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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blast from the Past

11:00-12:30

QPS Headquarters, 200 Roma Street

This lecture will be Livestreamed. Bookings via Eventbrite

Established in 1983, the Explosive Ordnance Response Team (EORT) provides a specialist response to incidents involving Improvised Explosive Devices and other improvised hazards. In Queensland we have been spared the horror of sustained targeted attacks as experienced by other policing jurisdictions around the world. Though this does not mean we have been immune from the threat of explosive incidents.

Sergeant Mick Gardiner, Senior Police Bomb Technician will present “Blast from the Past: A Bomb Technician’s short 100 year history of Queensland explosive incidents”. Mick will outline how bomb response has changed over the years, drawing from his 25 years’ experience in the EORT. He will also offer you a look at some of the most interesting and sometimes unbelievable bomb incidents that have occurred over the last 100 years, a history maybe you never knew existed. From mental health to domestic violence, from experimentation gone wrong to targeted criminal attack, Queensland has seen it all.

The one-and-a-half hour presentation will begin at 11am on Sunday, 30 October 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, 30 October from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In September 1981 police were on the lookout for a man wanted for questioning about the abduction and possible attempted rape of a woman near Hervey Bay.

Sergeant 1/c Des Rodgers of Hervey Bay and Constable 1/c Leonard Bickoff of Dimbulah, were manning a roadblock when they stopped a car. As they began to question the male driver, he produced a knife and stabbed Sergeant 1/c Rodgers 11 times. Constable 1/c Bickoff went to the aid of his colleague but was also stabbed a number of times.

Constable 1/c Terry Hill arrived at the scene to find Des Rogers lying on the ground, critically injured and covered in blood and Len Bickoff still being attacked. Without hesitation Constable 1/c Hill grappled with the offender and managed to restrain him with handcuffs.

Both Sergeant 1/c Des Rodgers and Constable 1/c Leonard Bickoff were rushed to Maryborough Base Hospital. Len Bickoff recovered well but Des Rogers suffered 11 stab wounds and spent a considerable amount of time in hospital.

There was a an astonishing surge of public sympathy and support for Des and police officers in general as a result of this incident. One touching letter was received from the children (aged from 14 to 5 years) of the Sinclair family of Tannum Sands.

Their letter read in part-

“Our parents told us how you were hurt when you and your partner tried to help a lady, from a bad man. You were both very brave. We hope you get better very soon and will be able to be at home and play with your children. We are all terribly proud of you. Please get better soon. All our love.

A footnote from their parents said:

“Unfortunately, sometimes the police get an unfair rubbishing. Through you and your friend, the children know that police always try to help. They respect that. Our sincerest, warmest wishes to you for a quick recovery. God speed. T. and K. Sinclair.”

On April 8, 1983, Sergeant 1/c Des Rodgers, Constable 1/c Leonard Bickoff, Constable 1/c Terry Hill, were all awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct (Imperial Award) for the courage they displayed in disarming and apprehending a man wanted for the abduction and possible attempted rape of a woman near Hervey Bay.

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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 very close call” 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 collaboration with the Brisbane History Group

Sunday 13 November 2022

12:30 – 16:30

Conference Room, Queensland Police Headquarters

Bookings via Brisbane History Group Eventbrite

$10 BHG Members & $15 General Public

(Tickets include a small fee)

Queensland Takes the Initiative

“The sentences of punishment by death shall no longer be pronounced or recorded, and the punishment of death shall no longer be inflicted”, so reads Section 2 of the Criminal Code Amendment Act of 1922. When, on August 1st of that year, the assent of the Governor was announced in Parliament, Queensland became the first part of the British Empire to have abolished capital punishment.“

On 13 November at the last BHG seminar for 2022 we will hear from four speakers on this topic:

Dan Morgan was admitted as a barrister in 1998 and practises almost exclusively in succession and trusts. He has a Ph.D. in constitutional law from The University of Queensland, with a particular focus on parliamentary law. He has an interest in the politics behind Abolition and how Queensland became the first place in the Commonwealth to abolish capital punishment.

Chris Dawson is a Brisbane-based professional historian specialising in the history of capital punishment in Queensland. He leads the popular ‘Hangman’s Walk’ history tours at South Brisbane and Toowong cemeteries, founded the Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society, and has written several publications and articles about hanging.

Jess Parker is an undergraduate Historian currently completing a Bachelor of History Inquiry and Practice with the University of New England. She has a passion for historic cemeteries and a keen fascination of the stories of their residents. Both through her studies and her volunteer work, Jess seeks to uncover the histories of some of Brisbane and Queensland’s most fascinating people. She is a member of Brisbane History Group, The Royal Historical Society of Queensland, and Friends of South Brisbane Cemetery.

Lisa Jones is Curator of the Queensland Police Museum, a position she has held for 25 years. She enjoys speaking about the history of the Queensland Police and is particularly fascinated with the events that led to the murders of two police officers in 1867 and the subsequent hanging of Gold Commissioner Thomas Griffin.

1230-1300 Registration & Bookshop

1300-1305 Welcome and Introduction

1305-1335 Dan Morgan: ‘Capital punishment and abolition: an overview’

1335-1405 Chris Dawson: ‘The Hangmen of Queensland’

1405-1435 Questions

1435-1505 Afternoon Tea

1505-1535 Jess Parker: ‘Ellen Thomson, the only woman legally hanged in Queensland’

1535-1605 Lisa Jones: ‘Gold and Greed – Thomas Griffin, Gold Commissioner gone bad’

1605-1615 Questions

The Brisbane History Group will be selling their books on the day. If you wish to purchase please bring some cash with you.

Parking around QPS Headquarters is free after 12 on Sundays, but parking spots may be difficult to find.

Public transport is the best option as Roma Street railway station and bus station are directly across the road. Please check the train timetables for track work that might shut down the lines.

This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum on behalf of the Brisbane History Group.

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.

“Capital Punishment in Queensland Seminar” 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

Since 1934 when the first police cars were purchased, many different brands and types of car have been used for police work. Bean Trucks; Ford V8 touring cars; International Utilitys; Ford Custom 300s; Cortina Sedans; Morris Minor Minis and Holden Commodores to name a few.

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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 – Police cars, how times have changed…” 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 the Queensland Police Dog Squad

11:00am – 12:30pm

Book via Eventbrite

Did you know a dog’s natural hunting instinct can be modified by police so the dog can be used to locate people, drugs, bombs and even dead bodies? Police dogs are used and are effective in police work for their superior senses of both smell and hearing.

Find out how police dogs are used for tracking, searching and the apprehension of offenders, at the next Queensland Police Museum Sunday Lecture.

