Font and rear pages of the Traffic Signals leaflet put out for the Brisbane Exhibition in 1926. Issued by the motor accessory house Philip Frankel & Co. Ltd.
The instructional leaflet on Traffic Signals put out during the Brisbane Exhibition in 1926 by the motor accessory house, Philip Frankel & Co Ltd, really speaks for itself and is quite eloquent in its plea for safe driving.
To quote:
DON’T consider the Police Officer at Corners or Cross Roads your enemy. Consider that he is regulating the traffic just as much for your safety as the other approaching drivers.
Be always considerate for the Police Officer. His is a hard job. Don’t try to abuse him when he points out your faults. You have them just the same as everyone else.
Middle pages of the Traffic Signals leaflet put out for the Brisbane Exhibition in 1926. Issued by the motor accessory house Philip Frankel & Co. Ltd.
Traffic direction is still a duty that police officers are quite often called upon to practice, the directions don’t seemed to have changed much but the safety of officers is probably more obvious considering the amount of motorised traffic about these days.
To complement the theme of the leaflet we have included some images from the Police Museum collection showing police officers doing their duty out on the streets of Brisbane between the 1930s and now.
Two police officers wearing white helmets, one with a white flag, in the right hand corner of the photograph, are keeping a watchful eye on the traffic in George Street, Brisbane, c1907
An unknown police officer stands atop his wooden plinth to direct Brisbane traffic, 1933.
We believe this to be Constable Glen Carpenter directing traffic at the city end of the William Jolly Bridge, Brisbane, c1965
A police officer directs traffic at a busy intersection, 2003
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.
“FROM the VAULT: Directing Traffic, 1926” 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
There is no doubt that sworn dogs are integral to Queensland Police work across the state. However we should not forget that dogs also formed part of an officer’s family especially when they were posted to small stations in outback Queensland.
Technically these canine companions were not trained as police dogs but more than likely were used for police work if the situation called for it. Some single officers posted to one man stations, would have undoubtedly found the companion of a dog to be a blessing.
Constables Thomas Clines (left), and Herman Schnitzerling (right) heading out on patrol, Mossman, 1911.
The following is written on the back of the photograph featuring Constables Clines and Schnitzerling:
3rd May 1911 Dear Mother I am forwarding to you a schnapshot taken whilst out on Patrol, The two dogs take a good photo, the black dog on the right hand side of my friend (far right of the photo), is my best beef hound, I am breaking it in to heel the drunks this crushing season. The fellow walking behind is our black tracker, following us out to catch his horse. Good bye with kind love to all at home, from your son HB Schnitzerling.
Senior Sergeant Charles James Perrin, and his dog, ‘Paddy’ outside what is possibly Gladstone Police Station, c1931.
We do not know the identity of this police officer or at which police station they are located, but the dog’s name was written on the back of the photograph as ‘Bell of Bookah’, c1934.
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
“A police officer’s best friend” 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
There is no doubt that sworn dogs are integral to Queensland Police work across the state. However we should not forget that dogs also formed part of an officer’s family especially when they were posted to small stations in outback Queensland.
Technically these canine companions were not trained as police dogs but more than likely were used for police work if the situation called for it. Some single officers posted to one man stations, would have undoubtedly found the companion of a dog to be a blessing.
Constables Thomas Clines (left), and Herman Schnitzerling (right) heading out on patrol, Mossman, 1911.
The following is written on the back of the photograph featuring Constables Clines and Schnitzerling:
3rd May 1911 Dear Mother I am forwarding to you a schnapshot taken whilst out on Patrol, The two dogs take a good photo, the black dog on the right hand side of my friend (far right of the photo), is my best beef hound, I am breaking it in to heel the drunks this crushing season. The fellow walking behind is our black tracker, following us out to catch his horse. Good bye with kind love to all at home, from your son HB Schnitzerling.
Senior Sergeant Charles James Perrin, and his dog, ‘Paddy’ outside what is possibly Gladstone Police Station, c1931.
We do not know the identity of this police officer or at which police station they are located, but the dog’s name was written on the back of the photograph as ‘Bell of Bookah’, c1934.
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 police officer’s best friend” 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
Queensland motorcycle police held the Guinness Book of Records world record for the number of riders on a motorcycle when 35 officers balanced on a motorbike at Surfers Paradise Raceway on June 22, 1984. This world record was held by the Queensland Police from 1984 until 1988.
35 Queensland police officers (33 men and 2 women) piled onto a motorcycle and set the Guinness World Record for the number of riders on a motorcycle on June 22, 1984. The record stood in the Guinness Book of Records from 1984 until 1988.
The ride was reported in the July 1984 edition of the Vedette: Journal of the Queensland Police Department:
Queensland motorcycle police once again hold the world record for the number of riders on a motorcycle. The new record of 35 (33 men and 2 women) was set at the Surfers Paradise Raceway on June 22. The motorcycle was ridden 506 metres, and the officers were preparing to try again with more riders when an oil seal failed. The record making effort was organised by Sergeant 2/c Col Chick of the Brisbane Traffic Branch.
