Starting with the very first issue which was released on 5 March 1862, the
New South Wales Police Gazette was generally issued once a week. This CD-ROM is a compilation of all of the issues of the that were issued during
that year.
Each issue is usually six pages long, and
contains information such as court lists, lists of warrants issued, appointments
and changes in the Police Service, lists of
arrests and discharges (which include descriptions), escaped prisoners, and
missing persons, house-breakins, deserting wives and families, inquests, lost
and found property, missing
friends and more ... Notices from Police Gazettes from other states are also often
included. There is a small amount of convict related information included in
these issues.
The Police Gazettes are an incredibly unique source of information, simply
because they were designed to be distributed amongst the Police Force only, and
the information contained often cannot be found anywhere else.
Example entry taken from the 16 April 1862 issue:
Tickets-of-Leave Granted - Mudgee
William Colclough, per ship "Westmoreland" (1), 1835, native of
Staffordshire, collier by trade, 52 years of age, 5 feet 5 3/4 inches high,
brown complexion, brown hair, grey eyes, perpendicular scar inner corner of
right eyebrow, scar on each eyebrow, nose has been broken, WC lower right arm,
thirteen dots in a circle on back of right hand, anchor, star RSLT and mermaid
on lower left arm, five dots on back of left hand, burnt mark on left jaw.
William Hill, per ship "Condobar", native of Liverpool, boiler-maker and
blacksmith by trade, 44 years of age, 5 feet 6 1/2 inches high, hairy arms, M
nside lower right arm, middle finger of right hand has been broken, scar above
knuckle of same, MS inside lower left arm, scar inside left hand near little
finger, scars from burns on both arms.
Not only is this an invaluable resource for anyone researching in New South
Wales, but it makes for fascinating reading even if you don't have family there.