The presentation titled ‘50 years of the Dog Squad, will be addressed by Senior Sergeant Sean Baxendell, OIC of Brisbane Dog Squad, who will speak about the work police dogs undertake and the methods used to train them to carry out general and other duties.

This one-and-a-half-hour presentation will start at 11am on Sunday, 27 November and will be both informative and educational, and is 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, 27 November from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.

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

“Sunday Lecture Series – 27 November”  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

PART 2 next week 15 November

With the establishment of the Queensland Police Force in 1864, the government took steps to ensure its officers behaved and dressed in an appropriate manner. Rules for the general government and discipline of the members of the Police Force were published in the Queensland Government Gazette, ‘in order that it may be conducted upon one uniform system and that its members may not be embarrassed in the execution of their several duties from want of proper instructions’. The government of the day agreed to supply police with work clothing on the condition that the wearer was responsible for the uniform’s care. Uniforms were inspected before the officers received their monthly salary, and money was deducted if they were not found to be in “good and serviceable order”. Financial difficulties in 1866 resulted in uniform supplies being delayed. Due to these delays, police officers often had to dress in civilian clothes. When the uniforms did arrive, they were quite often ill-fitting and made with material of poor quality.

By 1871, Commissioner David Thomas Seymour had transferred the responsibility of obtaining uniforms to police officers, who were given an allowance of six pence per day to meet this expense. This system was meant to encourage police officers to take good care of their clothing and save

government funds. This early uniform consisted of a short jacket with a standing collar, called a jumper, and was made of dark blue fabric, tightly fitted at the waistband. The trousers were made of the same fabric. Mounted police also had the option of wearing white or drab cord breeches that were often quite tight. This was topped off with a navy blue serge cap, bearing the officer’s district letter and number.

Helmets were introduced as a means of affording greater protection from the heat of the sun, as it was not safe to let the men wear caps during the day. In the early 1880s, the helmet was changed from white to black. This was met with disapproval by the men, as some suffered sunstroke. In 1891 Police Commissioner Seymour relaxed his stand and allowed the wearing of white helmets.

In 1896, Commissioner William Parry-Okeden introduced a new uniform. A tender process was undertaken for its manufacture to ensure uniformity in colour, material and quality. A loose tunic was adopted in place of the existing

 jumper for the police uniform. It was deemed that the cloth uniform be worn in winter with the serge uniform for summer, while the khaki uniform could be worn with the regulation soft felt hat for bush or other duty. White helmets were worn during the day with caps at night, except in wet weather when caps with waterproof covers were worn both day and night.

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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

“A History of Police Uniform – Part 1: 1864 – 1905” 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

Follows on from FROM THE VAULT – A History of Police Uniform – Part 1: 1864 – 1905 posting of Tuesday 3rd of July

New patterns for the police uniforms for those under the rank of Sub-Inspector were introduced in 1906. The new navy uniforms were less tight fitting than the old ones. Country police were still wearing the khaki uniform with broad brimmed hat. Also in 1906 the numbers appearing on the police badge were moved to the collar.

Motorcycles were introduced as a mean of transport in 1925 but it wasn’t until 1936 that a change in uniform was agreed on that would suit this new style of policing. In 1936 motorcycle riding breeches were launched and in 1938 unbreakable goggles and leather gauntlets became available for motorcycle patrol.

As summer approached each year complaints about the uniform for the ranks below commissioned officers became persistent. In 1946, a new open-neck tunic in both blue and khaki came into use.

The blue serge trousers featured a royal blue stripe down the outside leg. A new style white, step crown helmet was also introduced. By 1950 the long-sleeved shirt sported pockets and shoulder straps; and it was permissible to wear this without the tunic as the official summer uniform. Commissioned officers were able to wear the new open-neck tunic from 1954.

Further requests for cooler uniforms resulted in another uniform change in 1960. This time the uniform was drab olive in colour, and the fabric a 60/40 wool and Terylene mix. The tie, belt and shoes were brown, and this was crowned with a new style cap and helmet badge, affectionately known as the ‘pineapple’.

In June 1965, the drab olive uniform was issued to newly sworn-in policewomen. The winter uniform consisted of a tunic, skirt, cream blouse and dark brown shoes and gloves. The summer uniform was a belted short-sleeved dress. The women also wore the same cap as the men, and it was distinguished from the men’s cap by a partial silver band.

Commissioned officers also considered changing from the blue to olive, but felt that the ‘man in blue’ should not disappear entirely. They decided to purchase a standard blue material, and select a standard style of uniform, ensuring they appeared in uniformity.

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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

“A History of Police Uniform – Part 2: 1906 – 1970” 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 mobile office was first organised as an aid in a 1974 homicide investigation in Maroochydore. In August, 1974, a small Sunshine Coast community was shaken by the tragic news of a home-made bomb exploding in an unoccupied house killing the three year old daughter of the owner of the house, and severely wounding her younger sister. The girls were playing around the house while waiting for their father to finish with the repairs. The device manufactured from gelignite and nails with roofing screws for shrapnel, was concealed in a kitchen cupboard booby trapped to explode upon opening. The blast was so intense it killed the girl nearly instantly, the shrapnel pierced gaping holes in the walls of the room. Preliminary investigation showed Detective Sergeant Dorries was the intended target. The same morning he received a tip from a male anonymous caller about a quantity of heroin stored in a cupboard at that address.

Detective Inspector Jack “Jock” McSporran was placed in charge of the investigation. He and a squad of 20 experienced and competent hand-picked detectives travelled to Maroochydore to ‘hunt down’ the perpetrators. The detectives took to their task immediately, working round the clock from the Maroochydore Police Station, typing up reports, conducting interviews with witnesses and persons of interest. As the 4 person police station began to strain from over-use of the facilities, Commissioner Whitrod ordered the police garage and technical staff to equip a mobile police office to accommodate the additional police presence.

Shortly, a secondhand 6-metre long caravan was obtained in Brisbane. The van was promptly refurbished and fitted with typing office bench, a typewriter, swivel chairs, hot water urn, tea facilities and electric wall clock:

A section of the nearside van wall was cut out at workbench level and fitted with steel roller doors. A long metal flap opened outwards from the roller doors, hinged along the roofline so that when unlocked and pushed outwards, it formed a pushout canopy exposing the typing bench. Detectives, at the end of a particular inquiry, would come to the counter window and report their progress across the bench.

The van, affectionately known as the ‘chuckwagon’, was parked in the police station plot and furnished with an illuminated POLICE sign on its roof. The mobile unit was also equipped with communication lines, such as a telephone connection and a two-way radio. The telephone number was advertised in the newspapers to promote public assistance. Soon after, another anonymous telephone call was made, this time warning Detective Inspector McSporren that he was next on the list. The investigation continued for three months, culminating with two perpetrators being charged with murder of the little girl. Later, one of the men committed suicide while awaiting trial and the second was sentenced to life imprisonment but was paroled after 14 years and deported to New Zealand.