“We set a record of 30 riders in October last year, but in December, French Police beat this by one,” Sergeant 2/c Col Chick told Vedette. “We decided we would try to set an unbeatable record this time, and we put a lot of preparation into it. “Two previous attempts in the same week were made on Airport Drive at Eagle Farm, but because of the height and weight of the riders, the slight camber of the surface kept pulling the bike over. We had three independent witnesses at the successful attempt, and they have provided statutory declarations for us to send to the Guinness Book of Records. “
The 35 strong group of Queensland police who set the world record for the number of riders on a motorcycle on June 22, 1984. Unfortunately we do not have everyone’s name: Dave Walsh, 5th left middle row, Scott Barker, 2nd left back row, standing on frame. Lyle Crompton and Col Chick are also there somewhere.
Both photographs in the Museum collection were donated by Lyle Crompton who drove the motorcycle while the others rode along (and balanced successfully).
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
“Queensland Police Guinness World Record, 1984” 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
Constable Robert G. Pacholke on horseback near the Fossilbrook Police Station agistment yard, c1928. (Police Museum Image No. PM1110)
On this day wear a purple poppy and remember the millions of animals that died in war time.
In 2014 the QPS recognised the deeds and sacrifices of animals, establishing a Police Animal Service memorial at the QPS Academy for all the horses and dogs that have served the QPS over the last 150 years. The Police Minister was in attendance at the initial opening of the memorial. Due to public interest and accessibility a second version was established at the Police Museum in Brisbane, some years later.
On Remembrance Day we acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who served their country and the peace they fought hard to achieve. It is only fitting given the significance of 24 February that we commemorate our service animals on this day, acknowledging the sacrifices made by their service.
Please note there will be no Sunday Lecture on February 27 but the museum exhibition space will be open 10am-3pm.
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.
Full length studio portrait of police officer wearing the first Queensland Police uniform of dark blue, serge wool. This uniform was in use well into the 20th century in the more populated areas. Note that there are no identifying badges or patches to signify an association with the police. The first hat badges showing the words Queensland Police, were not introduced until 1884.
The duties of police Constables were extensive, arduous, and around the clock. After drunkenness and common assaults, misdemeanours against Constables on duty formed the most prominent sub-category tried at the Police Court. Throughout the nineteenth century, one of the most prevalent offences was destroying a policeman’s uniform. This would customarily occur on a beat while a Constable attempted to arrest an offender for drunkenness, or for drunk and disorderly behaviour. Nearly every other arrest would result in a torn uniform. The degree of damage often varied, and ranged from merely a button being bitten off to torn ‘tunic, waistcoat and shirt’.
This was of great annoyance to the policeman and his wife, assuming he had one, for she bore the responsibility of restoring the uniform; no additional allowance was provided for a replacement. According to the report of Police Commissioner Seymour, in 1866 a new regulation was passed which declared that the members of the force were supposed to provide their own clothing, ‘instead of its being as heretofore served out by the Government. The Constables having to pay for their uniform themselves will no doubt be more careful of it…’
Unfortunately, as the evidence shows, it was not always in the Constables’ power to preserve their uniforms regardless of their best efforts; as defendants were most commonly resolved not to ‘go down quietly’:
Edmund M’Sweeney was charged with drunkenness, and also with tearing the uniform of the Constable who arrested him, and on being found guilty was ordered to pay 40s., or to go to gaol for 18 hours. [Brisbane Courier, Friday, 27 May, 1864]
Central Police Court Report, 27 May, 1864. Brisbane Courier, Friday, 27 May 1864
This, at times, relatively innocuous maltreatment of beat policemen was not a uniquely local phenomenon. In April, 1859 the Irish Times reported that Rose Masterson, an amiable looking female, was brought up in custody of Police-Constable 154 D, charged with being riotous and disorderly at Bow-street, Dublin. When arrested, she violently assaulted the Constable, ‘by making bites at tales of his coat, and otherwise ill-using his uniform.’ [Irish Times, April 7, 1859]
This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the 2012 PHD thesis “Crime and Policing in Dublin, Brisbane and London c1850-1900” with the kind approval of the author Dr Anastasia Dukova.
The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.
“FROM THE VAULT: The Perils of Beat Duty” 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 message from Commissioner Seymour from the first issue of the Queensland Police Gazette, of July 22, 1864
The Police Gazette was first issued on July 22, 1864. This publication represented the best way to communicate important information to police officers around the state. The Gazette was initially issued on a monthly basis, in 1881 it was printed fortnightly and in 1887 it came out weekly.
The first issues of the Gazette, listed Warrants Issued; Rewards Offered; Police Appointments; Reports of Deserters and Extractsfrom the New South Wales Gazette. The list of what might appear in the Gazette grew as the years passed – Deaths as Reported was added in 1869 and continued to be printed in the Gazette until 1889.
The first index to the publication did not appear until 1898 and was a straight alphabetical list by surname; in 1900 the index was segmented by topic such as Apprehensions; Complainants; Desertersfrom H.M Service; Prisoners Discharged; Prisoners Triedand Released and Warrants Issued. In July 1924 the index returned to an alphabetical listing. Police officers were not included in the Gazette index until 1917.
