“The study of these material facts is precise and unchangeable and true. The study of these material facts and the interpretation of scientific methods is today known as police science, which embraces the application of all kinds of physical, chemical and biological techniques.”  – Baty

Thomas Baty in Manila, c1945. Founder of the Scientific Section of the Queensland Police Force.
Served from 1936 – 1946. Image Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

The Scientific Section of the Queensland Police Department owes its existence to an intelligent, innovative thinker named Tom Baty. His first case was a microscopic examination of two spent .22 calibre projectiles used to damage property at Theodore in October, 1937. Baty started off as a police service clerk at the expanded Firearms Section, at the Criminal Investigation Branch. The Firearms Licencing Act 1927 made obtaining a licence mandatory for purchase of any firearms “this included any lethal weapon from which any shot, bullet, or other missile can be discharged” with a barrel not exceeding nine inches. Baty led the section for some time and became an expert in firearms. He also had a recognised talent for preparing and drawing up plans of crime scenes.

In 1936, it was recommended that Baty be sworn in into the Police Force and employed as the firearms specialist. Three years later Constable Baty was the first policeman to be trained in sciences at the university level (UQ), his tuition fees covered by the Department. In 1940, Baty pointed out the advantages of scientific training in investigative police work in the examination of bullets, documents, clothing, and stains. The same year he was placed in charge of the newly organised Scientific (Technical) Section. In his forensic laboratory work, Bates employed methods such as ballistics and trace analysis, ultra violet light (aka Black light), spectrography, and blood evidence (origin, type) and fingerprinting. All of the above forensic methods are still in use today.

First Fingerprint Case in Queensland. The original comparison of the latent beer bottle fingerprint and James Craig’s inked right thumb print by Fingerprint Expert Acting Sergeant Duncan Fowler, February 1906. Image Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Photography as a method of identifying offenders was in use as early as 1897, while the fingerprinting method, or dactyloscopy, was not introduced in Queensland until 1904. The onset of the World War II drove the unit to expand further. In 1941, a Central Finger Print Bureau was established in Sydney. A Photographic Section was extended in 1947 to incorporate a drafting unit, with officers drawing up layouts of crime scenes, road collisions and so on. Photographs and drawing as evidence became a regular feature in the courts. By 1957, the forensic department stored details on over 63,000 offenders in the Modus Operandi Section, and nearly 93,000 single finger-print impressions in the Finger-print Bureau. (The Long Blue Line, by W.Ross Johnston)

In 1984, DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) profiling was developed by an English geneticist, Alec Jeffreys, and three years later it was commercialised. In 2000, the Queensland Police were given powers to collect DNA samples for use as part of criminal investigation in indictable offences, such as assault occasioning bodily harm, rape, murder, etc. The same year, Brisbane special team of detectives reopened 2500 unsolved cases of sexual assaults in the operation under code name ‘Javelin’. Five offenders were charged soon after the operation began.

Inside the Scientific Major Incident Response Vehicle, April 2007. Image Courtesy of the QPS Media and Public Affairs Unit.

Just under a decade later, the Scientific Major Incident Response Vehicle (SMIRV) was introduced. SMIRV – a major advancement in the criminal scene investigation – allowed forensic specialists to bring fully equipped mobile laboratory out to the scene.

To keep abreast of the new technology and stay ahead of the criminal mind, forensic officers undertake continuous training and ensure ongoing exchange of experience.

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

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

“FROM the VAULT – Forensic Science and the Police Force”  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

We recently featured jumbo animals, today we feature jumbo jets, well, perhaps their baby cousins…

Between October 1975 and October 1976, 761 flying hours were reported to have been completed by the new Police Air Wing, in that year’s Queensland Police Annual Report.  The Air Wing was equipped with two 1962 Cessna 180E aircraft, purchased from the Army and based at Archerfield.  The unit performed many operations including transporting police, prisoners and equipment between regional centres for extradition and court appearances, traffic and drug surveillance, and aerial photography to assist in solving crimes.  These fixed wing aircraft were also used extensively in air-sea searches for missing persons and vessels at sea, and the unit worked closely with the Brisbane Water Police.

Sergeant Bob Doneman and Senior Constable Mal Lynch, Police pilots standing in front of a police aircraft, Cessna 180E, c1976.
Image No. PM2906 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

In 1982 the Police Air Wing operated three twin engine aircraft.  The Cessna 402B carried six passengers, was an all-weather aircraft providing excellent capability for flying into rough unprepared aerodromes.  It serviced the northern and western areas of Queensland.  The Cessna 421C also carried six passengers and conducted transport services for northern and central Queensland.  The Cessna 441 had capacity for seven passengers, and was an all-weather pressurized prop-jet.  It was used throughout Queensland and interstate for high speed, high altitude transport operations.  It was available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and was used to transport specialised police personnel direct to areas where their services were urgently needed.

The cockpit of the TAA DC9 (now QANTAS) aircraft high-jacked about 19:40 hours on 8 June 1979.
Image No. PM0238 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

From police planes to policing commercial aircraft, on 8^th June 1979 at about 19:40 hours, a TAA DC9 (now QANTAS) aircraft was high-jacked after take-off from Coolangatta Airport.  While en route to Brisbane a 36 year old male passenger took control of the aircraft, menacing the Captain and crew with a 12 gauge sawn-off shotgun. The man was overpowered by the crew. In 1981 the man was convicted of hi-jacking and sentenced to ten years imprisonment.

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

“FROM the VAULT – Jumbo Jet Policing” 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

You may think social media is a new thing, and of course our computerised media platforms are modern in Museum terms.  But did you ever stop to think about the way police interacted with the community before we all had laptops, smartphones and tablets?

Ocean Island Homicide Headlines, from 1st May 1949. Image courtesy of Queensland’s The Sunday Mail

Newspaper notices, although far reaching, provided a not so in-your-face message.  For hundreds of years newspapers have proven to be an effective format for delivering cheap, transportable, foldable and transferable news – but unlike the inky messages delivered on paper, social media provides an instant and economical service with the ability to interact if required.