The mobile police post was extremely successful and went on to be used on many investigations. Today, ‘police stations on wheels’ include advanced communications capabilities such as satellite phone and radio systems; designated work area for a Police Forward Commander; two internal workstations fitted with interconnected computers, wirelessly connected to the QPS networks through encrypted software systems; storage for equipment necessary to establish and operate a Police Forward Command Post; and a trailer with a large capacity generator capable of powering a Police Forward Command Post making it a fully equipped mobile police office ready to be deployed on demand.

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

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

“FROM the VAULT – Our First Forward Command Post”  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

David Leahy, a Toowoomba farmer, was first sworn in as Constable number 759 on November 1, 1894 at 24 years of age. During this tenure he was stationed at Brisbane; Ilfracombe; Diamantina Lakes; Winton; Middleton and Winton. In April 1901 Constable Leahy was transferred to Childers where he spent six years. Near the end of his time in this small town he was awarded a Medal for Merit for disarming an armed man.

The medal citation reads:

On October 23, 1906, a man named Addis, carrying a rifle threatened a Mr W. MacDonald near Childers. Addis appeared determined to “see it out”, and said he “would fight to the bitter end”, that the “police would not take him alive”, and that “there would be bloodshed”. Constables Leahy and Grigg went in pursuit of Addis and advanced within three yards of him in a paddock. On their approach he wheeled around quickly, rifle in hand. Constable Leahy threw his arms around Addis, and Constable Grigg wrenched the rifle out of his grasp. Addis struggled and yelled fiercely. When Addis was arrested, the rifle was found to be empty but a box of rifle cartridges was found on his person. Addis was subsequently sentenced to one year of imprisonment.

Constable Leahy resigned from the Queensland Police on September 24, 1907. However in 1909, Leahy thought better of his decision and re-joined as Constable number 1297 on December 17 of that year. During his second police career he was transferred to Woodford; Roma; Tewantin; Middle Ridge, Toowoomba and Stanthorpe. Constable David Leahy retired on July 1, 1923 after thirteen years of service.

In 1903 David married Elizabeth Moore at Toowoomba and together they had six children. He passed away in March 1950 at the age of 80.

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This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.

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

“From the Vault: A difficult day at the office” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

George Christopher Dyas (1840-1881) a dyer from county Westmeath, was admitted to the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) force in 1858. His application was supplemented with a recommendation from a Protestant clergyman. Interestingly, (and not so unusually), Dyas later converted to Catholicism. Customary to the RIC practice, Dyas was moved away from his native county: his first transfer was to co Armagh. After a brief spell in reserve, he was relocated to Dublin in 1862, and a year later to Cork. He was regularly on mounted duty, which indubitably later influenced his colonial placement in the northern parts of Queensland. Having completed nearly six years in the RIC, in the rank of Sub-Constable First Class, he resigned and emigrated to Queensland.

Recruitment and training for the new Queensland Police Force took place in Brisbane at the Police Depot. All candidates were instructed to attend with an application in their own handwriting, along with testimonials to their character. His personnel file shows Dyas was sworn in May, 1864, a month after he applied. After a year in Ipswich, Dyas was transferred closer to the frontier, to Mackay, then Gilbert Ranges, where he undertook Gold Escort duty. The work was arduous, dangerous, and required extensive travelling on horseback. It is striking how Sub-Inspector Dyas’ colonial line of service diverged from his previous employment with the RIC. Frontier Queensland of the 1870s was still an unsettled territory, the site of recurring conflicts with the aboriginal population of the colony.

Dyas was transferred from Georgetown to Normanton on 8 January 1881. He set out with Constable McGrath and on the 13th made camp at 40 Mile Waterhole. At 6am the next morning McGrath left to collect the horses but at 7.30am he returned to tell Dyas that they were gone. Dyas immediately set out to search and later returned to report to McGrath that he had found horse tracks, but because of sore feet, he could not continue on to get them. Dyas pointed McGrath in the right direction and instructed him to take a bridle and find the horses. At 11am McGrath found the tracks and at about 3pm the horses. On his return to camp he was surprised to discover that Dyas had left taking his gun, cartridge belt and bridle. He waited at the camp for 24 hours and then left for Normanton to report the incident to Sergeant Byrne. Byrne and McGrath then left for Bynoo Native Mounted Police Camp to report the situation. Soon after Sub-Inspector Lamond and several troopers left for 40 Mile Waterhole. The search for Dyas started on the morning of the 18th, four days after he went missing.

Dyas’ tracks were found and followed for 10 miles down a creek to where he had taken off his boots. Sometime was then lost while other footprints were investigated, later found to belong to the mailman. Lamond continued the search and on the morning of 22nd he found Dyas’ bridle hanging in a tree and tracks left by a group of aborigines. On the 23rd Lamond followed more tracks and spotted a series of arrows and the word DYAS written in the dirt. At 8am Lamond finally found were Dyas had slept and tragically where he had been murdered, stripped and buried by aborigines.

Lamond believed that Dyas was murdered on the night of 20 January and that he had been speared in the back. His body was left buried at the site of the murder. It has never been ascertained why Dyas left the camp while McGrath was away looking for the horses. During his service, Dyas continually pushed the frontier, opened up places, and arranged them for settlement.

Correspondence from his file described Dyas as highly skilled, seasoned policeman defiant in the face of danger; an avid bushman, and one of the best in the colony at that.

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This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing and those made available by Dr Anastasia Dukova.

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

“FROM THE VAULT – George Dyas, a Gallant Officer” 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

Flaggy Rock Police Station located 73 kilometres south of Sarina in North Queensland was opened in May 1921 with Constable Oliver Peters in charge. The station was probably opened in response to the building of the coastal railway line and was short lived. It closed in October 1921 because the railway line and railway workers moved on to Sarina and then further north. Flaggy Rock is still a railway station stop for the coastal line.

This is the only Flaggy Rock related image that we have in the Police Museum collection and its shows the caring nature of Constable Oliver Peters who is pictured with an injured kangaroo joey outside a tent that was probably the Police Station and the Constable’s home.

Constable Oliver Peters was sworn in as Constable number 1800 on December 11, 1913. He was transferred to Fortitude Valley, Sarina and Mackay before getting to Flaggy Rock. He was then transferred to Mackay, Baralaba, Rockhampton, Millmerran, Cracow, Rockhampton and ended his career in Ravenshoe as a Sergeant 1/c on February 8, 1946.