First Photo Supplement 1897
The lack of proper indexing made the Gazette an imperfect tool to identify wanted criminals or missing persons. Through the 1890s senior Queensland police began inquiring into ways of improve the method of identification of criminals. From 1893 Acting Sergeant John Thompson (the first Police Photographer) was paid £10 extra to attend to photographic work. In 1897 he was instructed in the half-tone process of reproduction and subsequently Inspector Urquhart introduced a confidential illustrated supplement to the Police Gazette with photographs of criminals and persons wanted. The first Photo Supplement appeared in the September 11, 1897 edition. Later editions included separate sections for Discharged Prisoners (1909-1929).
The Police Gazette was a very useful tool for police officers and contains a wealth of information about Queenslanders from all walks of life. The Police Gazette changed in 1976 to a publication which listed only the movements of police officers by rank change and station transfer. Separate publications covered the criminal information: Photo Supplements & Weekly Wanted lists were published until 1983.
Queensland Police Gazettes are very useful historical research tools for family history. The years 1864 to 1845 have been scanned to searchable PDF. You can buy compilation CDs from www.gouldgenealogy.com.au; or you can find the CDs at the State Library of Queensland. Every other Australian Police jurisdiction has its own version of the Police Gazette.
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.
“FROM THE VAULT: The Queensland Police Gazette” 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
Queensland motorcycle police held the Guinness Book of Records world record for the number of riders on a motorcycle when 35 officers balanced on a motorbike at Surfers Paradise Raceway on June 22, 1984. This world record was held by the Queensland Police from 1984 until 1988.
35 Queensland police officers (33 men and 2 women) piled onto a motorcycle and set the Guinness World Record for the number of riders on a motorcycle on June 22, 1984. The record stood in the Guinness Book of Records from 1984 until 1988.
The ride was reported in the July 1984 edition of the Vedette: Journal of the Queensland Police Department:
Queensland motorcycle police once again hold the world record for the number of riders on a motorcycle. The new record of 35 (33 men and 2 women) was set at the Surfers Paradise Raceway on June 22. The motorcycle was ridden 506 metres, and the officers were preparing to try again with more riders when an oil seal failed. The record making effort was organised by Sergeant 2/c Col Chick of the Brisbane Traffic Branch.
“We set a record of 30 riders in October last year, but in December, French Police beat this by one,” Sergeant 2/c Col Chick told Vedette. “We decided we would try to set an unbeatable record this time, and we put a lot of preparation into it. “Two previous attempts in the same week were made on Airport Drive at Eagle Farm, but because of the height and weight of the riders, the slight camber of the surface kept pulling the bike over. We had three independent witnesses at the successful attempt, and they have provided statutory declarations for us to send to the Guinness Book of Records. “
The 35 strong group of Queensland police who set the world record for the number of riders on a motorcycle on June 22, 1984. Unfortunately we do not have everyone’s name: Dave Walsh, 5th left middle row, Scott Barker, 2nd left back row, standing on frame. Lyle Crompton and Col Chick are also there somewhere.
Both photographs in the Museum collection were donated by Lyle Crompton who drove the motorcycle while the others rode along (and balanced successfully).
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
“Queensland Police Guinness World Record, 1984” 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
Physical fitness has always been an important part of the training regime for Queensland Police officers.
No person shall be appointed constable unless he shall be of sound constitution able-bodied and under age of forty years of good character for honest fidelity and activity and able to read and write and no person shall be appointed constable sho shall have been convicted of any felony (1863 Police Act).
Those accepted as recruits went off to the Depot, Petrie Terrace. This building held about sixty men. Between 1870 and 1888 Senior Constable Samuel Grimes was the drill instructor, he outlined the daily, routine for recruits:
After a man … comes into my hands I show him how to fall in; I then put him through the extension motions for the set-up of his body – his position. After he has got into that a little I put a rifle in his hands and teach him how to march with the rifle. After he is able to march a little I go into the manual with the rifle, by numbers, and firing exercises.
In addition to four hours of drill per day and an hour of gymnastic exercises, Grimes read them the Police Rules and examined them.
In the twentieth century the drill sessions grew more varied. The training programmes emphasised drill as “squad and company, musketry instruction, physical and dumb-bell”. In the following decades recruits encountered instructors such as Tom Molloy (who trained police recruits between 1950 and 1980) was described in terms such as “a real tyrant as far as drill was concerned”. To such instructors, discipline was of the essence, recruits must be able to take whatever the public dish out. If a recruit could not put up with bed bugs at the Depot they would not be able to cope with criminals, prostitutes and the public. The probationary’s day was long from 6am to 9pm, filled with fatigue duties, drill, physical training, some lessons on law and police duties. There were also visits to courts, observation of points duty and some rifle and revolver practice.
Recruits at the ready, 1902
Police recruits at revolver training parade ground at the Petrie Terrace Police Depot, c1930
Police recruits at boxing training, c1930
Police recruit rifle drill on the parade ground at the Petrie Terrace Police Depot, c1947
Physical fitness education on the parade ground at the Petrie Terrace Police Depot, c1950
Constable Noala Holman (hockey champion and judo enthusiast) demonstrates a judo hold on Police recruit Malcolm Taylor, 1967
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.
