Warning: Readers are advised this article contains an image of an Aboriginal Police Trooper, now deceased.
We’re thinking a lull in criminal activity in the Coen area around 1897 is the best explanation for this photograph. It appears to be a staged scene of police officers capturing bush rangers. A check of the Queensland Police Gazette for 1897 reveals only six apprehensions recorded in that year, so there was plenty of time to practice apprehension and arrest techniques.
A staged scene of police officers capturing bush rangers. Pictured is Constable 1/c Charles Bateman, Senior Constable George Inkerman Smith, one Aboriginal mounted Trooper, two unknown actor bush rangers, c1900.
Image No. PM1326 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
There are five people in the photograph; Constable 1/c Charles Bateman sits on his horse with his revolver pointed at one of the so-called bush rangers; Senior Constable George Inkerman Smith is in the foreground, handcuffed to the other so-called bush ranger. We don’t know the name of the mounted Police Trooper calmly controlling the horses unfortunately. We also don’t know the names of the acting bush rangers.
Coen Native Mounted Police Camp in the Cooktown District opened on October 27, 1885 with Sub-Inspector Frederick Mergetts in charge. The station staff included two Constables and nine Indigenous Troopers and Trackers. The Coen Township Police Station opened on April 20, 1895 with Constable James Kenny in charge.
Coen Police Station buildings, 1925.
“A view of the house paddock at the Station”.
1. the Cell
2. the Store
3. our Quarters
4. the Station
Image QP3842a believed to be taken by Constable William Spencer Osborne.
Charles Bateman was sworn into the Queensland Police on October 24, 1888 and served at Port Douglas, Montalbion, Herberton, Cooktown, Musgrave, Piccaninny Creek and Cooktown before being transferred to Coen Township Police Station in 1895. Constable 1/c Bateman spent four years at the remote station before moving on in 1900 to Mount Morgan then Emu Park then Woodford in 1900. Charles remained at Woodford for twelve years, before being Superannuated in 1912. He lived out his days there and is buried in the Woodford Cemetery.
George Inkerman Smith was sworn into the Queensland Police on September 19, 1884 and served at Glenroy, McIvor and Laura police stations before the transfer to Coen Native Mounted Police Camp as Officer in Charge in 1894. Senior Constable Smith spent four years at Coen before moving on to Cardwell in 1898, Roma in 1900, Normanton in March 1901 and finally Turn-off Lagoon just one month later, where he died in September of that year and is buried at Egilabra, between Doomadgee and Burketown.
__________________________
This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing. The museum is open from 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 – How to Capture Bush Rangers” 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