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.
Police gazettes provided information and instructions to members of the police
force. You can expect the Tasmanian Police Gazettes to include the following
information that will usually list names and some times personal details, descriptions
with photograph, addresses and/or occupations may be an added bonus for the
researcher:
-
apprehensions
- convict returns
- disciplining of police
- escapees and absconders from custody
- housebreakers and burglars
- licensed carriers
- deserting wives, families, etc
- deserting from military service
- deserting from merchant vessels
- inquests
- missing friends
- murderers and their victims
- police resignations
- prisoners discharged from gaols
- prisoners released on tickets of leave
- property recovered
- rewards—names of persons offering a reward
- victims of arson
- victims of horse and cattle stealing or straying
- victims of lost or stolen property
- victims of sheep stealing or straying
Far from being just a unique and extremely fascinating resource for local,
family and social historians - the Police Gazettes are useful for anyone with an interest in
Tasmania in the 1860s. The CD contains all issues that were released during
that year.
Example entries taken from the 3 January 1862 issue:
City of Hobart Municipality [note: only a small portion of entries have been transcribed here]
Stolen, on the 29th ultimo, from a room in Her Majesty's General Hospital, Hobart Town:- 1 calico chemise, 1 pair of drawers, 1 white petticoat, and a black and white speckled bonnet, the property of Mary Ann Wyatt.
Lost or Stolen from the person of Mr. Charles Wilcock, of the Labour-in-Vain public-house, Elizabeth-street, on Monday, the 23rd ultimo, a double-cased silver lever watch, no name or number.
Stolen or strayed from Kelly-street, Battery Point, on the 27th ultimo:- 1 red and white Poland cow, the property of Mrs. Lord, of Kelly-street, value £10.
Some time between the evening of the 28th and morning of the 30th ultimo, the office of Messrs. Belbin and Dowdell, New Wharf, was forcibly entered, and 12s in silver and a quantity of American clothes pegs stolen therefrom.
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.
