clumps of spinifex grass continued with the aid of rakes and sieves whilst carbide cannons were fired overhead to dissuade circling hawks from contaminating or stealing potential evidence. A distinctive item of clothing worn by one of the victims, a T-shirt portraying ‘Finke Desert Races, Alice Springs, June 1978’, prompted enquires west of the Queensland / Northern Territory boarder.

Newspapers nationwide reported the unfolding story each day, printed photographs of clothing found with the bodies, and provided descriptions of the victims, now known to be two males and one female, in the hope their identities would be discovered. Detective reinforcements from Townsville travelled to Mount Isa, tasked with joining the local contingent and Brisbane police to pursue all leads. Caravan park and motel managers were canvassed, petrol station attendees and shop keepers were questioned for any sightings of the victims, together or separately during the preceding months. Jewellers in Sydney and Melbourne were asked for assistance when markings on the watch identified an overhaul had been conducted in August. Autopsies performed on the bodies by Doctor Tonge whilst still in Mount Isa located one .22 bullet in each victim’s skull. Dental records were circulated in every state.

Gordon S. Twaddle	Karen L. Edwards	Timothy J. Thompson

Through painstaking investigation methods and forensic examination of both dental records and fingerprints, the victims were finally identified as 21-year-old Gordon Twaddle, 22-year-old Karen Edwards and 31-year-old Timothy Thompson. Two motorcycles were also identified as being in the possession of the victims; Mr Twaddle’s Victorian registered KX866 Suzuki had been located by police and held in Mount Isa pending the whereabouts of the owner, Mr Thompson’s reddish bronze BMW motorcycle was missing, it’s DJP sidecar with distinctive paintwork located, abandoned at the Moondarra Caravan Park. Ms Edwards’ young dog, an Alsatian-cross, was also missing.

The Alsatian cross owned by victim Karen Edwards.

Several cruel twists and turns in this case include the discovery of Karen Edwards’ possessions at the Mount Isa tip where it is believed her pet dog had been left, staying with the scented property until the Council located the animal and destroyed it. Three motorcycle helmets were also located at the tip site along with camping equipment owned by the trio. A .22 rifle with broken barrel was found in another dry creek bed, disposed a suitable distance from the crime scene and believed to be the murder weapon. Another discovery, a haversack, map of Lake Moondarra, motorcycle gloves and several .22 bullets. A man driving a Toyota Landcruiser is thought to have befriended the victims and was recorded as the prime suspect. Two weeks after the discovery of the bodies, Detective Sergeant Frank Swindells spoke with Pat Lloyd, reporter for The Telegraph, “…it seems he must have been what we call a ‘blow-in’. It is frustrating that a cold executioner like this has so far had all the luck. It is extraordinary that he and the vehicle have come and gone with only the caravan park sightings…”

Images of vehicles similar to those wanted in connection with the Spear Creek murders, printed in The Courier Mail, November 3, 1978.

Do you remember this tragic event in 1978? Police are still searching for the offenders of the terrible triple murder and offer a reward of $250,000 for information leading to a murder conviction: https://www.police.qld.gov.au/EventsandAlerts/rewards/t/thomson.htm

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“FROM the VAULT – Spear Creek Homicides” 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

If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form 24hrs per day.

You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, by calling 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.

Image No. PM0341 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Of course, many photographs arrive with limited information and so we set about looking for clues as to the era and location the images were taken at. Here’s an example; this photograph was taken in 1962 when King Bhumipol (9 June 1946 – 13 October 2016) and Queen Sirikit from Thailand conducted a royal visit in Australia. During their Queensland stay, the King and Queen (pictured far left) inspected the Queensland Police motorcycle escort team as pictured. We know most officers in this line up; pictured from left to right is Senior Constables Marshall Bick, Roy Von Blanckensee, Neville Lovegrove, unknown, Victor Rogers, John Preston, Donald Williams and George Hewitt. Can you help us identify the unknown policeman still focused on the King?

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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. Email: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT – Help to ID this Motorcycle Policeman” 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

Birds-eye view of Newstead looking upstream towards the city, c1890.
Image number RN10870 from the John Oxley Library collection.

Breakfast Creek Police Station opened on July 5, 1889 then closed on September 20, 1904 when the nearby Hamilton Police Station opened. It reopened on September 6, 1905. The initial police station operated from a rented house in Newstead Avenue, near Newstead Park.

