If you had family living in New South Wales in 1871, have you thought of looking in Police Gazettes for
information? These are a truly unique, useful and extremely fascinating resource
for local, family and social historians.
Compiled to be distributed amongst the Police Force only, these Gazettes
contain details and information that can not be found anywhere else. Apart from
any changes within the police force which are all listed (promotions, demotions,
dismissals, deaths etc), information is also given on housebreak-ins, robberies,
arson, murders, lost horses and cattle, deserters, escaped prisoners, missing
friends, reports on
those released, even deaths reported to the police (together with their place of
death and cause of death given). Notices from interstate police gazettes are
sometimes included.
A fascinating read for learning about the social history of the time, even if
you don't have family there - this CD contains all 52 issues that were produced for
the year.
Unique features of this particular year's worth of issues is that they
contain lists of Publicans' licences issued. Information that these give is
persons name, situation of hotel, and hotel name.
Example entries taken from 8 November 1871 issue:
Sacrilege
Stolen, between the 29th ultimo and 1st instant from the vestry of the
Anglican Church, Bong Bong, the property of the Rev. H. Barker, six bottles of
port wine. Suspicion attached to a man about 60 years of age, 5 feet 7 inches
high, dark complexion, dark hair mixed with gray, and short gray beard; dressed
in old dark clothes and hat; a blacksmith; was seen at Bargo, on the 2nd
instant, going towards Picton.
Miscellaneous Information
W.G. Morris, supercargo of the steam-boast "Maranoa", summoned by
Senior-constable Moesche, Wilcannia Police, on two charges of hawking without a
licence, has been fined £6 for each offence and costs.
High quality scanned images of the whole of the years worth of issues. This CD has
been bookmarked for easy navigation, and pages can be searched, browsed,
enlarged and printed out if required.