__________________

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 Caring Cop” 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 Mission

At 10.30 pm on Good Friday, 8 April 1955, a call came through to fly a critically ill baby from the RAAF Townsville Airbase to Brisbane.  There was no doubt RAAF would answer the call: No 10 Maritime Squadron were known in North Queensland as the ‘Good Deed Squadron’.

Wing Commander John Peter (Bluey) Costello, Squadron Leader Charles Surtees Mason, Squadron Leader John Watson Finlay and Flight Lieutenant William George Cater departed shortly after midnight with six souls were on aboard – including 26-six-year-old Nursing Sister Mafalda Gray, who had resigned to start a new job in Brisbane. She was seated in the nose of the Lincoln A73-64 bomber with 2-day-old baby, Andrea Robyn Huxley. The aircraft flew no higher than 6000 feet (1828 metres) to stop the baby from becoming hypoxic.  

At 4.05 am the plane radioed Approach Control at Brisbane to advise that they would be landing in ten minutes

‘May we let down from 6000 feet to 5000 feet? We are in cloud at the moment’.

Brisbane Control replied, ‘Cleared to 5000 feet, or 4000 if you wish’…

A further transmission from Brisbane asked them to ‘report sighting Caboolture’ was acknowledged by, ‘Roger. Roger. Will do.’ …the last words received from the cockpit.

The Bushwalkers

Around that time at the Emu Creek Campground near the base of Mount Superbus, the highest peak in South-East Queensland, approximately 172 km SW from Brisbane, Robert Hart and Allan Gunn, members of thirty-five-strong party of bushwalkers from the Brisbane Bushwalkers’ Club, were camped to hike the 1375 metre peak the next day. They were woken by light rain. Shortly afterthey heard the distinctive rumble of a heavy airplane’s propeller engines in the cloud cover overhead, then the unmistakeable sound of a crash.

It was 4.14 am.

At the RAAF, Senior Aircraft Control Officer, Flight Lieutenant Taylor stationed at Eagle Farm was becoming increasingly concerned about the overdue aircraft. At 5am he contacted RAAF Operations Room at Amberley to commence the use of Cathode Ray Direction Finding (CRDF) equipment.                                                                                                            

Search and Rescue efforts commenced by 6 am.

Bushwalker, Mr Peachey, telephoned the RAAF Operations Room at Amberly at 7.45 am to advise them of the aircraft crash on Mount Superbus (Sera-bis). They had mistakenly calculated the search area from the last radio contact and were searching near Kenilworth, 290 km to the North.

By 9 ambushwalkers had fresh information– smoke was sighted rising above Con’s Plains. At 2.15 pm the crash had been located 100 metres from the summit of Mount Superbus.

There were no survivors.

Police Inspector Guards Graves

Inspector Currey and Detective Holst, with a third police officer in tow, travelled from Toowoomba Police District to the Emu Creek camp site that morning. From there they hiked the challenging terrain and steep climb to the summit of Mount Superbus by late afternoon, where they located the crashed RAAF Lincoln bomber airplane 100 metres from the summit, a burnt-out shell with no signs of life.

After viewing the wreckage, the Inspector elected to stay on the mountain overnight to guard the graves of the six victims. He sent his men back in the remaining light to the relative comfort of the bushwalkers’ camp. Two volunteer bushwalkers remained with him, though they were ill-equipped and had few provisions.

By Easter 1955, Inspector Currey [2685] was a veteran of 32 years with Queensland Police and had accumulated over 21 years investigative experience. He gained his experience firstly at the Brisbane CIB, followed by Mackay CIB and at Townsville CIB where he was promoted to the rank of Detective Sergeant. Currey was promoted to Sub-Inspector at Toowoomba Police District in 1950, after serving seven years as Officer in Charge at Fortitude Valley Station.

He attained the rank of Inspector at Longreach Police District in 1951, then was transferred back to Toowoomba Police District in 1953. Currey’s final transfer was to Rockhampton Police District in 1957 where he stayed until his retirement on 2 November 1959. He joined the Queensland Police on 15 December 1923, aged 24 years 1 month, dedicating 36 years of service to the community.  Ian Stanley Currey passed away in 1982.

Next week – Easter 1955 – Air Crash on Mt Superbus – Part 2 Disaster Victim Identification

This story was researched and written by Museum Assistant Debra Austin using the resources of the Queensland Police Museum which includes reminiscences of retired police officer Keith Loft in his article ‘Misericordiae Antemortem – The 1955 Mount Superbus Crash (Published in Australian Policing and A Journal of Professional Practices and Research). Keith Loft was a Coronial Support Officer whilst serving part time with the Disaster Victim Identification Squad. He meticulously researched the Mount Superbus Air Crash disaster from a DVI perspective, to explore the methodology used to positively identify the victims in 1955. Research was also gathered from historical Coronial files, Royal Australian Air Force files, Court of Inquiry documents and newspapers accounts archives.

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

“Easter 1955 – Air Crash on Mt Superbus – Part 1” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

Disaster Victim Identification THEN AND NOW

After spending the night on the summit of Mount Superbus in the Main Range National Park new the border of New South Wales, Inspector Currey who ‘steadfastly refused to be relieved of his vigil guarding the deceased,’ (Brisbane Bushwalkers, 1955: Hayes, 1955) would have welcomed the arrival of Squadron Leader Brackenridge, Warrant Officer Stirzker and John Marsh from the Brisbane Bushwalkers Club, at 6.30 am. They were followed shortly by another party of police and RAAF personnel who joined the search for the victims’ remains. By mid-morning they had determined that they’d identified all six… but had they?

No 10 Maritime Squadron’s Senior Medical Officer, Wing Commander John Craig arrived by late morning. After an inspection, he stated that he was not satisfied that all remains had been recovered. He contended that the bodies of Sister Mafalda Gray and baby Huxley were missing.  A further search by Police and RAAF personnel recovered more remains, but the Senior Medical Officer finally concluded that missing body parts may have been incinerated… though Inspector Currey continued ‘lifting and shifting portions of the aircraft in a search for more human remains.’ (Brackenridge, 1955; Craig 1955; Hearnden, 1955, Cheney, 1955, Williamson, 1955, RAAF Message, 1955)

The Inspector’s efforts to locate further remains ended that Easter Sunday afternoon when the search was terminated. The recovered remains were moved from the mountain by 6 Police, 15 RAAF personnel, 13 bushwalkers and 3 locals. They were then transported to Warwick Police Station for medical examination and dentification.

8 days later… a sightseer overturned a metal container at the crash site. After moving a badly charred blue blanket, he was confronted with human remains – tiny rib bones, a portion of stomach and a baby’s napkin. Police at Yan Gan were notified immediately –     the baby had been found. We cannot imagine the distress this caused grieving parents, Cecil and Dorothy Huxley.