“FROM the VAULT: Physical Fitness” 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 “Motor Cycle Display Team” was reformed for the 1979 Police Spectacular, held at the RNA showground. The team included 19 officers lead by Sergeants Donald McKean and John Toohey. All the officers in the display team regularly performed traffic enforcement duty on all major roads in and around Brisbane. Each officer was allocated a motor cycle and it was his responsibility to keep the machine in a clean and serviceable condition at all times. The motor cycles used in the 1979 spectacular were 1978 Honda 750 – Four – Police Specials capable of reaching speeds of 190 km per hour. They were equipped with two-way radios with earphones and a microphone built into the helmet, which simplified radio communication whilst riding at high speed. Standard fittings included flashing blue light, sirens, pannier bags and windshield.
At the 1979 Police Spectacular the Motor Cycle Display Team displayed their talents in the sport of tent pegging which was usually achieved in the back of the horse. Each motor cycle was ridden by two officers, one to drive and steer and the other to wield the lance.
Tent pegging involves riders who use a sword or lance to strike, pick-up and carry a peg over a designated distance. The sport stemming from the actions of mounted soldiers who would gallop through enemy camps, removing the tent pegs with their lances and swords. They would be followed by more mounted soldiers who took advantage of the surprise and havoc caused by collapsed tents and a confused enemy.
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.
“From the Vault – Motor Cycle Display Team” 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
27 March 2022 11:00am – 12:30pm Police Headquarters 200 Roma Street, Brisbane QLD 4000 FREE ENTRY – Bookings Essential via Eventbrite or email museum@police.qld.gov.au
Boolarong Press
On the evening of 19 September 1952, Betty Shanks, 22, a clerk in a Commonwealth Department, was returning to her parents’ home in Montepelier Street, The Grange. After attending night school classes in the city, she left a tramcar at The Grange at approximately 9.32pm to walk the remaining kilometre to her home. While walking along Thomas Street she was attacked, savagely beaten and strangled. This murder remains officially unsolved.
2022 marks the 70th anniversary of the murder, and Author Ted Duhs has launched the 3rd edition of his book “I know who killed Betty Shanks’ to mark the occasion. This book’s third edition reveals Betty’s secret life as documented in an ASIO file, which states that:
Betty was in an ‘intimate association’ with a young married man who was a member of the Communist Party of Australia.
Betty’s best friend from schooldays at Brisbane Girls Grammar School and at the University of Queensland, Winifred Cowin, worked for ASIO before committing suicide in 1958.
An ASIO officer arrived in Brisbane on Sunday 21 September 1952 to recruit Betty, only to be told that she had been murdered the previous Friday night.
The one-and-a-half hour presentation will begin at 11am on Sunday, 26 March and will provide interesting and educational content suitable for any audience.
The Museum opens its doors to the public on the last Sunday of each month from 10am to 3pm from February to November in addition to the standard Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm opening hours. Monthly Sunday openings feature guest speakers from across the historical and crime-solving spectrums.
PLEASE NOTE: The Police Museum will open Sunday, 26 March from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.
50 Years of World Class Policing through Education & Training
The new Queensland Police Academy nears completion, 1971.
In 1971 work on the new Queensland Police Academy at Oxley was well underway and was completed in time to receive the first batch of 142 successful applicants, 118 men and 24 women. The Queensland Police Academy was officially opened in the evening of 24 March 1972 by his excellency Air Marshall Sir Colin Hannah K.B.E, C.B, Governor of Queensland.
The first floor lounge room in the residences of the Queensland Police Academy come with all the comforts of home, 1972.
The aims of the Academy were outlined in the Official Opening of the Queensland Police Academy Booklet, 24 March 1972:
The Queensland Police Academy has been established because no existing institution could be readily adapted to provide the type of general education and vocational training in an environment specially designed to equip future policemen and women with attitudes and skills necessary to meet growing threats to law and order in our community. The keynote of our society is change. Change in technology; change in social and moral attitudes; change in capacity to be aware of events in a world-wide setting; change in the density of urban settlement and
consequent effects on human behaviour; and above all from the police officer’s point of view, change in the number of persons with the knowledge and capacity to participate in sophisticated and subtle crime against individuals and against the community…
Inspector Joseph Allsopp, B.A. (Hons), C.H.L., M.A.C.E., first Principal of Queensland Police Academy, 1972. Formerly a Senior History Master at Brisbane Boys Grammar School. He was inducted as an Inspector Grade 1. ** While the Academy is run by both academic and police staff, the principal is always a police officer. Queensland Police Museum image PM0426.
In carrying out the functions of a police force, the police officer is required to meet, and effectively deal with, a multiplicity of different situations, all kinds of people for all walks of life. He therefore must be equipped by proper training and education to make good value judgments; to maintain a proper perspective; to appreciate the underlying causes of human behaviour; to communicate with precision and clarity; to display qualities of leadership and to be skilled in all aspects of his required functions. It is therefore a necessity that a high level of education covering a wide field must be available to Cadets. The Queensland Police Academy has been staffed to provide such training.
