The reminiscences of retired police officer Earl Sanders who began his policing career on 31 January 1955 aged 19.
A few months later I found myself on the Westlander, bound for Charleville, with all my worldly possessions in one, not very large suitcase. I was met at the Charleville railway station by the then Constable 1/c (Later Superintendent) Terry Channells, who was not impressed that I had not been taught to handle a four wheel drive vehicle.
After I had been there just over one year, the Senior Sergeant- in- charge, Bill Suchting, called Sergeant Jim Palmer and me to his office. We were told we were off to a sheep property “out near Hungerford” to guard 400 stolen sheep which would later be needed as court exhibits in the Eulo Court. The offender had been charged and pleaded not guilty. Constable John Kajweski was added the next day. The maths for a 24 hour day guard did not add up. There were no more single officers available so one was sent from Dalby. Several days later Constable Ray Brant, later Superintendent, arrived. The resident blacktracker, Charlie, was added to the party and we set off for Cunnamulla for our final briefing.’
We also loaded the Morris in Charleville and I headed off the meet the others in Cunnamulla. There was only one police vehicle attached to Cunnamulla, an old International utility.
We also loaded the Morris in Charleville and I headed off the meet the others in Cunnamulla. There was only one police vehicle attached to Cunnamulla, an old International utility. This was given to us and we headed west: two old utes, four police officers and one blacktracker. After passing through Eulo we continued west and then turned south down the Hungerford Road. Wittenburra Road was reached and we wound our way to the sheep station shearing quarters, our home for the next three months.
The stolen sheep had been returned to the owner, the proprietor of Wittenburra Station. He had agreed to have the sheep guarded at the shearer’s quarters on the station, and to provide the shearer’s cook for our benefit. He also gave us an old grey mare for company. Thus we arrived and moved into the shearer’s quarters. With three junior constables, the day was divided into eight hour shifts and we set to work. We also clocked up two eight hour shifts of overtime each week. The sergeant was not included in the roster, just the three junior constables. This involved sitting, watching the sheep as they grazed in a nearby paddock during the day and lying on a bed alongside them in the shearing shed at night.
As far as I know nobody ever counted the sheep or told us how these sheep could be distinguished from others. They did not appear to have any special markings and appeared to us to be identical with other sheep on the property. One thing I did notice was that there was always a good supply of lamb for the nightly cook-up around the gidgee wood fire.
Kangaroo shooting was a favoured pastime of some of the party and it was not long before I had befriended an orphaned baby roo. I looked after the baby for a few days and then it wandered off. Later that same evening, while we were sitting around the fire, the roo came back and just sat around the fire with us. It was a regular visitor after that.
I celebrated my 21st birthday with those sheep. The shearer’s cook made me a very tasty fruit cake in a large camp oven and someone produced a carton of rum. It was a great night. I learned other bush craft out there. I can guarantee top-notch pigeons make beautiful tasting soup. George taught me many things. He was a great person and a good friend.
The day finally arrived when we were to start walking the sheep to the Eulo Courthouse. The sergeant had worked out it would take ten days, so we set out in plenty of time before the court date. The others took it in turns to drive the ute but otherwise they walked. I had the Morris.
George would be taken ahead each evening to set up a camp. We were using a well-worn Stock route once we started along Hungerford Road and used overnight sites set up by earlier drovers. The overnight accommodation consisted of sheets of canvas strung over a pole, supported by two trees.
The Morris had come in handy. It had been used to make regular trips into Eulo for food and other essentials, i.e. rum. Now it was helping to carry the load.
We eventually arrived in Eulo and penned the sheep at the police station/courthouse, the day before the trial date. The next morning, we attended to the sheep and the prosecutor came to us and said “It’s alright fellows. He has pleaded “guilty” so you can take the sheep back.” Jim Palmer looked him in the eye and informed him, not very politely, what he could do with 400 (or thereabouts) sheep. We then headed east, back to Cunnamulla.
It had been an incredible experience over the previous three months. I learned to love that country. I had already fallen in love with the people. The trip back to Charleville in that little Morris was made lighter with the feel of six un-cashed pay checks in the wallet. In those days, pay was by individual check, posted to the nearest station.
This story was written by Guest Contributor retired police officer Earl Sanders.
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“FROM the VAULT: Guarding Live Court exhibits (stock) in 1955” 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