Officer Leslie Arnold Atherton with the ‘White Ghost’ police vehicle in Toowoomba, c1940.
Image No. PM1768 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum

From paper to steel, during the 1940’s a loud hailer was fitted to the roof of a police vehicle known as the ‘White Ghost’.  This Chevrolet Special Deluxe utility provided an effective and transportable method to convey messages of road safety to the public, and alert them to traffic hazards.  Today we use Facebook and Twitter to effect the same result: traffic warnings and other newsworthy events can be posted from a central location and available instantly on the World Wide Web.

Current social media: this snappy announcement was posted to Facebook on 15.09.2014, and has been viewed by over 83,840 users!
Image courtesy of the Queensland Police Media & Public Affairs

This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available.  The article was written by Police Museum Assistant Georgia Grier.  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

“THEN and NOW – Social Media” by the Qld 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

At separation on 10 December, 1859, the state of Queensland stretched over 400 square miles, or over a thousand square kilometres, with the majority of usable land taken up by squatters and pastoralists. Stock killing and cattle stealing were endemic. Considerably more offences occurred than the subsequent arrests as police found it difficult to contain the stock stealing situation in a vast and sparsely settled countryside. An added difficulty was obtaining a guilty verdict from juries. One explanation was that many of the jury members would not shy away from a bit of cattle duffing on the side themselves. The situation did not improve significantly even after formation of the Queensland Police Force in 1864.

In 1872 Queensland Parliament passed the Brands Act, which instituted a system of registered brands. Inspectors of slaughter-houses were required to furnish weekly lists of brands in respect of cattle that had been slaughtered. Re-branding stolen stock was a commonplace practice at the time. Stealing cattle was a felonious offence with a significant sentence of multiple years’ imprisonment with hard labour.

Between 1886 and 1887, a rash of arrests for cattle stealing followed by successful convictions were made in Eton, a rural town 25 km south-west of Mackay. Situated in the heart of cane growing country, the small town with a population of 28 residents had a considerable catchment of farming stations, a large meat preserving and extract place, and a dairy factory. Despite the small scale of the settlement, “the place was infested with a gang of cattle stealers.” The chief of one of gang was a woman.

The Queenslander, Saturday 12th March 1887, Page 401.

Sarah Ann Kennedy was born in Victoria, her father Israel Lowe, came to Australia from England. It is unknown if Sarah was an only child, but she had eight children herself. A single glance told you that Sarah was no shrinking violet; she had a scar over right eye and a scar over left. It was said she broke her own stock horses. For some time, her seven strong gang, was successful in evading prosecution. On several occasions, the marauders stole the cattle from a local station and sold it to the local butcher by producing false stock receipts.

In 1886, Constable Michael Carmody received his transfer to Eton. At first he was judged to be a ‘rather sleepy sort of man’. PC Carmody bid his time and after months of arduous pursuit put together a ‘good convicting evidence’ which resulted in a guilty verdict at the Mackay District Court sittings in March, 1887. Sarah Kennedy and her father, Israel Lowe, were found guilty of stealing and killing a heifer. The prisoners were recommended for mercy, and at the sitting of the court were sentenced to twelve months penal servitude with hard labour. Israel Lowe was sent to serve his sentence at her majesty’s penal establishment at St Helena, while Sarah’s sentence was changed to imprisonment with hard labour at Toowoomba Gaol.

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

“FROM the VAULT – Cattle Stealing”  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

Fingerprints – a unique identification method

28 September 2014
11am – 12.30pm

 Police Headquarters
200 Roma Street
Brisbane  QLD  4000

FREE ENTRY

Loop, Arch, Whorl

Matching fingerprints from a crime scene to an offender or using fingerprints to identify disaster victims is a small part of Sergeant Tony Martinez’s role at the Queensland Fingerprint Bureau.

Sergeant Martinez is stationed at the Queensland Police Service Fingerprint Bureau and is the guest speaker for the Police Museum Sunday Lecture on September 28.

Sergeant Martinez has attended serious crime scenes, conducted countless laboratory examinations for fingerprint evidence, and has been actively involved in identifying offenders by analysing and identifying collected fingerprint evidence. Sergeant Tony Martinez is a qualified Fingerprint Expert, a qualification that is awarded by the Australian Forensic Field Sciences Accreditation Board and is recognised worldwide.

During his presentation, Sergeant Martinez will outline that fingerprint identification has been around for more than 100 years and is a cornerstone to the forensic discipline. The use of fingerprint identification helps identify offenders and place them at crime scenes, identifies disaster victims, and is a valuable biometric tool in busy airports all over the world.

Sergeant Martinez will also discuss the recent advances in fingerprint identification technology and image transmission, which provides Queensland police officers with valuable information to help solve crimes.  These advances, along with comparisons to past techniques will be discussed and examples will be given.

The one-and-a-half hour presentation will begin at 11am on Sunday, September 28 and will provide educational and up-to-date content suitable for all audiences.

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

NOTE:  Out lectures are proving to be very popular, so please arrive on time.  The door to the conference room will be accessible from 10.45.  When all seats are taken we cannot allow anyone else into the room.

The Police Museum will open Sunday September 28 from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.

Please pass this information onto your family, friends and other networks.  We look forward to seeing you on Sunday, 28 September.

Yesterday, 29th September 2014, we pay tribute to Australian Police Officers who were killed on duty or who died as a result of their duties since the advent of policing in Australia.  In Queensland 139 men and 2 women have lost their lives serving the state.  The full list of Queensland Police Officers can be found on the following link: www.police.qld.gov.au/aboutUs/commemoration.  In today’s FROM the VAULT we offer 10 stories highlighting the brave actions of these men and women, the despicable behaviour of some community members, the unpredictable nature of animals, and ill-timed traffic events.