When recalled by the Court of Enquiry on 25 April 1955 to give further evidence after the discovery of the baby, Wing Commander Craig was asked if there might be other human remains at the crash site. He stated, ‘it was possible the head and some limbs that were not recovered with four of the bodies may still be amongst the wreckage – if they had not been completely incinerated’. (Craig, 1955)

Disaster Victim Identification THEN

Government Medical Officer, Dr Rowe Clyde Dent, together with the Police and the Coroner, were responsible for identifying the civilians, whilst the RAAF Senior Medical Officer, Wing Commander John Craig, was responsible for identifying the military personnel.

In 1955, victim identification was based on known physical characteristics of the deceased, as well as identifying their property including clothing and jewellery, and other circumstantial evidence. In the case of the crash on Mount Superbus, the location in which the victims’ remains were found was a key to their identification.

Dr Dent examined remains that were recovered from the nose of the plane – where Nursing Sister Mafalda Gray was seated with the baby. They included the left hand and forearm of a woman. One fingernail remained unscorched, painted a highly polished pink. A small portion of clothing was found and an incinerated trunk of female proportion. Dr Dent was satisfied that these were the remains Mafalda Stanis Gray and issued a Post-Mortem Certificate. Positive DNA Identification was not available in 1955.

Disaster Victim Identification NOW                                             

In 1981 Queensland Police Service formed a specialist Disaster Victim Identification Squad (DVIS). The ever-evolving forensic science of DNA profiling is a meticulous process and the most reliable and efficient means to identify bodies or separated body parts.

‘The primary role of the Disaster Victim Identification Squad (DVIS) is to remove and identify the remains of deceased victims of major incidents, accidents, air disasters and natural disasters. There may also be instances where the services of the DVIS may be used to assist investigating police in relation to homicides, suicides, traffic crashes, skeletal recovery and other situations where identification difficulties may arise in relation to one or more deceased victims.’

Bali Bombing 20 years on

It’s 20 years since a team from the Queensland Police Service Disaster Victim Identification Squad attended the aftermath of the Bali bombings. The attack involved the detonation of three bombs – two in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian Island of Bali, and another smaller device outside the US Consulate in Denpasar.

A suicide bomber carried a backpack-mounted device into Paddy’s Pub, Kuta, at 11.05 p.m. on October 12, 2002, then detonated it. Patrons, both injured and uninjured, fled into the streets. Twenty seconds later, a large car bomb was detonated outside the Sari Club opposite – causing a one-metre-deep crater and destroying nearby buildings and shattering windows several blocks away.

The attack killed 202 people – 88 Australians, 38 Indonesians, 23 Britons and another 53 people of various nationalities, of whom two were of unknown origin. Another 209 were injured, many of whom sustained life-changing, critical injuries.

Australia deployed an immediate response to Bali led by Senior Sergeant Ken Rach, now retired, a veteran of the Queensland Police Service Disaster Victim Identification Squad since 1981. He was appointed as the fulltime State DVI Coordinator in 2001, the only Police Officer in Australia at the time who had a fulltime role in disaster victim identification.

Senior Sergeant Rach and his team played a major role in the development of the international DVI response. Within hours of their arrival, they coordinated both the post mortem and mortuary phase. He travelled to Bali on four occasions for a total of 58 days deployment. Senior Sergeant Kenneth Reginald Rach was awarded the Order of Australia in 2005 and Australian Police Medal in 2013 for outstanding dedication and commitment to the Queensland Police Service, particularly in the specialist area of Disaster Victim Identification.

It was a learning experience,’ Senior Sergeant Rach said at the time. “Obviously it was very, very sad but it was a good experience to know we could do the work away from the comforts of home and away from the technology we usually have to assist us.

He also stated on behalf of his team… “It showed, as far as DVI is concerned, that compared with the rest of the world we rate very, very highly.”

The coordinated effort of the global DVI community significantly speeds up the recovery and identification of disaster victims – helping families to heal and communities to rebuild.

The Queensland Police Service Disaster Victim Identification squad motto translates to – ‘with dignity and respect’ and their logo is the Phoenix. ‘It symbolises rising from the ashes and re-creation, which is in effect what we do,’ Senior Sergeant Ken Rach said on interview for The Courier Mail in 2011. ‘We find the remains and we give them back.’    

Easter 1955 – Mt Superbus Air Crash – Part 3 What went wrong?

This story was researched and written by Museum Assistant Debra Austin using the resources of the Queensland Police Museum which includes reminiscences of retired police officer Keith Loft in his article ‘Misericordiae Antemortem – The 1955 Mount Superbus Crash (Published in Australian Policing and A Journal of Professional Practices and Research). Keith Loft was a Coronial Support Officer whilst serving part time with the Disaster Victim Identification Squad. He meticulously researched the Mount Superbus Air Crash disaster from a DVI perspective, to explore the methodology used to positively identify the victims in 1955. Research was also gathered from historical Coronial files, Royal Australian Air Force files, Court of Inquiry documents and newspapers accounts archives.

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

“Easter 1955 – Air Crash on Mt Superbus – Part 2” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

What went wrong

BEFORE: A highly experienced, distinguished crew who’d been without sleep for 21 hours; a poorly maintained plane; no navigation aids onboard; compass errors; maps that were useless when flying in cloud cover; a lack of lights at night on route to use as points of reference; changing weather.

The aircraft controller added in his last transmission with the cockpit: ‘Cleared to 5000 feet, or 4000 if you wish’… thinking they were on approach to Brisbane, not nearing the 1375 metre (4500 ft) Mount Superbus.

 AFTER: Civilians had accessed the site before Police; a local resident advised that all souls were lost – information that should have been released by the authorities. Police and RAAF personnel arrived on the scene ill-equipped to stay in the field overnight, though Inspector Ian Stanley Currey showed dedication to duty by keeping vigil on Mount Superbus that night to guard the dead. 

HINDSIGHT: A sick baby that could have been transported hours later in safety at first light.

The Crew

RAAF No. 10 Squadron’s Commanding Officer, Wing Commander John Costello was like his chosen crew, a highly decorated WW11 Veteran. Amongst his war stories was battling a shark after ditching at sea. In peacetime his career rose as he added Commanding Officer of RAAF Canberra, Director of Recruiting, Deputy Director of Operations and Assistant Commandant of RAAF College Point Cook to his resume. He re-joined No 10 Squadron on 9 August 1954 with a tally of 3484 flying hours and 287 flying hours in the Lincoln A73-64 bomber.

