What is a Police Gazette (or Reports of Crime)?
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. Tasmanian
Gazettes were called 'Reports of Crime' for a period, but do contain similar
type of information found in the Police Gazettes from other states.
What information can be found in a Tasmania Police Gazette (or Reports of
Crime)?
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, property
stolen, property found, arson, murder, warrants issued, arrests and discharges,
absconders, missing friends, court notices, and inquests. There are also
licences for hawkers, carriers, oyster fisheries, and tanners. In this years'
issues you will also find "Return of Paupers Discharged from Invalid Depots".
These list the persons name, ship of arrival, district admitted, date admitted
and discharged, and remarks.
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. Quite often 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 28 August 1874 issue:
Return of Paupers Discharged from the Invalid Depots, Tasmania
Name, Ship, From what district, Date admitted, Date discharged, Remark
(why discharged, and if able to earn their living)
Cascades, Hobart
Roselle, Frederick / P. Bomanjee / Hobart / 17 April '74 / 27 Aug. '74 /
To service.
Brown, P.M. / Mandarin / Ditto / 12 Aug. '74 / Ditto / At own request. Able to
work.
Bettis, John / Ld. Lyndoch / Ditto / 18 May '74 / 29 Aug. '74 / Ditto. Ditto.
Dew, Robert / Maida / Ditto / 25 June '74 / 31 Aug. '74 / Ditto. Ditto.
New Town
Smith, Ann / Cadet / Hobart / 17 June '74 / 20 Aug. '74 / At her own request.
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
Tasmania 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.