6 November 1867 – Constables Patrick W. CAHILL and John F. POWER were on Gold Escort duty with Gold Commissioner Thomas Griffin, who was present to provide extra security.  As the police slept at the MacKenzie River crossing, near Rockhampton, Griffin shot the two men in the head and stole the escort money.  Griffin was hanged for his crimes at the Rockhampton Gaol on 1 June 1868.

Sergeant James Julian, Constable Patrick Cahill, Constable John Power and Gold Commissioner Thomas Griffin, all seated at front, with two unknown Native Mounted Policemen standing at back, c1867. Image PM0680a courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

4 October 1885 – 31 year old Constable John STEWART held the position of Camp Keeper of the Mossman Native Mounted Police.  The young officer was seriously injured whilst at the camp when he sustained a kick to the abdomen by a horse in September 1885.  Although he received the best possible treatment at Port Douglas Hospital, he died from his injuries on the 4 October.

29 March 1903 – Acting Constable David JOHNSON had come to the aid of a prisoner at the Mackay Gaol who was being attacked by another prisoner brandishing an axe.  Constable Johnson tried to intervene but sadly both the prisoner, and Constable died at the scene.  Soo Too Low was hanged for the crimes at Boggo Road Gaol on 22 June 1903.

19 April 1918 – During the WWI 30 men on leave from the Queensland Police died whilst actively serving their country.  Constable Walter W. DUMBRELL, aged 33, from 41^st Australian Infantry Battalion, was killed in action in France.  He is buried in the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Somme, France.

Constable Walter Dumbrell, 1910. Image PM 3189 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

18 January 1931 – Constable Ernest DAWSON had arrived at Atherton for special traffic duties, but a few days into the posting he crashed his motorcycle on the road between Lake Barrine and Yungaburra, on 6 August 1930.  Ernest lost control of the bike on loose gravel, it flipped and rolled down an embankment.  Excellent care was provided at both Atherton and Brisbane General Hospitals, however Constable Dawson eventually succumbed to his injuries and died five months later.

9 May 1956 – Three days after crashing his police vehicle on Sandgate Road, Virginia, Constable Kevin S. MASON died from severe head injuries, aged 38.  Investigations revealed the front wheel of the car caught in a gutter, causing it to swerve across the road and overturn, crushing the bonnet and trapping the officer.  Attendants in a passing ambulance used a hacksaw to free Constable Mason, and transported him for urgent medical attention, but he passed away in hospital.

Senior Constable Kevin Mason, with his son Kevin at Red Hill, 1953. Image PM0375 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

14 February 1963 – Senior Constable Cecil R. BAGLEY ran to the aid of a neighbour electrocuted whilst working on his car.  Unbeknown to the young officer, the vehicle was live after a light bulb being used to illuminate the machine smashed and metal parts of the light came into contact with the vehicle. When Cecil brushed against the car and also received an electric shock.  Sadly both men died at the scene.

25 May 1977 – While attempting to make an arrest during a domestic dispute at Camp Hill, Inspector James WALSH became involved in a struggle with the suspected respondent.  Once the arrest was completed, and peace restored at the property, the 52 year old officer suffered chest pains, collapsed, and died.  Inspector Walsh joined the Queensland Police Force at the age of nineteen and had served a great number of city and country communities.

James Walsh, attending a Sergeants 1/c Course in 1970. James rose to the rank of Inspector before his passing in 1977. Image PM3462 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

10 April 1992 – Constable Sondra N. LENA was just 20 years old when working on a roadblock in search of an escapee from Rockhampton Correctional Centre.  After searching a truck for the convicted rapist, Sondra stepped back and into the path of an oncoming car.  The young Constable did not survive the massive head injuries sustained, and died in Rockhampton Base Hospital.

Constable Sondra Lena on her graduation day in 1990. Image PM1105 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

1  June 2011 – Detective Senior Constable Damian LEEDING and his partner attended an armed robbery in progress at a Gold Coast tavern.  Displaying exceptional bravery at the location, the officer was seriously injured by gun shot, and died in hospital a few days later.  The dedicated policeman was posthumously awarded the Queensland Police Service Valour Award.

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This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available, including the 2013 publication “IN THE LINE OF DUTY” by Allan L. Peters.  The article was compiled by Police Museum Assistant Georgia Grier.  The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM the VAULT – National Police Remembrance Day” 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 1959 the Stock Investigation Squad was formed, with a Detective Sergeant in charge of three plainclothes members. Initially, the Squad was based at the Criminal Investigation Branch, Brisbane, but was decentralised in 1964-65 to Charters Towers, Rockhampton, Cloncurry, Roma, and Blackall. Later Longreach replaced Blackall, and Charleville, Mareeba, Toowoomba and Kingaroy were added.

Stock squad personnel were primarily made up of Police officers with some degree of rural experience. In the past, a good number of these men served at the Mounted Police facility at Oxley, and were competent horsemen. The skill to work stock, cattle, horses and sheep was an essential requirement of a Stock Squad officer; as well as the ability to identify breeds and mothering up of calves, for establishing ownership was always an issue in stock investigations. The majority of these police officers were excellent bushmen, who were able to conduct musters in very inhospitable terrain and country.

Back in the 1960’s, stock investigations were often carried out conjointly with the Criminal Investigation Branch. Stock that were taken possession of at that time, were guarded round the clock until the case was determined by the Courts. The equipment supplied to stock squads included trail bikes, in lieu of horses, four wheel drive vehicles and floats. Trail bikes were suitable in some locations but never completely replaced horses, as these remained the most suitable means of mustering stock, though maintaining horses was costly (feed, vet bills, and suitable paddocks to keep the animals). Bikes, however, also suffered mechanical problems as well as tyre problems.

The 1970s saw a wider use of technology as part of investigative methods. Camera kits were introduced on issue to stock squads. Photography was frequently utilised to capture images of exhibit livestock. The cameras enabled members of the Stock Squad to pursue their investigations independent of the Photographic Branch, which was previously called in to assist. A few years later video cameras began to be introduced. Prosecution of a stock case at Elgin Downs, near Clermont used video records as evidence in court. The committing magistrate for Mackay commended the Police on the presentation of the video evidence. It was also hoped that with the development of better surveillance and recording methods, the need to retain stock exhibits would be eliminated.

