The New South Wales Police Gazettes are a wonderful resource of fascinating
historical information that you will not find elsewhere. Packed with names,
dates and events for historians, the Police Gazettes provided information and
instructions to members of the police force.
You can expect the New South Wales Police Gazettes to include the following
type of information: warrants issued, apprehensions, prisoners discharged,
deserters from families and service, missing friends, prohibited immigrants,
changes in the police force (promotions, demotions, those that left the service
etc.), rewards offered, property lost or stolen and so much more ...
Gazettes are published by governments and their agencies as a means of
communication to officials and the general public. As such they are useful, not
only to monitor the actions of the government, but also as far as family
historians are concerned, they are valuable primary source documents.
Example entry taken from the 27 November 1921 issue:
Prisoner Released on License
Petersham. - A commitment warrant for serve the unexpired portion of the
sentence of two years' hard labour upon him at Sydney Quarter Sessions on the
2nd October, 1919, has been issued by the Newtown Bench against Joseph Dickson,
alias Neil Collins, alias George Harris, alias Cash, alias Joseph Davis, alias
Joseph Allen, alias Watts, alias Joseph Neilsen, alias Joseph Collins, alias
Donald Shephard, alias Joseph Biley, for committing a breach of the conditions
of his release of license. Offender is 37 years of age, 5 feet 7 1/2 inches
high, medium to stout build, fair complexion, light-brown hair turning grey, and
cut very short, blue eyes, usually clean shaved, but may now have a moustache,
scars on right elbow, on outside of right forearm, on bridge of nose, on back of
neck, and on top of left shoulder, mole on the back of the right calf, and toes
of the right foot doubled up; dressed in shabby, dark clothes, hard black felt
hat, and wore a black oilskin overcoat. Identical with prisoner tried same name
(vide Police Gazette, 1919, page 611; and Photo-book 90, page 38). Not to be
arrested after the 1st October, 1921.
A valuable resource of historical information, this publication is now
readily available for all to use. Containing 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.
