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).
A unique feature of this years' issues are the lists of publicans' licences.
They list the licencees name, address and name of the hotel.
Example entry taken from the 19 January 1876 issue:
Charles Dittmer, charged on warrant with committing wilful and corrupt
perjury, in a case against Harvey Redgrave, heard before the Wentworth Bench
on the 24th ultimo, has been arrested by Senior-sergeant Keelty, Wentworth
Police. Committed for trial at Wentworth Quarter Sessions. Redgrave has since
committed suicide.
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 1870s.
High quality scanned images of the whole years worth of issues. This CD has been bookmarked for easy navigation, and pages can be searched, browsed, enlarged and printed out if required.
