The Tasmanian Police Gazettes (or Reports of Crime as they were initially
called), 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 Tasmanian Police Gazettes to include the following type of
information: warrants issued, apprehensions, prisoners released on tickets of
leave, discharges, deserters from families and service, missing friends,
inquests, changes in the police force (promotions, demotions, those that left
the service etc.), property lost or stolen, licences issued for hawkers,
carriers and tanners, details of paupers, and so much more ...
Example entry taken from the 17 November 1876 issue:
Absconded
On the morning of the 19th July, 1876, at 8 o'clock, dressed in grey prison
clothing, from the gang employed at the New Ston Shed, Campbel-street. James
Mullins, or Conway, or Leary, undergoing a sentence of 3 years passed on him a
S.C. Hobart, on 13th July, 1875, for housebreaking and larceny, F.S. per Neptune
2, aged 45, 5 feet 7 1/2 inches high, fresh complexion, medium head, brown hair,
no whiskers, round visage, high forehead, light brown eyebrows, light blue eyes,
long thing nose, medium mouth and chin, native place Cork, Ireland, a labourer;
single, small mole on left cheek, face sun-freckled, scar on forehead above left
eye, red mole and scar on right cheek.
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.
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.