When the Academy became fully operational it accommodated 450 students, 350 of whom could stay in residences on campus. The first Academy principal was Inspector J.H. Allsop and Inspector Frank Clifford filled the Deputy Principal position. 142 applicants including 24 women, were accepted into the first intake in January 1972.
With the new Academy came the phasing in of a new Cadet system which accepted individuals with a least a year 10 level of schooling who were then able to complete years 11 and 12 at the Academy. Cadets had to be 15 years or older, at least 5 feet 7+1/2 inches tall and after three years of study, graduated at the age of 19.
The first induction parade occurred on 15 December 1972 when 22 men and 11 women were sworn-in as Constables, 13 of them graduating from the Cadet system.
33 officers were sworn in at the first induction parade held on 15 December 1972. We have the names of the officers but not the order in which they appear in the image – Front Row seated: 5th from right Lecturer Detective Sergeant Donald Braithwaite; 6th from right Deputy Principal Inspector Frank Clifford; 7th from right Lecturer Sergeant 2/c Yvonne Weier; 8th from right Lecturer Detective Sergeant Norm Dwyer. Newly sworn policemen (in the middle & back rows): Leigh Andrews; John Arnold; Timothy Atherton; Geoffrey Barnes; John Bateson; Gary Beattie; C. Booth; Leigh Burt; Ian Gall; Mark Johnston; Raymond Loader; Ross McCann; Graham McIntosh; Bradley Maidment; Clifford Priestley; Harry Rand; Gerald Savage; Thomas Seymour; Garry Stockdale; Christopher Thomas; Peter Whitney; R. Raine. Newly sworn policewomen (on either side of the group): M. Braithwaite; Christine Brown; C. Condon; Patricia Henigan; N. Lavender; Joanne Lowry; Cheryl Parry; Denise Pickup; P. Saunderson; T. Sherwood; Deslye Stevenson
The Queensland Police Academy – 50 years of world class policing through education & training, 2012
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.
“The Queensland Police Academy 50th Anniversary” 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
50 Years of World Class Policing through Education & Training
The new Queensland Police Academy nears completion, 1971.
In 1971 work on the new Queensland Police Academy at Oxley was well underway and was completed in time to receive the first batch of 142 successful applicants, 118 men and 24 women. The Queensland Police Academy was officially opened in the evening of 24 March 1972 by his excellency Air Marshall Sir Colin Hannah K.B.E, C.B, Governor of Queensland.
The first floor lounge room in the residences of the Queensland Police Academy come with all the comforts of home, 1972.
The aims of the Academy were outlined in the Official Opening of the Queensland Police Academy Booklet, 24 March 1972:
The Queensland Police Academy has been established because no existing institution could be readily adapted to provide the type of general education and vocational training in an environment specially designed to equip future policemen and women with attitudes and skills necessary to meet growing threats to law and order in our community. The keynote of our society is change. Change in technology; change in social and moral attitudes; change in capacity to be aware of events in a world-wide setting; change in the density of urban settlement and
consequent effects on human behaviour; and above all from the police officer’s point of view, change in the number of persons with the knowledge and capacity to participate in sophisticated and subtle crime against individuals and against the community…
Inspector Joseph Allsopp, B.A. (Hons), C.H.L., M.A.C.E., first Principal of Queensland Police Academy, 1972. Formerly a Senior History Master at Brisbane Boys Grammar School. He was inducted as an Inspector Grade 1. ** While the Academy is run by both academic and police staff, the principal is always a police officer. Queensland Police Museum image PM0426.
In carrying out the functions of a police force, the police officer is required to meet, and effectively deal with, a multiplicity of different situations, all kinds of people for all walks of life. He therefore must be equipped by proper training and education to make good value judgments; to maintain a proper perspective; to appreciate the underlying causes of human behaviour; to communicate with precision and clarity; to display qualities of leadership and to be skilled in all aspects of his required functions. It is therefore a necessity that a high level of education covering a wide field must be available to Cadets. The Queensland Police Academy has been staffed to provide such training.
When the Academy became fully operational it accommodated 450 students, 350 of whom could stay in residences on campus. The first Academy principal was Inspector J.H. Allsop and Inspector Frank Clifford filled the Deputy Principal position. 142 applicants including 24 women, were accepted into the first intake in January 1972.
With the new Academy came the phasing in of a new Cadet system which accepted individuals with a least a year 10 level of schooling who were then able to complete years 11 and 12 at the Academy. Cadets had to be 15 years or older, at least 5 feet 7+1/2 inches tall and after three years of study, graduated at the age of 19.
The first induction parade occurred on 15 December 1972 when 22 men and 11 women were sworn-in as Constables, 13 of them graduating from the Cadet system.