It was the Easter break and most of No 10 Squadron were on leave. Costello roused the crew from their homes at 10.45 pm – Squadron Leader Charles Mason, MBE, the base’s senior engineering officer; Flight Lieutenant William Cater, a senior radio officer; and the fourth crew member, Squadron Leader John Watson Finlay, the navigator. He had recently qualified as a specialist navigator in maritime operations when he joined No 10 Squadron on 14 December 1954. His tally was 3,138 flying hours including 262-night flying hours at the time of the fateful flight.  

They had worked that day, but the Court of enquiry deducted that the RAAF flight crew had not engaged in arduous activity and therefore had no grounds to refuse the mission based on fatigue. (Court of Enquiry, 1955; Heffernan, 1955, Williamson, 1955; Daley, 1955).

Last contact with the plane was made at 4.05 am when the crew had little or no sleep in 21 hours…could their judgement have been impaired?

The Plane                                                  

Headlines cried, SIX LIVES LOST IN BOMBER WITHOUT NAVIGATION AIDS.

The Lincoln A73-64 was the only RAAF aircraft available that night, the rest were grounded by abacklog of inspections and unavailability of spares. It did not carry equipment for an instrument approach to Eagle Farm…. though the flight plan would have lead air traffic authorities in Brisbane to believe that the plane carried a radio compass.

The bomber’s last recorded compass swing was on 2 August 1954, nearly eight months before. The instrument is critical for determining and reducing the deviation coefficients that ensure an aircraft remains in the correct heading… and is known to be notoriously unreliable.

The plane was seen to fly obits over the town of Bell, about the same latitude as Caboolture, 80 km east. Peter Finlay, son of Squadron Leader John Watson Finlay who died in the crash, stated that, ‘When a pilot does an orbit, it means they’re confused’.

The plane crashed under controlled flight with wings level, the throttles were in the forward position… the aircraft was attempting to climb.

Why were they so far off course?

The Weather
At the beginning of the flight, the weather was fine with a cloud base at 11,000 feet. By the end of the flight, there was oktas stratus cloud cover at 3000 feet over the Border Ranges. Winds on route had been slightly more easterly than forecast, which, if not corrected, could have blown the aircraft to the west.

National Serviceman, Sergeant Alan Reed, had been offered a seat on that fateful flight to Brisbane. He elected to sleep in comfit on the RAAF Townsville Airbase instead of a noisy fuselage. Alan Raymond Reed OAM went on to enjoy a long, successful career with the RAAF, retiring in 1990 as Air-Vice-Marshall. He passed away in August 2021 and was quoted in an obituary as saying, I lived a very fortunate life…

Fortunate and lucky!

In Conclusion

No actual cause of the crash of the Lincoln A73-64 bomber on Mount Superbus in 1955 has been cited, but an RAAF report at the time stated:

‘It appears that the exact cause of the accident will never be revealed,’ it said, ‘but …. it is disturbing to note the number of irregularities, of greater or lesser degree, which have occurred in relation to the preparation of aircraft, flight planning and the conduct of the flight.’ 

Should you wish to hike Mount Superbus and explore the crash site, follow the well-marked trail in pink ribbons from the Emu Creek Trailhead. The colour ‘pink’ is a poignant reminder of baby girl, Andrea Robyn Huxley, who perished on that ill-fated flight so many years ago… and the four men and one woman, all dedicated to duty on a mercy flight, who perished with her.

This story was researched and written by Museum Assistant Debra Austin using the resources of the Queensland Police Museum which includes reminiscences of retired police officer Keith Loft in his article ‘Misericordiae Antemortem – The 1955 Mount Superbus Crash (Published in Australian Policing and A Journal of Professional Practices and Research). Keith Loft was a Coronial Support Officer whilst serving part time with the Disaster Victim Identification Squad. He meticulously researched the Mount Superbus Air Crash disaster from a DVI perspective, to explore the methodology used to positively identify the victims in 1955. Research was also gathered from historical Coronial files, Royal Australian Air Force files, Court of Inquiry documents and newspapers accounts archives.

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

“Easter 1955 – Air Crash on Mt Superbus – Part 3” 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 series ‘Plucky Courage’ features the heroics of policeman in the early 20^th century when they captured runaway horses pulling conveyances through city streets… but more importantly, it also gives us a snapshot into their lives, during a time of change, when innovative, mechanically powered contraptions using electric, steam and internal combustion engines, started appearing on Queensland roads and thoroughfares. Records do not show why the horses bolted, but one can only imagine the potential for havoc as horses contended with these noisy contraptions in traffic.

A dashing constable’s meritorious act

The evening peak hour traffic on Stanley Street, South Brisbane, was described as ‘very heavy’ from Victoria Bridge to Woolloongabba, on Thursday, 22July 1909, as two young draught horses pulled a lorry from the docks. As they neared the Farmers Arms Hotel, the team suddenly shied, then swerved violently throwing the passenger, a youth named ‘Ryan’, forward and over the dashboard.

The driver, Mr Eneas McKay, wrote in his statement to the police: ‘… he was holding on to the edge of the lorry. I seized him by the collar of his coat but was unable to lift him into the lorry. He fell on the ground, the wheels of the lorry passed over him.’

The already dire scenario escalated as the horses swerved again. This time the reins slipped from the driver’s hands, and he too fell from the lorry. The frightened horses, now with free reign, galloped away down Stanley Street.

An accident averted

Into the fray dashed 24-year-old Constable Smith from nearby South Brisbane Police Station. He’d witnessed the event and gave chase. As reported in The Telegraph, the constable intercepted the conveyance, by ‘gradually working his way along the lorry, caught the horses’ bridles, and was dragged along the street for 300 yards before he succeeded in bringing them to a standstill.’

Witness, Mr NW Luya, an employee of the Brisbane Milling Co. Ltd., contacted the police and eloquently described the constable’s actions in his correspondence: ‘The action was splendidly performed and called for great admiration from those who witnessed it. There was a considerable amount of danger to the constable himself and I am sure that his action was the means of saving property and possible life.’  He further wrote, ‘I was so struck with the action myself that I congratulated the constable and ascertained that his was H.P. Smith and his Number 223.’

Why did the horses bolt?

Clydesdales, known as ‘gentle giants,’ weigh in around 800 to 850 kilograms, and were extensively used for farming and pulling heavy loads prior to motorised trucks. They were also used during the thick of battle in World War One, hauling cannon and armaments to the front line. There is no mention of why the team bolted that day on Stanley Street, but stopping them would have taken an extraordinary effort, athleticism, and a great deal of ‘plucky courage’. The breed is shown yearly at the ‘Clydesdale Spectacular’ at the Boonah Showgrounds.

A well-earned reward

Newspapers articles and witness statements aptly describes Constable Smith’s ‘great pluck’… a term seldom used today, meaning spirited and determined courage.