The Stock Squad was also often enlisted to detect marijuana plantations, apply the Fauna Conservation Act, and assist the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and Queensland Fisheries Services. The Squad’s work has included the eviction of illegal squatters from national parks, investigating the kangaroo meat trade, and checking deer farming practices.

Stock and Rural Crime Investigation Squad, 2006. Image courtesy of Detective Sergeant B.Murphy, SARCIS.

In 2006, the role of the Stock Squad was expanded and the name changed to the Stock and Rural Crime Investigation Squad (SARCIS). The new role of the Squad was to provide support to the Regions by identifying, targeting and suppressing criminal networks and associated criminal activities relating to livestock and rural crime.

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This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available.  Information for the article was supplied by SARCIS OIC Detective Sergeant Brendan Murphy, and edited by Museum Volunteer and Crime and Policing Historian Dr Anastasia Dukova.

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

“FROM the VAULT – Stock and Rural Crime Investigation Squad”  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 reflection by former Assistant Commissioner Lawrence Pointing

I spent my early days on dairy farms in the Fernvale and Ipswich districts.  I learnt to milk cows and ride horses at a young age.  I was 14 years old when we moved to an Ipswich suburb.  I certainly did not like city living and had a burning desire to ‘go west.’   A year later I secured employment on a property in the Taroom district, some 460 kilometres south west of Brisbane. I remained there for the next seven years performing bush work and working on cattle properties and droving cattle from various stations to the saleyards at Wandoan and the railhead at Miles.

The late Sergeant Jim Johnson was the Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of a Police Station there, and it was through his encouragement that I joined the Queensland Police Force.  I was sworn in on the 3 December, 1958 and with one month’s service was transferred to Miles, and later to Blackall. In September, 1963 I was appointed a Plain Clothes Constable and transferred to the Brisbane Criminal Investigation Branch.  Sometime in the following year, I was sent relieving to the Brisbane Stock Squad for one month, but remained relieving in that capacity for the next 16.  During my time there I worked with three Detective Senior Constables, who were all competent energetic men dedicated to stock investigations.

Members of the CIB on assignment in Goondiwindi, 1978. From left to right are Detective Sergeant 2/c Laurie Pointing, Detective Senior Constable Bob Atkinson, Senior Sergeant Ted Warner and Detective Sergeant 2/c John Huey. Image PM3485a courtesy of Laurie Pointing.

In the early months of 1975 I was the sole detective at Biloela CIB when the weekly Police Gazette advertised a vacancy for a Plain Clothes Sergeant in charge of the Roma Stock Investigation Squad.  At about this time I noticed also in the Police Gazette that a colleague had been promoted to Sergeant in charge of the Cloncurry Stock Squad.  As he was not that much senior to me in service I decided to apply for Roma.  My application was successful and I took charge of the Roma Stock Squad in April, 1975. At Roma I was supplied with a police residence, while the Detective Senior Constable resided in a police residence next door.  We shared a building with the general CIB staff situated in walking distance from our homes and in close proximity to the Roma Police Station.

During the mid-1970s a severe down turn in the cattle industry saw the price of stock drop considerably and many graziers did not bother mustering their paddocks for long periods of time.  If they were of the view that stock had been stolen many of them did not bother reporting the theft. We remained active throughout this period and frequently visited stock sales on a regular basis.  We addressed many meetings of graziers and associate bodies and kept a high profile.  We camped out on back roads many miles from townships and intercepted many stock transports in unusual locations at odd hours of the day and night.  We had cards printed and deliberately placed in places where they could be found, particularly if we were satisfied that the grazier was suspect.  It was surprising how many stock found their way home.

I have fond memories of carrying out stock investigations at Dalby, St George, Dirranbandi, Goondiwindi and Theodore. When absent from my home base I always had in my possession my potable typewriter and necessary law books, such as the Criminal Code, Brands and Stock Acts as well as the Vagrants, Gaming & other Offences Act.

Laurie will be launching his next book very soon,
titled “Keeping the Peace – Volume II”.  Keep an eye out for this.

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This information is supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available.  The article was written by former Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Lawrence Pointing (retired in 1993), and edited by Museum Volunteer and Crime and Policing Historian Dr Anastasia Dukova.

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

“FROM the VAULT – Fond Memories”  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

1864
‘Sir, I respectfully offer myself a Candidate as Constable in the Queensland Police Force’ – all candidates for admission into the Queensland Police Force had to apply in person, with an application in their own handwriting, and such testimonials as they may have. Despite complaints from country hopefuls, who found it difficult to travel to the colonial capital, all men wishing to be considered for the position had to assemble at the Police Depot on a Wednesday at 9 o’clock in the morning. The applicants had to be of sound constitution, stand clear at least 5 feet 8 inches without their boots, with chest measurements of 36 inches minimum and 38 inches when expended. All men had to be free from any bodily complaint. Each applicant was assessed by a medical officer. Initially, the age bar was set to under 40 years old, but was shortly lowered to 30 years old.

Police parade “Under Arms” at Petrie Terrace, 1867. Image No. PM0159 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

All candidates had to possess basic literacy skills; be able to read and write well. Queensland Police aspirants also had to produce satisfactory testimonials of character, either from those under whom they have served at home, or from persons of respectability in the colony.

John Brannelly (Registered Number 296) handwritten application letter and the Royal Irish Constabulary character reference, 1871.

1914
Fifty years later, the physical requirements remained unchanged, while the educational requirements became more sophisticated. All candidates into the force had to pass a short examination in reading, writing from dictation, and the first four rules in elementary arithmetic – addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Aptitude Tests: Arithmetic, 1913 (Daniel Leo Gorman, Registration Number 1726), and Dictation, 1924 (Thomas George Jenkins, Registration Number 2767).