33 officers were sworn in at the first induction parade held on 15 December 1972. We have the names of the officers but not the order in which they appear in the image – Front Row seated: 5th from right Lecturer Detective Sergeant Donald Braithwaite; 6th from right Deputy Principal Inspector Frank Clifford; 7th from right Lecturer Sergeant 2/c Yvonne Weier; 8th from right Lecturer Detective Sergeant Norm Dwyer. Newly sworn policemen (in the middle & back rows): Leigh Andrews; John Arnold; Timothy Atherton; Geoffrey Barnes; John Bateson; Gary Beattie; C. Booth; Leigh Burt; Ian Gall; Mark Johnston; Raymond Loader; Ross McCann; Graham McIntosh; Bradley Maidment; Clifford Priestley; Harry Rand; Gerald Savage; Thomas Seymour; Garry Stockdale; Christopher Thomas; Peter Whitney; R. Raine. Newly sworn policewomen (on either side of the group): M. Braithwaite; Christine Brown; C. Condon; Patricia Henigan; N. Lavender; Joanne Lowry; Cheryl Parry; Denise Pickup; P. Saunderson; T. Sherwood; Deslye Stevenson
The Queensland Police Academy – 50 years of world class policing through education & training, 2012
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.
“The Queensland Police Academy 50th Anniversary” 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 Commissioner Cecil Carroll, middle of the image, and other dignitaries, check that the traffic signals at the intersection of Queen and George streets are working correctly, the day after they were switched on, May 25, 1937.
As the amount of cars, trucks and other conveyances increased on Brisbane’s roads so did the propensity for pedestrians to be hit as they tried to cross busy thoroughfares. It was the responsibility of traffic police to keep the intersections flowing and give everyone a fair chance to move or cross roads. Once the police took control of busy intersections the accidents dwindled.
By the middle of the 1930s there were moves to place traffic lights as some of the more congested city intersections. At precisely at 3pm on Tuesday, January 21, 1936, Mr. E. M. Hanlon, Minister for Health and Home Affairs, switched on the electro-matic vehicle activated, traffic control system at the junction of Ann, Upper Albert, and Roma Streets. The Courier-Mail reported the following day that “the traffic at that time was fairly heavy, yet surprisingly few made mistakes. Traffic police were on duty to point out to the unheeding or the confused the error of their ways, and in a short time it was obvious that the signals were easy to follow, and the traffic flowed evenly in all directions”.
Sixteen months later a second set of traffic lights was installed at the very busy junction of Queen and George Streets. The lights were switched on by Mr E. Hanlon at 3pm on Monday, May 24, 1937. It was reported that the police officer on point duty at this intersection walked off his post for the last time just as the Minister for Home Affairs switched on the current for the ‘electro-matic’ traffic control system. It was quite the novelty and people lined both footpaths during the ceremony, and amplifiers carried the words of the Minister’s speech to crowds at the already “lit” intersections of Ann, Albert and Roma streets. Mr Cecil Carroll, Commissioner of Police was quoted as saying that “the installed traffic control system was the most modern of its kind, and was in use in all parts of the world”.
With the installation of automatic control it was said that Queen Street was the most orderly street in the Commonwealth. The new traffic lights were set to operate each day between 7.30 am and midnight.
A close-up view of new electro-matic vehicle actuated traffic signals at the corner of Queen and George streets.
A view from above of the new traffic lights at the intersection of Queen and George Streets with traffic moving smoothly during peak hour on Saturday May 30, 1937.
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.
“FROM the VAULT: Brisbane’s first traffic lights” 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
Fromelles Australian Memorial Park (Image Tim Lycett)
The whereabouts of hundreds of Australian soldiers killed during the First World War was unknown for almost a century until the discovery in 2008 of unmarked mass graves in woods on the outskirts of Fromelles, a small village in northern France. The remains of these 250 men sparked a mission to recover them and reclaim their identities.
Historian Tim Lycett will present “Fromelles: A WW1 Mass Grave Discovery” and discuss Australia’s worst 24 hours in military history, during which thousands of men were shot down amid the horror of that blundered attack.
Tim became a key player in the identification project, volunteering his time and working alongside other amateur advocates and international experts. They fought to have authorities reopen investigations into the mass graves, sought to find the untold stories of the diggers and through identification, embarked upon a quest to reconnect them to their families.
The one-and-a-half hour presentation will begin at 11am on Sunday, April 24 and will provide interesting and educational content suitable for any audience.
The Museum opens its doors to the public on the last Sunday of each month from 10am to 3pm from February to November in addition to the standard Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm opening hours. Monthly Sunday openings feature guest speakers from across the historical and crime-solving spectrums.
PLEASE NOTE: The Police Museum will open Sunday, April 24 from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.
Acting Sergeant Philip Walsh was granted an honorarium of £10 for meritorious services in connection with the taking of the Federal Poll at Bedourie in 1901.
In 1901 the Home Secretary ordered Acting Sergeant Philip Walsh to Bedourie in far west Queensland to take a poll for the Federal Elections. Walsh travelled from Brisbane to Charleville by train, and then by Cobb & Co. coach to the cliffs – 68 kilometres east of Windorah. The Acting Sergeant obtained a horse and rode to Windorah. He had to swim the flooded Cooper’s Creek before arriving in the town. After a few hours rest, Walsh left Windorah for Currawilla -arriving a day or so later. On his way to Monkira the next day he spent five hours swimming the flooded Diamantina River which was 10 kilometres wide. Another day on, he reached Cluny.