Constable Henry Lockwood Smith was awarded the Queensland Police Medal for Merit bravery award for stopping the two massive horses and fully loaded lorry from causing mayhem in the streets of South Brisbane. The dashing hero also received the sum of £5.00 for his efforts, and later earned further monetary rewards whilst stationed at South Brisbane in 1909. He was awarded £2 for assisting in the capture of deserters from the S.S. Apolda, and then another £1.10 for arresting ship deserters from the S.S. Oberhansen.

Senior Sergeant Smith served the community for 27 years. His first transfer was to South Brisbane, followed by Albion, New Farm, Rosalie, Albion, Rosalie, Coorparoo, Stephens, Tambo, Jericho, Roma Street, Cairns, Roma Street and Maryborough. He retired from the Police Force in 1934 because of ill-health, but later enlisted in the army during World War Two, where he rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant. Henry Lockwood Smith passed away on 18 May 1950 aged 65.

Henry’s brother Jack, the Commissioner of Police

Henry’s brother, John Smith, served as Police Commissioner from 1949 to 1954. His legacy included the formation of the Police Citizen’s Welfare Club, where he served as the first Chairman. John Smith, also known as ‘Jack’, served as President for the Police Welfare Club.

Six months after Henry’s death, ‘Uncle Jack,’ the Commissioner of Police, took upon the honour of walking Henry’s youngest daughter, Muriel May Smith, down the aisle for her wedding in November 1950. John ‘Jack’ Smith passed away on 7 September 1961.

Next week – FROM the VAULT- Plucky Courage Part 2: Thomas Guthrie

This story was researched and written by Museum Assistant Debra Austin using the best archival 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 – Plucky Courage Part 1: Henry Lockwood Smith” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

The series ‘Plucky Courage’ features the heroics of policeman in the early 20^th century when they captured runaway horses pulling conveyances through city streets… but more importantly, it also gives us a snapshot into their lives, during a time of change, when innovative, mechanically powered contraptions using electric, steam and internal combustion engines, started appearing on Queensland roads and thoroughfares. Records do not show why the horses bolted, but one can only imagine the potential for havoc as horses contended with these noisy contraptions in traffic.

During this time in history, stories abounded in the press of runaway horse teams pulling everything from a sulky to a lorry. The blog ‘Plucky Courage’ Part 1, features Constable Henry Lockwood Smith’s heroic efforts to catch a team of driverless draught horses that were galloping through the streets off South Brisbane, with a lorry in tow; while Constable John Herbert in ‘Plucky Courage’ Part 3, caught a runaway draught horse pulling a cart.

Part 2 features another traffic accident averted by the quick thinking of a police officer, when Acting Sergeant Thomas Guthrie, ‘pluckily stopped’ a pony and sulky from careening through Brisbane city streets… though his only accolade appears to be a mention in the daily press.

This blog is dedicated to police officers, past and present, who like Thomas, have performed countless acts of bravery without fanfare or favour.

Another runaway ‘pluckily stopped’

Stories of the colourful Irishman’s life came to light when information was passed to the Queensland Police Museum by his descendants. This information, together with newspapers articles, his personnel file, and gazetted regulations from that time, allow us to piece together a snapshot of his life, illuminating the hardship many police officers and their families suffered in the early 20^th century.

Whilst travelling by tram from the city to the police station in Fortitude Valley in 1909, Acting-Sergeant Guthrie saw a driverless pony and sulky bolting from the nearby intersection at Warren Street. Whether or not he should have, Thomas Guthrie jumped from the tram and gave pursuit as described in the press:

‘… and rushing at the runaway from behind, managed to secure the reins, and speedily brought the pony to a standstill,’ (somewhere near Wickham Street).

It may not have been the high drama of Henry Lockwood Smith’s rescue efforts, but this was no mean feat, because Acting-Sergeant Guthrie had broken his ankle a year earlier when thrown from police horse ‘Zoe,’ an injury that plagued him for life and ultimately forced early retirement in 1914.We can construe that the injured Thomas Guthrie displayed great fortitude and dedication to duty when he jumped off that tram and ‘pluckily stopped’ the runaway horse and sulky.

The lad from County Clare                                        

Thomas Guthrie hailed from Fanore, County Clare, in Ireland. The 18-year-old immigrated to Australia aboard the ‘Glamis,’ in 1881, then resided in Toowoomba with his parents. After working as a labourer on the railways, Thomas applied to the Queensland Police Force on 5^th January 1887, and was sworn as a Constable with Queensland Police Force on 15^th March 1887.

Whilst stationed at Toowoomba in 1890, his father passed away. His good character was evidenced when in correspondence to his superiors that same year, Thomas petitioned to live with his mother and ‘very delicate’ sister in Toowoomba, because he was their sole means of support – see copy of letter. Thomas latter married Miss Annie O’Mara from Warwick in 1892, five years after commencing with the Police Force.

Police Regulations – Permission to Marry

The five-year waiting period for marriage was no coincidence. The minimum period for bachelors to seek permission to marry after entering the police force in the early 20^th century, wavered between four and five years, depending on the general orders of that time. There were dire consequences for those who ‘flagrantly disregarded’ General Orders as stated below:

‘…bringing himself into such a position that marriage becomes a duty to him and others, will be discharged from the Force, and having been so discharged will, on no account, be allowed to rejoin.’ [General Order 725]

Tale of the two C’s…

Later in his career, whilst serving as Acting Sergeant and Officer-in-Charge at the Aramac Police Station in 1902, Thomas Guthrie was the subject of a petition taken against him by the townspeople for being, ‘too officious… overzealous in the discharge of his duties… generally wanting in tack and discretion…’ and ‘that he looks upon the world to consist of two C’s, constables and criminals.’

A counter petition was taken with a letter stating: ‘the criminal class set up an agitation against him (Guthrie) with a view to his removal, trusting to get his place filled with a man of less energy and more suitable to their business.’

After a series of investigations, Thomas was cleared of any wrong doings in the discharge of his duties. As the Inspector stated, ‘The Aramac Police do their work well. Transferring Acting Sergeant Guthrie would not be for the benefit of the district, and from what I can learn, the respectable portion of the community find no fault with the Acting Sergeant or his work.’

This was not a happy time for the Guthrie family, but life improved when Thomas was finally transferred to the seaside community of Cleveland in 1905, that was, until he was serving a summon one day and was bucked off police horse ‘Zoe.’      

Hardship in retirement

Thomas Guthrie retired from the police force on 1^st January 1914 after serving 27 years.

