The Victorian 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 Victorian Police Gazettes to include the following type of
information:
- appointments of Registrars of BDM, Powder Magazine Keepers, Crown Land
Bailiffs, Public Vaccinators and Health Officers, Electoral Inspectors, and
Inspectors of Factories
- apprehensions
- licences issued and renewed for: auctioneers, collectors, gold buyers' and
gold assayers', and dealers
- deaths of retired police and recipients of police pensions
- escapees and absconders from custody
- lost or stolen property and victims of crime
- deserting wives, families, etc
- deserting from military service
- deserting from merchant vessels
- inquests
- medical practitioners
- missing friends
- persons suspected or wanted for a crime and warrants issued
- persons discharged, often including a photograph
- police appointments
- prisoners discharged from gaols
- victims of crime
Example entries taken from the 4 June 1914 issue:
Deserters of Wives and Children
KINNEBERG, Garnet, is charged, on warrant, issued at the instance of Mary
Maculey Hincliffe, domestic servant, Bendigo, with deserting his illegitimate
child at Bendigo, on the 27th ult. Description:- About 24 years of age, 5 feet 6
inches high, fair complexion, large dark eyes, clean shaven, long thin face,
short nose, has a scar on the forehead.-O.4527A. 1st June, 1914.
Missing Friends
APPLETON, Mrs. Mabel, is inquired for by her husband, Robert Appleton, 481
Elizabeth-street, New South Wales. Description:- 24 years of age, 5 feet 5 or 6
inches high, well built, fair complexion, dark-brown hair, brown eyes, straight
nose; dressed in a blue or black tailor-made costume. The missing friend is a
native of Melbourne, and left Sydney on the 28th April, 1914. She may seek
employment as a barmaid, under the name Hazel Montague.O.4620A. 3rd June, 1914.
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.