That night he began to cross the flooded King Creek, which was then 13 kilometres wide. Early in the morning he camped on an island amid flood-waste. In the morning, Walsh took off all his clothes – save his hat, and after tying his few possessions to his saddle, he carefully wrapped the electoral papers in an oilcloth and fastened the bundle to the back of his neck. As he was swimming across King Creek his horse went under and was swept away. While the animal was struggling in the water, Walsh’s bundle of clothes was lost. He later recovered his mount and after 12 hours in the water, reached the outskirts of Bedourie. All he was wearing was his hat and boots. Walsh was at wits end as to how he could reach the police station in the centre of town. After some thought, he fashioned a loincloth with the oilcloth and marched proudly up the street to the police station.
Acting Sergeant Walsh held the poll the following day and then set out for Brisbane. On his return trip to Windorah, a distance of 433 kilometres, he set a record which could still hold good today. He rode the distance in 58 hours, 41 of which were spent in the saddle using a relay of horses borrowed from local graziers.
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.
“FROM the VAULT: A record ride, 1901” 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 1895 the Queensland Police Brass Band was established. This 20 piece band included one drummer and 19 brass instrument players and was led by Band Master Professor Seale. They performed at police events and added the music for recruit marching practice at the Petrie Terrace Barracks but were disbanded in 1905.
Police Parade ” Under Arms” led by the Queensland Police Brass Band, Petrie Terrace Depot, Brisbane, c1903. Queensland Police Museum Image PM0137
There was a long gap of 53 years between the brass band and the first incarnation of the Queensland Police Pipe Band in 1958. In March Constable 1/c Neville Montgomery, a former piper with the Queensland Irish Pipe Band and the Brisbane Caledonian Pipe Band, met the Commissioner Bischof unexpectedly on the stairs of the Police Training Depot on Petrie Terrace and took the opportunity to request a time to discuss the prospect of forming Australia’s third police pipe band. The Commissioner agreed and the inaugural meeting of the band was held in the Police Welfare Clubrooms, at Roma Street Police Station, on March 28, 1958. In April 1958, the State Government formally approved the formation of the Queensland Police Pipe Band and provided £2000 for the purchase of uniforms and equipment. Approval was granted for practices to take place in the Police Youth Welfare Association building at Lang Park on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons between 2pm and 5pm. Sessions were be attended in department time and the first practice of the newly constituted Queensland Police Pipe Band was held on Thursday June 12, 1958.
Queensland Police Pipe Band at a passing out parade at Petrie Terrace Depot, Brisbane c1962.
Image PM0042 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
In 2022, 72 years later, the now named Queensland Police Pipes and Drums has been long celebrated as one of Australia’s finest pipe bands. The band has previously won numerous state, national and international championships and has performed at thousands of functions, ranging from the world famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo to rock concerts to community group receptions. The Queensland Police Pipes & Drums embraces the talents of police officers and civilian staff whose abilities combine to create a band of the highest calibre.
The Queensland Police Pipes and Drums at Brisbane ANZAC Day Parade, 2012. Image Courtesy of the Media and Public Affairs Branch.
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.
“From the Vault: Music to our ears” 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
When the first world war was announced, many Queensland Police officers heard the call and took leave to join the A.I.F.
Of those police officers who joined the war effort, thirty paid the ultimate price and did not return home. Today we remember their sacrifice. _________________________________
25 April 1915 – Private Patrick Moynihan, 9th Battalion AIF, while on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed In Action at the Dardanelles in Turkey.
2 May 1915 – Private David Bourke, 15th Battalion AIF, while on leave from his job as Constable, dies of wounds at Alexandria in Egypt.
3 May 1915 – Corporal William Hughes, 15th Battalion AIF, while on leave from his job as Constable, is KIA at the Dardanelles in Turkey.
7 May 1915- Private John Johnston, 15th battalion AIF, while on leave from his job as Constable is Killed In Action at the Dardanelles in Turkey.
19 July 1915 – Private Robert Ritchie, 25th Battalion AIF, on leave from his job as Constable, dies from illness while on active service at sea.
2 October 1915 – Private Phillip Vowles, 9th Battalion AIF, on leave from his job as Constable, dies from illness while on active service in London.
15 October 1915 – Private Eugene Nugent, 25th Battalion AIF, on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed in Action at the Dardanelles in Turkey.
22 November 1915 – Trooper John Christiansen, 5th Australian Light Horse, on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed In Action at Gallipoli in Turkey.
25 July 1916 – Corporal Joseph Thompson, 9th Battalion AIF, while on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed In Action in France.
26 July 1916 – Corporal Thomas Dedman, 12th Battalion AIF, while on leave from his job as Constable is Killed In Action at Pozieres in France.
5 November 1916 – Sergeant George Dewhurst, 25th Battalion AIF, on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed In Action at Pozieres in France.
5 November 1916 – Private William Bishop, 25th Battalion AIF, on leave from his job as a Constable, is Killed In Action in France.
1 February 1917 – Sergeant Peter Mulvie, 15th Battalion AIF, on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed In Action in France.
3 May 1917 – Lance Corporal Archibald Curvey, 20th Battalion AIF, while on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed In Action at Bullecourt in France.
10 September 1917 – Private Henry McLean, 1st Battalion Irish Guards, while on leave from his job as Constable is Killed In Action in Belgium.