In his letter to the Commissioner of Police (after retirement), the first of many in a bid to claim full superannuation after being awarded 75%, the former Sergeant paints a bleak picture of those who shouldered the heavy financial burden of extended family who had no income, ability to work or supporting government pension, in the early 20^th century:

‘I have served with diligence and fidelity, to the best of my ability, for twenty-seven and a half years, devoting the whole of my time and attention to my duties only, never having had the opportunity of saving anything or acquiring any property, not even a cottage in which to live, having received fourteen transfers, only two of which I applied for, during my service, thereby always being put to heavy expense. I consider that I am entitled to full (superannuation) pay as I know of several members of the Police Force, who recently retired from injuries in the actual discharge of their duties, being granted the full retiring allowance, and I see no distinction in my case, I have received permanent injury in the discharge of my duty.’ Thomas Guthrie was unsuccessful in all his applications.

At the outset of World War One, Thomas Guthrie joined the Australian Imperial Forces, like many other retired police officers, and served as a Guard, from 1914 to 1918.  Irish born Thomas Guthrie died peacefully on the feast of St Patrick 17 March 1943.

Next week – From the Vault – Plucky Courage Part 3: John Herbert

This story was researched and written by Museum Assistant Debra Austin using the best archival 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 – Plucky Courage Part 2: Thomas Guthrie” 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 series ‘Plucky Courage’ features the heroics of policeman in the early 20th century when they captured runaway horses pulling conveyances through city streets… and it also gives us a snapshot into their lives, during a time of change, when innovative, mechanically powered contraptions using electric, steam and internal combustion engines, started appearing on Queensland roads and thoroughfares.

The account of a young policeman who went to war

It was happenstance that the writer, who was researching the thirty officers who were killed in action during World War One, and are listed on the ‘Roll of Honour,’ discovered that Constable John Herbert also caught a runaway horse and cart, and was awarded the Police ‘Medal for Merit’ in recognition for his ‘…good police duty performed, and pluck displayed in stopping a runaway horse attached to a butcher’s cart at Annerley Road, Woolloongabba, on 3^rd March 1912.’        

A full account of Herbert’s meritorious actions is found in the police and witness statements. This is the telling of the heroism of a young man, who with 29 other police officers, volunteered for service with the Australian Imperial Forces during World War One, and were killed in action.

Leave of absence in the war years, 1914 to 1918

On 21^st September 1916, Constable John Herbert wrote to the Commissioner of Police for permission to enlist in the Australian Imperial Forces in World War One. See documents pertaining the enlistment below:

Sir,

I beg to request that I may be granted permission to offer myself for active service with the Australian Imperial Forces, and, in the event of being accepted, that I be granted the necessary leave of absence.

I beg to state that I am familiar with the contents of Circular Memorandum No 918, and do not intend any breach of that regulation by making this application. In view of the present Military situation, as well as for personal reasons, I would ask for the favourable consideration of this application.

In the event of my application being granted, I would ask permission to offer in Brisbane on 1st proximo.

John Herbert

Constable No 1099

Service to King and country

After permission to join the AIF was granted, Constable Herbert enlisted on 2^nd October 1916. He initially served with the 31^st Battalion, then on 4^th January 1918, he was sent to the 41^st Battalion as a reinforcement. In mid-May, the battalion relieved the line being held at Villers Bretonneux. Mustard gas shells fell for hours on the nights of 25^th and 26^th May 1918, and again on the morning of the 27^th for a further two hours. Lance Corporal Herbert was gassed in the attack.

After the short period of convalescence, he was sent back to the front line which had advanced in his absence. The allies had captured Bray, Vaux Wood, Mericourt and Mont St Quentin. On 7^th September 1918, the 41^st Battalion attacked the enemy at Roisel, a small French village in the Somme. They were up against heavy artillery and machine guns. The casualties were horrendous.

Lance Corporal John Herbert was grievously wounded by shrapnel and hospitalised. He died on 9^th September 1918, aged 29 years.

John Herbert is buried at Heath Cemetery, Harbonnieres, Somme, France.  

He is one of thirty Queensland Police officers who were killed in action

while on leave from their policing duties, during WW1, between 1915 and 1918.

May their great sacrifice never be forgotten.

This story was researched and written by Museum Assistant Debra Austin using the best archival 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 – Plucky Courage Part 3: John Herbert” 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 case of an explosive can of shaving cream…

At 2.30 am sharp on Thursday 10 April 1969, the explosives expert, and Officer in Charge of the newly formed ‘Emergency Squad’ attached to Brisbane’s CIB, Detective, Les Bardwell, was woken by his bedside telephone. The words ‘homemade bomb’ had him wide awake within seconds.

A policeman called from a New Farm flat.

‘You know I’d never get onto you at an hour like this unless it seems serious… it started as a routine business of locating and interrogating Philip Robert Palmer, a man with several serious convictions, but in the course of searching for a breaking and entering instrument, I ran across a piece of equipment which is clearly in your line of country. A bomb by the look of it, and very neat too. Can you get over?’

After arriving at the scene and being briefed on the situation, the Detective Inspector’s attention went to two principal exhibits – first the offender, second the bomb. The offender was dirty, dishevelled and badly in need of a shave. The reason for the latter sat on a nearby table. He’d turned a shaving cream cannister into a homemade bomb. Six inches of fuse with a visible match head protruded from the nozzle.

The Detective Inspector sized up the situation and chose to concentrate on the bomb. Could it be rendered safe? Was it booby trapped? The offender in turn watched him, with a grin of derision. One of the first lessons that the OIC had learnt in his early policing career was, ‘never react to provocation, however slight, however great.’ He had an idea.

‘You built it, and I’ll delouse it. But we’ll do it together.’

‘Over here’, Bardwell called. ‘Sit here on the edge of the bed.’ As the offender was being attached to the bedhead with handcuffs, and barely had time to protest, the Detective Inspective brought the bomb over from the table and sat on the bed alongside him. Suddenly, the offender became very still as Bardwell reached down into his tool bag to commence the tedious task of rendering the improvised explosive device safe. Outwardly, all his attention was concentrated on the bomb, but he watched the offender in his peripheral vision, looking for the first sign of panic or alarm that would have caused him to throw the bomb through the open window.

But the offender’s eyes were glued to the bomb.

Continued next week in FROM the VAULT – Gangland Revenge’ – Part 2

The Queensland Police Museum acknowledges the unpublished work ‘No Stone Unturned’, a collection of works by former Detective Inspector Les Bardwell, who preferred to be known as a ‘field forensic scientist. He believed that it was important to have first-hand contact with the aftermath of crime and violence. His stories are a source of inspiration in the writing of this blog, and hopefully are authentic in reflecting the legacy of 35 years at the forefront of forensic science with Queensland Police Service. Leslie James Bardwell passed away on 23rd March 1995 aged 78 years.

This story was re-written by Museum Assistant Debra Austin using the information from ‘No Stone Unturned’.

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