The original house, built about 1919 for Brisbane tailor, Thomas T. Barry, was one of a number of houses in the area at that time following suburban expansion after World War 1. It is the last remaining dwelling on Breakfast Creek Road, now the main commercial artery between the Valley and Breakfast Creek Bridge. The building, initially used as married quarters for the police, is a typical example of the ‘Queenslander’ timber-framed and elevated dwellings of the period. It was first enclosed underneath with an office in 1939.

The Breakfast Creek / Newstead Police Station building (and below image of the single men’s quarters) as it looked in August 2009. It was the last remaining dwelling on Breakfast Creek Road.
Image courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

The tall, timber building at the rear of the property, built pre-1914, was relocated from the old Breakfast Creek Police Station near Newstead Avenue. It included single-men’s quarters and a police cell. The property could also be accessed from Roche Street at the rear of the site.

In 1926 the [Brisbane] City Council expanded the park, so the station moved to a timber building purchased by the Queensland Police Force on land situated between Roche Avenue and Breakfast Creek Road at 96 Breakfast Creek Road and near the Bowling Green.

The station was renamed Newstead Police Station in 1963 and operated as the local police station from until it closed in 1995. The property was owned by the Queensland Police Service until 2006.

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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 Friday 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: Breakfast Creek / Newstead Police Station 1889 – 1995” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a 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

FROM the VAULT – Help to ID police personnel in this photograph.

SUNDAY LECTURE SERIES: From Whoa! to GO! Police Communications

POLICE COMMUNICATIONS
Sunday, 24 June 2018 | 11:00am to 12:30pm

Police HQ, 200 Roma Street,
Brisbane QLD 4000
FREE ENTRY

FROM the VAULT – A Conference of Interstate CIB Agents

FROM the VAULT – From Death Sentence to Pardon, Hop Kee is Cleared

FROM the VAULT – Help to ID Police Pipe Band members in this photograph.

SUNDAY LECTURE SERIES: I, Constable: Policing pre-separation Moreton Bay 1842-1859

POLICING MORETON BAY 1842-1859

Sunday, 29 July 2018 | 11:00am to 12:30pm

Police HQ, 200 Roma Street,
Brisbane QLD 4000

FREE ENTRY

FROM the VAULT – Courage by Constable Edwards in 1986

FROM the VAULT – Qld Police Museum at the Ekka

FROM the VAULT – Help to ID a Mounted Police Unit Member

SUNDAY LECTURE SERIES: Forensic Photography

FORENSIC PHOTOGRAPHY

Sunday, 26 August 2018 | 11:00am to 12:30pm

Police HQ, 200 Roma Street,
Brisbane QLD 4000

FREE ENTRY

Queensland Road Safety Week launched for 2018

EVENT: Colonial Gastronomy at Newstead House

Police launch one-off Pride patches for Wear It Purple Day

FROM the VAULT: Motorcycles, Main Roads and Mosquitoes

FROM the VAULT – A Fitting Farewell

FROM the VAULT – Queensland Police Ball, 1934

SUNDAY LECTURE SERIES: POLAIR – Policing By Air

POLAIR – Policing By Air

Sunday, 30 September 2018 | 11:00am to 12:30pm

Police HQ, 200 Roma Street,
Brisbane QLD 4000

FREE ENTRY

FROM the VAULT – Spear Creek Homicides

FROM the VAULT – Help to ID this Motorcycle Policeman

FROM the VAULT: Breakfast Creek / Newstead Police Station 1889 – 1995

POLICE COMMUNICATIONS Sunday, 24 June 2018 | 11:00am to 12:30pm

Police HQ, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane QLD 4000 FREE ENTRY

POLICING MORETON BAY 1842-1859

Sunday, 29 July 2018 | 11:00am to 12:30pm

Police HQ, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane QLD 4000

FREE ENTRY

FORENSIC PHOTOGRAPHY

Sunday, 26 August 2018 | 11:00am to 12:30pm

Police HQ, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane QLD 4000

FREE ENTRY

POLAIR – Policing By Air

Sunday, 30 September 2018 | 11:00am to 12:30pm

Police HQ, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane QLD 4000

FREE ENTRY

POLICE COMMUNICATIONS
Sunday, 24 June 2018 | 11:00am to 12:30pm

Police HQ, 200 Roma Street,
Brisbane QLD 4000
FREE ENTRY

Police HQ, 200 Roma Street,
Brisbane QLD 4000

Police HQ, 200 Roma Street,
Brisbane QLD 4000

Police HQ, 200 Roma Street,
Brisbane QLD 4000