Moreover, all men had to be accustomed to horses, and able to ride well. As a rule, the men were examined in horsemanship at the Depot. A set of suitable character references had to be supplied with one from a local police, or other, officer. Similar to the requirements 50 years ago, married men were not eligible. Permission to marry was not granted until four years had elapsed since the date of enrolment.

D.L. Gorman (Registration Number 1726) handwritten application letter, and T.G. Jenkins (Registration Number 2767) character reference supplied by Sergeant David J. Anderson (Registration Number 534).

Upon admission, Queensland Police supernumeraries received their drill and service training at the Police Depot, Petrie Terrace. The training period varied considerably, until a compulsory term of three months was introduced by Commissioner Perry-Okeden in the 1890s. However, even then the Register of Members of the Police Force shows the period between being sworn in and the first transfer was regularly under a month. In some cases, during the years the Force was extremely understaffed, Constables received their transfers the very same day they were sworn in.

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

“FROM the VAULT – Queensland Police 150 Years of Recruiting: Part 1 1864 – 1914″ 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

1964
Application processes and requirements to join the Queensland Police have changed markedly since 1914 (read Qld Police 150 Years of Recruiting: Part 1 1864 – 1914).  The process became standardised and streamlined.  Handwritten application letters were replaced with printed forms while educational provisions now required all applicants to possess a Queensland Junior Certificate or its equivalent, have a minimum passing grade in at least 5 subjects including English or English expression.  The handwritten letters were no longer primary indicators of applicants’ literacy levels. All candidates had to be Australian citizens, or naturalised British subjects of good character, between 19 and 30 years old, with special approval for over those over 30 but under 35 (single or married).

Queensland Police Force Application for Appointment as a Constable, 1963.

Physiometric requirements, on the other hand, remained the same; with a minimum height, weight and chest measurement of approximately 5’9 (175cm), ten stone eight pounds (67kg) (stripped), and 35.5 inches (90.1cm) deflated to 38 inches (96.5 cm) inflated respectively. Applicants were required to be physically fit, experienced horsemen and to possess good eye sight without the aid of spectacles or contact lenses and a normal colour sense. Every candidate had to undergo a medical examination.

All applicants to the Queensland Police Force (QPF) were obligated to disclose personal information such as their places of residence, previous employment, age on leaving school and grade reached, list any relatives of such character as to bring discredit on the police force, any illegitimate children or illicit entanglements with females. Two favourable references had to be provided vouching for an applicant’s sober habits and good character.

Queensland Police Force Recruiting Advertisements, c1970.

On 30 March, 1965 the first women were sworn into the QPF as Constables. Women applicants had to stand clear 5 feet and 4 inches (162cm) without footwear, and be in such ‘a state of physical fitness as to be likely to remain physically fit under all conditions of service until attaining the age of 60 years.’ The marriage bar for women remained in place until 1971. For the next decade, women police performed duties connected with young persons, children and female offenders, with the first female Detective appointed in 1974.

2014
Much has changed in the last 50 years. Present day recruiting guidelines do not discriminate between male and female applicants, or by age. Contrary to the standards provided in Queensland Policeman’s Manual 1969, the physical and educational requirements are now uniform. All Queensland Police Service hopefuls must have completed year 12 or have had 3 years full-time, or equivalent part-time, paid employment since leaving high school, hold a valid driver’s licence and be physically and mentally fit to undertake the duties of a Constable. The narrowly defined physiometric requirements have been substituted with general BMI (Body Mass Index) specifications. A potential recruit must, however, possess a reasonable degree of aerobic fitness necessary to perform duties as an operational police officer involving periods of intense and strenuous physical exertion.

Physical and literacy tests grew in their complexity and sophistication. The current physical component incorporates six assessments, which are used to test strength, agility and cardio-vascular fitness. Literacy tests include written and listening comprehension, a writing task along with cognitive and reasoning abilities tests. As a rule, questions are designed to see how well an applicant can solve different kinds of problems, which include number series, word meanings and numerically based problems.

Character references have long been replaced with an integrity vetting process, accordingly individuals applying to be appointed as a police recruit must be able to meet very high standards of past behaviour and conduct. Starting 1 July, 2012 all Queensland Police Service applicants must first lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI), online or in person, before being invited to sit the assessments and undergo the vetting process.

For further details regarding the recruiting process please visit http://www.policerecruit.qld.gov.au/

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

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

“FROM the VAULT – Qld Police 150 Years of Recruiting: Part 2 1964 – 2014”  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.
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“At the outset I would like to make mention of the appointment of a Deputy Commissioner of Police.  “The Police Acts, 1937 to 1951,” were amended in November 1951, to provide for the appointment of a Deputy Commissioner; and on the 29^th November 1951 Chief Inspector P.Glynn became the first Deputy Commissioner of Police for this State.  The growth in the strength of the Police Force and the increasing burden of administrative work fully justified the appointment of a Deputy Commissioner, and I am certain that the Department will benefit as a result of this appointment being made.”

Chief Inspector Patrick Glynn became the first Deputy Commissioner, and later became Commissioner of Police. This image was taken whilst as Commissioner, in 1955.
Image PM2301 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

This advice was published in the Report of the Commissioner of Police for the 12 months ending 30.06.1952.  Initially only one Deputy was appointed.  Patrick Glynn, who later became Commissioner, joined the Queensland Police Force and was sworn in as Constable on 16.05.1922.  He had resigned from the Royal Irish Constabulary and immigrated to Australia, initially working as a Labourer before his application for appointment.  During his career P. Glynn was stationed at Roma Street, New Farm, Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) and the Commissioner’s Office, and he successfully organised and took charge of the first Detective College established in Queensland in 1939.

The next appointments at DC rank included T.W. Harold in 1955, J.E. Donovan in 1957, E.M. Anthony in 1960, F. Palethorpe in 1965, R.W. Whitrod in 1970, V.A. MacDonald in 1977, L.R. Duffy in 1981, T.S.C. Atkinson in 1982 and J.K. McDonnell in 1985.

Appointed Deputy Commissioner on 02.07.1987, Ronald Joseph Redmond became Acting Commissioner of Police just two months later, replacing Commissioner Terence Lewis.
Image PM1180 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

The eleventh Deputy Commissioner, Ronald Joseph Redmond, rose to this rank on 02.07.1987 after 35 years in a variety of state-wide branches.  A long term member of the CIB, R.Redmond was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 1979 to enable him to study Scenes of Crime techniques in the UK and USA.  Deputy Commissioner Redmond enjoyed just two months at this level before taking on the top policing job as Acting Commissioner when Terence Murray Lewis was ordered to stand down whilst allegations before the Fitzgerald Inquiry were resolved.  Mr Redmond guided Queensland’s Police through two turbulent years with a wealth of knowledge and fine sense of humour.

Further Deputy Commissioners were appointed, including D.J. Braithwaite in 1987, D.L. Blizzard and R.C. Kirkpatrick in 1990, J.P. O’Sullivan in 1991, W.G. Aldrich in 1992, R.N. McGibbon in 1999, R.P. Conder in 2002, our current Commissioner of Police I.D.H. Stewart and the highest ranking female K.D. Rynders in 2008.  There are currently three Deputy Commissioners: R.E. Barnett oversees Specialist Operations, B.M. Pointing Regional Operations and S.W. Gollschewski Strategy Policy and Performance.

Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett, 2013.
Image courtesy of Media and Public Affairs.

Deputy Commissioner Brett Pointing, 2013.
Image courtesy of Media and Public Affairs.

Deputy Commissioner Stephan Gollschewski, 2013.
Image courtesy of Media and Public Affairs.

More can be read about some of these Commissioned Officers, and many more Queensland men and women charged with policing this state in our recently published pictorial “Policing Queensland 1864 – 2014”.  Click on this link for the ordering process: QP150 Commemorative Book

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

“FROM the VAULT – Deputy Commissioners” 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

Reporting crime and contacting police online has been made easier in Queensland following improvements to the Policelink App and online reporting services.

An upgrade to the Policelink App for smartphones has been released with new features and a more user-friendly interface, making it simpler for the community to report non-urgent matters.

The app allows users to directly report non-urgent crimes such as stealing offences, as well as locate the nearest police station and also the latitude and longitude of their location, should it be needed when reporting incidents.

A photo and video upload feature to include in reports, crime mapping, a rolling news screen and other features are also available on the app.

There are now 20 reporting options from the Queensland Police website which include noisy party reporting, ‘track-my-crime’, stolen property updates, hooning, wilful damage, taxi fare evasion, graffiti and withdrawal of complaint forms.

Superintendent Matthew Vanderbyl said the Policelink App and online reporting functions were delivering considerable benefits for both frontline police and the community.

“Policelink is the QPS contact point for all non-urgent matters and it is important that all members of the public have access, not only for the benefit of QPS operations but for the safety and security of the community,” Superintendent Vanderbyl said.

“At the touch of a button, users can conveniently and anonymously report non-urgent matters and provide police with potentially vital evidence.

“Having it all packed into the one application and webpage, makes it much simpler for people to access the information and functions.”

The technology complements the Policelink hotline which has processed more than 2.5 million calls since it was established in 2010 and provides further options for the hearing impaired and non-speaking communities when seeking non urgent contact with Police.

It is estimated the Policelink service saves more than 260,000 operational hours each year which is redeployed to front line roles.

The new Policelink App is available for free to download from the App Store for Apple devices and Google Play for Android devices.

To report a crime or incident online or to track the progress of an investigation visit: https://www.police.qld.gov.au/online

Mal Meninga – At the age of 20, Malcolm Meninga joined the Queensland Police Force. It was 1980, and Mal was sworn into the position of Constable, 2 years after making his first grade Rugby League debut with Souths Magpies. Constable Meninga served with Brisbane City Station, Indooroopilly Police Station, the Traffic Branch and Oxley Police Academy before resigning in 1985 to pursue an impressive league career.

Mal Meninga with then Police Commissioner Terry Lewis, 1982.
Image No. PM3822 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Papal Visit – In November 1986 His Holiness Pope John Paul II visited Queensland. The QP Annual Report of 1987 explained “The visit entailed the commitment of large scale police resources to planning and supervision. Police Officers performed with efficiency and dedication to ensure effective crowd and traffic control.  The visit was hailed as an outstanding operational success.”

Sergeant Beaumont meets Pope John Paul II in Brisbane, November 1986.
Image No. PM2644 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

Dolly Good Show – When Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers arrived in Queensland to perform at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in 1987, Sergeant 2/c Robert Good from the Queensland Police Department’s Public Relations Branch, was asked to assist. Sergeant Good’s role was to escort Ms Parton to and from her hotel suite to the concert every night. Good grief, what a job!

Sergeant 2/c Bob Good, on escort duty for Dolly Parton, 1987.
Image No. PM1214 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

The Delinquents – Security was tight amid the filming of this Australian movie starring Kylie Minogue and Charlie Schlatter in 1989. Scene locations included Brisbane, Maryborough and Bundaberg, Queensland. The pair played characters Lola and Brownie.

Charlie Schlatter and Kylie Minogue, 1989.
Image currently uncatalogued, and courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

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

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

From the Queensland Police Museum
Sunday Lecture Series:

Who murdered Betty Shanks?

30 November 2014
11.00am – 12.30pm

 Police Headquarters
200 Roma Street
Brisbane  QLD  4000

FREE ENTRY

One of Queensland’s oldest cold cases has been a mystery for over 60 years. It is widely accepted that the murder of Betty Shanks on 19 September 1952 at Wilston, ended the age of innocence in Brisbane.

Ted Duhs, author of ‘I Know Who Killed Betty Shanks’, will outline his research into this crime and talk about how, despite an extensive investigation and widespread media coverage over the years, no one has ever been charged with the murder or been regarded as a prime suspect.

