On 8 January 1880, a bank official named Mr Wilkinson, of Grassmere, wrote to the Commissioner of Police recommending the construction of a police barracks at Bollon on Wallam Creek;
“ …at the races at Bollon on New Years day the place at night was a scene of riot, the publican had no authority and the house was in the possession of a lot of roughs who dragged people out of their beds all night long and on the penalty of throwing them into the creek … I was one of the victims.”
In September 1880, Inspector Thornton selected Allotment 4, Section 4, as a site for the police barracks. In November 1880, Inspector Morisset visited the buildings that were in the process of erection. He recommended a second door be added to the centre of the living room to give access to the cell, and that the back verandah be floored level with the rest of the building. Mr Heard, the contractor, quoted ₤12 and 10 shillings for the additional work.
Constable Hickey was transferred to Bollon in March 1881, when the buildings were handed over to the Police Department. A return of the strength of the police force at the end of December 1881 showed two constables and a tracker were stationed there.
In July 1882 Mr Lewis Abrahams of St George purchased the land the police barracks were built on. The land had not been reserved for police purposes when selected by Inspector Thornton in 1880. In January 1883 Inspector Armstrong suggested repurchasing the land as the improvements were substantial;
“The Quarters including Watchhouse and fence are all of sawn timber and painted, in point of fact it is the best erected station that I have seen in a remote place.”
Land reserved for police paddock, 1885.
Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
The land was reserved for police purposes on 25 October 1883. Tenders were also called for the erection of a Court House on the police reserve, completed in 1884 at a cost of ₤387. In December 1886 the kitchen built of bark with an earthen floor was in a dilapidated condition. Expenditure of ₤10 and 3 shillings was approved for a new kitchen to be built by Constable James McNamara. The new kitchen is also of bark construction, with doors and shutters.
In July 1888, Senior Constable McNamara offered to produce a 20 by 12 foot building suitable for the Constable at Bollon to live in, and also for a saddle and storeroom. Timber was sourced from an old building, along with new timber, and bark for the roof. The building was to have a fireplace and boarded flooring. The total expenditure approved was ₤4 and nine shillings.
In March 1891 Bollon was appointed as a place at which Courts of Petty Sessions were to be held. Senior Constable Thomas Walsh was appointed as an Acting Clerk of Petty Sessions with a salary of ₤10 per annum.
Hand drawn plan of Bollon Police Station in 1892.
Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
In October 1892 Travelling Inspector John Ahern found the barracks, lockup, and yard, clean and in good order, although the buildings required painting. Weapons held at the station consisted of one Martini Henry carbine and three Webley revolvers. The horses were in fair condition, and all except ‘Mixture’ were old, useless and worn out. He purchased one horse for ₤12 to maintain efficiency. He also reported that there were only 7 persons arrested during the preceding 12 months.
The Bollon Police Station story continues next week…
__________________
This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing. The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au
“FROM the VAULT- The Beginnings of Bollon Police Barracks” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode