What is a Police Gazette?
Compiled to be distributed amongst the Police Force only, Police Gazettes
contain details and information that can not be found anywhere else. Produced at
regular intervals (usually once a week), it was a way of making information
available to all in the Police Force throughout the whole state.
What information can be found in a New South Wales Police Gazette?
The information contained in the Police Gazettes does vary a little from
year to year, but overall you will find details of any changes within the police
force which are all listed (promotions, demotions, resignations, dismissals,
retirements, deaths etc), information is also given on housebreak-ins,
robberies, arson, murders, court records, lost horses and cattle, deserters,
escaped prisoners, missing friends, and reports on those released. Notices from
interstate police gazettes are sometimes included.
How can this help me?
Anyone researching their family will have a 'lost' family member or two! You
may well find them listed here, being on either side of the law. Or maybe they
were a Policeman who transferred to another department or division, or someone
that was a victim of a crime. You can find the physical details on persons
listed here, missing, wanted or released, which helps to paint a picture of them
(name, aliases used, age, height, colour hair, colour eyes, distinguishing
features, even colour clothing worn).
Example entry taken from the 19 July 1865 issue:
Burglaries and Stealing from Premises
Stolen, between the hours of 6 p.m. on the 14th and 6 a.m. on the 15th instant,
from the shop of William Spears, butcher, Market-street, Sydney, - The carcase
of a pig, a cleaver, and a meat tray; value £2 8s.
Far from being just a unique and extremely fascinating resource for local,
family and social historians - they are useful for anyone with an interest in
New South Wales in the 1860s.