The Wilston crime scene, 1952, where Betty Shanks was brutely murdered. Her body was found inside the fence-line of this property on Thomas Street, a few hundred metres from Betty’s family home. Image courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

During the lecture Mr. Duhs will talk through his theories about the crime and his belief that the ‘man at the terminus’ and Betty’s murderer, were one Eric Sterry. To add an extra dimension to his theory, Sterry’s daughter Desche Birtles, will be at the lecture to add her views.

The one-and-a-half hour presentation will begin at 11:00am on Sunday, November 30 and will provide educational and up-to-date content suitable for adults, and those 15 years and over with parental guidance.

NOTE:  Out lectures are proving to be very popular, so please arrive on time.  The door to the conference room will be accessible from 10.45am.  When all seats are taken we cannot allow anyone else into the room.

The Police Museum will open Sunday November 30 from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.  Please pass this information onto family, friends and other networks.  We look forward to seeing you.

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

“FROM the VAULT – The unsolved murder of Betty Shanks”  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

John McDonald was born in 1836 in Nairn, Scotland. Within a year of joining the Queensland Police Force in 1861, McDonald was transferred to the Water Police. As was customary for recruits with a previous military record, McDonald quickly progressed to the rank of Inspector. Prior to migrating to Queensland, McDonald served 10 years in the British Army with the notable 93^rd Sutherland Highlanders brigade, which played a key role in the battle of Balaclava (September, 1854) during the Crimean War (October 1853-February 1856).

In mid-September 1854 the allied British and French forces with a small Turkish contingent, landed on the Western Crimean coast 30 miles (50 km) north of Sevastopol with the aim of capturing the neighbouring Russian Black Sea naval base. At the time Lieutenant General the Earl of Raglan was in command of the British Army with Sir Colin Campbell in charge of the 93^rd Highlanders.  General Saint-Arnaud commanded the French Army, while Prince Menshikov commanded the Russian Army with General Liprandi leading the Balaklava assault.

‘The Thin Red Line by Robert Gibb (1881) displayed in the Scottish National War Museum, Edinburgh Castle.

As the Russian forces began their approach, the Highlanders formed a line across the Russian imperial cavalry’s path of advance. The 93rd fired one volley at extreme range and the Russian cavalry withdrew. The Times war corresponded, William H. Russell, reported that he could see nothing between the charging Russians and the British regiment’s base of operations at Balaklava but the ‘thin red streak tipped with a line of steel’ of the 93^rd (The Times 14 November, 1854 p. 7).

John McDonald was awarded a Crimea medal with bars ‘Alma’, ‘Balaklava’, ‘Inkermann’ and ‘Sebastopol’ and a Turkish Crimea medal for his service.

McDonald continued his heroic endeavours in the service of the Queensland Police. On 8 April 1863, the ‘Queen of Colonies’, a fine Aberdeen built clipper of 1346 tonne belonging to the Black Ball Line, arrived in Moreton Bay. She left London on Christmas Eve day 1862, with 450 passengers and emigrants on board. During the passage there were 10 deaths, as Mrs Barnsfield died while just within sight of the land it was decided to bury her on Moreton Island. Captain Robert Cairncross sent a 14 men party ashore. Having performed the burial ceremony the party embarked on their journey back to the ship. A heavy squall from the west soon after swept down the coast and struck the boat. After 18 hours the men eventually ran their craft ashore on a sandy beach close by Great Caloundra Heads. They survived on limpets and shellfish, which covered the rocks at the base of Caloundra Heads. Several days later, in a desperate attempt to escape, the men tried to launch the boat into the water but while trying to get through the breakers the boat capsized. To add to their grief Mr. Barnsfield, who has been conspicuous in his exertions to launch the boat, was seized and devoured by two sharks.

The original Pandanus tree trunk on which the name of the ship was carved by the survivors, Newstead House, Brisbane.

It was another fortnight before the men who camped under a few bushes on Big Caloundra Head near a fresh water lake were finally rescued by Inspector John McDonald and his search party. McDonald was later presented with a £100 Government reward and a valuable tea and coffee service worth 100 guineas, by the agent and officers of the Black Ball Line.

In 1867 McDonald was promoted to Prison Superintendent of St Helena Prison Establishment, he retired from the Force in 1882, after 21 years of commendable service.

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

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

“FROM the VAULT – John McDonald’s Thin Red Line”  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.
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As our 150^th year of policing draws to a close, we want to say thank you to Queenslanders for their support.

This video is a reflection of the gratitude our officers have for the communities in which they work and live, across all corners of Queensland.

It is a chance to get a glimpse into the lives of individuals the community may not ordinarily get to know. These officers are ordinary people doing an extraordinary job. 150 years of policing resonates with each of them and the anniversary gives them a chance to thank you the community of Queensland for allowing them to do the jobs they love.

In the early hours of 22 March 1964 the Fire Brigade and Police were called to a fire at a shop with a residence at the rear of 190-192 Cavendish Road, Coorparoo, only 40 yards from the heart of the Coorparoo Junction shopping centre. On arrival they found three victims, one on the rear patio and two sets of charred remains inside the house, all female. In an attempt to destroy forensic evidence, the perpetrator set the house on fire.

Fire-gutted the brick living quarters at the rear of a Coorparoo shop.  Scanned clip from The Courier Mail, March 1964.

The three victims were later identified as Mrs Rosina Wood (76), Grace Glennie Wood (48) and, Grace’s sister Meta Marie (54). The three women resisted their assailant. Meta Marie Wood sustained six gunshot and three stab wounds but survived the vicious attack. She was rushed to the Princess Alexandra Hospital, where the following day she regained consciousness and was able to give detailed description of the perpetrator’s clothes to the police, who was wearing a stocking over his head at the time of the assault.

Killer started shop fire to dispose of bodies. Scanned headline from The Courier Mail, 23 March 1964.

