Senior Sergeant Thomas Warwick was a 30-year career police officer and enthusiastic cricket spectator, then umpire, when an opportunity presented to join the Woolloongabba Police Station in the summer of 1979, the duties of which included maintaining law and order at The Gabba, the Brisbane Cricket Ground. The following anecdote was written by friend and fellow cricket umpire Robert (Bob) Crouch.
In the latter stages of his police career, Tom, for relaxation, became an avid watcher of cricket at the Gabba.
During this time, he was approached by a police colleague, Lou Rowan [Inspector Grade 3 Louis Rowan], who was currently a leading Australian cricket umpire, with the suggestion that he, Tom, might also consider becoming an umpire.
This obviously had some appeal for Tom for he joined the Queensland Cricket Umpires Association and became one of those strange people prepared to stand on the field in all sorts of weather conditions, for periods ranging from one afternoon to four days, and subject to the criticisms of players, spectators and the media. He was also interested in administration and within a short time he became the Association’s secretary, a position he held for many years. His work for the Association was rewarded in 1978 with a life membership.
On the field he progressed to first class level which means he umpired from domestic club cricket to interstate matches in the Sheffield Shield competition. His Sheffield Shield career spanning the years 1973 – 1980. It was a credit to Tom that he achieved first class honours having never ever played cricket.
A police officer’s view of cricket fans at the Gabba for the 1978 England verses Australia Test Match. Day 1 attracted 14,026 spectators.
Image courtesy of The Courier Mail.
On his retirement [as an umpire] from senior cricket he retained his interest in youth cricket and he and I enjoyed some happy days umpiring together in the secondary schools competition.
In these retirement years he again took up residence at the Gabba as a spectator. Until his health deteriorated he had his favourite seat at the back of the members stand, where he knew everyone, and everyone knew him, where his lady friends regaled him with delicacies from their lunch baskets, particularly Maida Anstey with her Anzac biscuits and my wife Shirley with her crab sandwiches and, where, as the fountain of knowledge of the laws and regulations of cricket, he settled all disputes and discussions on the game he loved.
Inspector Thomas Humphrey Warwick, in reference to the 1982 Commonwealth Games, Brisbane, in charge of accommodation security at Griffith University and the Venue Commander, said in relation with what was needed, “tons of goodwill to help make everything work smoothly and make the Games a success.”
Image No. PM4167 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
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This anecdote of Tom Warwick’s cricket commitment was written by Robert Henry Crouch and came to the Queensland Police Museum through the generous donation of the estate of Thomas Humphrey Warwick. The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Email: museum@police.qld.gov.au
“FROM the VAULT- Living Cricket, Policing Cricket” 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