22 September 1917 – Private John Graham D.C.M, 9th Battalion AIF, on leave from his job as Constable, dies of wounds in Belgium.
12 October 1917 – Corporal Oswald Goodrich, 12th Australian Light Trench Mortar Battery, on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed In Action in Belgium.
3 November 1917 – Lieutenant Patrick Devine, 9th Battalion AIF, on leave from his job as a Constable, is Killed In Action in Belgium.
28 March 1918 – Sergeant John Warfield, 47th battalion AIF, on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed In Action in France.
30 March 1918 – Sergeant John Fitzgerald, 8th Brigade Australian Field Artillery, on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed In Action in France.
31 March 1918 – Sergeant Harry Wells, 26th Battalion AIF, on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed In Action in Belgium.
19 April 1918 – Sergeant Walter Dumbrell, 41st Battalion AIF, on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed In Action at the Somme in France.
10 June 1918 – Lance Sergeant Frederick White, 25th Battalion AIF, on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed In Action in France.
20 June 1918 – Private David O’Donoghue, 9th Battalion AIF, on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed In Action in France.
8 July 1918 – Private Thomas McGillycuddy, 45th Battalion AIF, on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed In Action at the Somme in France.
15 August 1918 – Corporal Claude Castree, 49th Battalion AIF, on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed In Action in France.
9 September 1918 – Corporal John Herbert, 41 Battalion AIF, while on leave from his job as Constable, dies of wounds at the Somme in France.
25 September 1918 – Trooper Daryl Dodds, Australian Light Horse, while on leave from his job as Constable, is Killed In Action in Egypt.
12 October 1918 – Gunner Ernest Pastorelli, 156th Brigade RFA, on leave from his job as Constable, dies in a German Prisoner of War Camp.
21 November 1918 – Driver John Taylor, 38th Company Australian Service Corps, on leave from his job as a Constable, dies on Active Service in Egypt.
Private Patrick Moynihan, died 25 April 1915
____________________ 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.
“FROM the VAULT: Lest We Forget” 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
Warwick is situated on the banks of the Condamine River, about two hours’ drive southwest of Brisbane. Patrick Leslie and his two brothers originally settled in the area as squatters, naming their run Canning Downs. In 1847 the NSW government asked Leslie to select a site on his station for a township, which was to be called ‘Cannington,’ although the name eventually settled upon was Warwick. In 1850 land sales were held and the first allotment was bought by Patrick Leslie. Warwick boomed with the discovery of gold at nearby gold fields, one such area being Pratten, situated between Warwick and Leyburn. At this time many beautiful sandstone buildings were erected in Warwick, and one of these is the Warwick Police Station.
There has been a police presence in Warwick since prior to the inauguration of the Queensland Police On January 1, 1864. By December of that year the strength at the station was one Police Magistrate, one Sub-Inspector and five Ordinary Constables. Early accommodations for the police in Warwick were barracks and a lock up which, by 1885, were unhealthy and went under twice in the floods of 1890. Tenders for a new police station were call on November 1, 1900 and the new, two story sandstone and ironed roofed building at 86 Fitzroy Street, was completed on July 17, 1901
A Senor Sergeant and Senior Constable stand in front of the Warwick Police Barracks, c1905.
The new police station was primarily a barracks. The Senior Sergeant occupied one portion of the building containing 6 rooms with kitchen and bathroom. The First Class Constable occupied the other portion containing four rooms with kitchen and bathroom. The Acting Sergeant stayed in the five roomed watchhouse keepers quarters and the Constable in the five roomed wooden cottage located alongside the police station.
Warwick Police Station 2018.
Warwick of today is a busy centre and this lovely sandstone police station building, still in use, houses a staff of more than fifty police officers and civilian workers.
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.
“Then & Now – Warwick Police Station” 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
Constable Lynam with his bicycle outside the Duchess Police Station, c1932.
In March this year the granddaughter of William Edward Lynam donated a number of images to the Police Museum which illustrate the life of a country policeman. We’ve chosen a few that we think you will enjoy.
William Lynam was born at Happy Valley near Toowoomba in March 1900. He joined the Queensland Police Force as a Probationary on March 16, 1922 and was sworn in as Constable no 2586 on July 1, 1922. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant 2/c on June 15, 1942. Constable Lynam was transferred to Roma Street and Windsor Police Station in Brisbane before being transferred out to the stations at Halifax; Lucinda Point; Duchess; Cloncurry; Maryborough; Tinana; Gin Gin; Eidsvold and Maryborough before returning to Roma Street in December 1949.
During his career William Lynam was awarded two favourable records while stationed Lucinda Point and a reward while stationed at Halifax. The first Favourable Record was awarded in December 1926 for good work performed in connection with the arrest and conviction of Edward Stewart for possessing stolen property; and the second in October 1927 for good work performed in connection with the cyclone and floods in the Townsville district in February, 1927. In August 1929 Constable Lynam was granted a reward of £25 by the Customs Department for good work in connection with the seizure of an illicit still in the Ingham District.
Sergeant 2/c William Lynam retired on August 24, 1951 with 29 years of service.
The life of a country policeman in pictures
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.
“FROM the VAULT: William Edward Lynam” 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