Extensive field work and investigation followed in an effort to identity the offender and only 2 days later on 24 March he was caught.  James Whiteford (18), a trainee industrial chemist employed at the Brisbane Abattoir, Murarrie, was charged on four counts, two of wilful murder, one attempted murder and of breaking and entering. He admitted the offences when interviewed and was later found guilty and sentenced for life.

‘Youth Sent to Gaol for Life’, article from The Canberra Times, 23 June 1964.

Over the course of the investigation and a subsequent committal, the case served to set a number of precedents in the Queensland judicature. Whiteford pleaded guilty to both charges, murder and attempted murder, a first guilty plea accepted to a wilful murder charge in the Queensland’s judicial history. Prior his indictment, Whiteford confessed the murder to the police, which was recorded and due to the diligence of the Detective Sergeant Anthony Murphy who was leading the case, the record of interview was later accepted and served as critical evidence during the trial. Consequently, the Coorparoo Junction Murder case served to establish the practise in Criminal Investigations of a “Record of Interview” and subsequent admission of this interview as evidence in Criminal Trials. Up to the time of this trial the Police were struggling to have “Records of Interview” accepted as evidence in Queensland Courts.  Had Detective Sergeant Murphy, who conducted the interview, not been as thorough and meticulous as he was, the interview may not have been admitted as evidence. In hindsight, this interview record was the key piece of evidence that solidified the case against Whiteford, seeing as before the presiding Justice Stanley refused to rule Whiteford’s confession to the police inadmissible, the defendant was maintaining a not guilty plea.

In his interview, Whiteford disclosed particulars of his preparations. The defendant admitted on record that he purposefully used prescription drugs to prepare himself for committing the crime, which gave him a false sense of complete confidence and disregard of the consequences. Following the brutal attack, he returned to the crime scene after disposing of his rifle in the river and having a swim, only to discover that the fire did not catch. He then proceeded to pour two tins of lighter fluid about the room and put a match to it. Seeing that he finally succeeded he went home.

Whiteford’s actions were deliberate and as the interview record went to show, remorseless.

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

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

“FROM the VAULT – The Coorparoo Junction Murders”  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

Today, Friday 12th December 2014, Rockhampton is hosting the Queensland Police Expo. This event is a must see for anyone interested in becoming a police officer, or wanting to see the intricacies of the Queensland Police Service.  Attendees can talk to the officers doing the job and learn about their duties, whether it be training Police Dogs or working in forensics.

The Police Museum is there, sharing the history of policing in Queensland and providing the service information of policing ancestors.  The recent publication celebrating 150 years ‘Policing Queensland 1864 – 2014′ is on sale too – get your copy before the Christmas rush!

A small collection of the many fascinating objects on show in the Queensland Police Museum.

These events are happening next:

12:00  Identity Theft
13:00 Cyber Safety
14:00 Synthetic Drug Production
15:00 Police Recruiting Seminar
16:00 Taser display, including use of handcuffs, baton and restraining techniques
17:00 Drug Detection Display
18:00 Volunteer & Community Awards
19:00 Taser display, including use of handcuffs, baton and restraining techniques
19:00 Police Recruiting Seminar

Location: Robert Schwarten Pavilion
Exhibition Road, Wandal, Rockhampton

Cost: FREE

This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available.  The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to 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

After renting a two room cottage in Eromanga for use as a police station, at a cost of five shillings per week, the station was instructed to close three months later.  It was December 1891.  At the time the town of Eromanga also sported a large store, two first class pubs and a few humpys.  The population of about 20 mostly earned their living through opal mining, and utilised their earnings in the cool brick built pubs by knocking back a beer or two.

In 1893 Inspector 2/C Brannelly reported and recommended two good mounted constables be stationed at Eromanga, and on the 14 and 18 December 1893, Constables Collins and Ordish arrived at Eromanga on transfer from Brisbane. The constables were first accommodated in the back verandah room of Eurongella Station.

Aerial view of Eromanga township. Image courtesy of Google.

In 1894, further police transfers occurred, with Senior Constable J.Manuell returning to Eromanga.  He had originally policed the town in 1891, but this time wished to return with his wife and requested suitable quarters for them both.  In 1895 a four roomed house on one acre was rented at a cost of nine shillings per week for this purpose.

In January 1900, a portable police barracks constructed of galvanised iron with wooden uprights, and comprising three rooms and a verandah, was sent by rail from Brisbane to Charleville. Two bullock teams transported the material on to Eromanga, where it was erected by a police carpenter, Constable Cutler. The barracks were completed in September that year, together with storeroom and water closet (toilet).

Eromanga Police Station, built in 1965. This image was taken during the summer of 2013, complete with emu enjoying green grass, and is courtesy of Eromanga’s Senior Constable Brad Ziebell.

Police Station buildings were maintained and modernised for the next 60 years, then in 1965 the current steel framed, metal sheeted station was erected, including full insulation and a steel sheeted roof specifically designed for the climatic conditions of the region with wide overhanging roof  and over 400 louvres, and fly proofed openings.

A notable figure who served at Eromanga as a Constable from the 15 November 1912 until 26 February 1915 was John Smith who later rose through the ranks to become Commissioner of Police serving from 1949 until 1955.

PM2305 Police Commissioner John Smith was the top Queensland Police Officer between July 1949 to August 1955. Image courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.

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This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.  The article was compiled by Police Museum Assistant Georgia Grier.  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.
Email contact: museum@police.qld.gov.au

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

As we reach the end of the Queensland Police 150th celebration year, Police Museum staff wish you a very
Merry Christmas and a happy, safe New Year.

Queensland Police Museum staff, from L-R: Museum Assistants Duncan Leask and Georgia Grier, Curator Lisa Jones and Assistant Curator Virginia Gordon. Image taken at the restoration and blessing of the grave of the first Police Commissioner David Seymour’s wife at Toowong Cemetery, December 2014.

The Police Museum will be closed for Christmas and the New Year, commencing 1600 hours, Friday 19 December 2014, and will reopen at 0900 hours on Monday 5 January 2015.  We look forward to seeing you then.

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

Articles 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