The following is a copy from the news report of the government inquiry into the conditions of the police services
in Australia in 1835.
This section of the report covers the district of Invermien.
Reports for the remaining districts (Van Diemens Land, Maitland,Goulburn,Paterson,Argyle, Wollongong,
Patricks Plain,Yass Plains etc) can be found at Genseek's Police History
The Committee (consisting of the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney General,
Mr Berry, H.H.M'Arthur, and Mr Bell ) was appointed to "..enquire into and report upon the establishment
and strength of the Police Force and all it's branches, to what extent
it may be expedient to maintain it, and the expense it will occasion, and
to enquire into the capacity and condition of the Gaols in the colony,
and to report what additional buildings appear to be required, and
the probably expense of providing them.." .
presented by © J.Fawcett (Genseek) 2002 |
Friday 5th June 1835.
John Bingle, Esq, J.P, called in an examined:
I am a member of the Invermien Bench, which is attended
by six more unpaid magistrates. The court is held once a week and
thre is no paid magistrate in the district.
The extent of the district is not limited in any direction,
except to the south, where it joins the Merton district.
Complaintants occasionally travel about thirty miles and upwards
to our Court.
Our police force consists of one constable, one lock-up
keeper, and one scourger, for the whole district, the population
of which amounts to one thousand persons, at least.
We have no public lock-upu house,jail, or court house in the
district. The court is held in a hut built by myself in 1831.
We have, on average, about eight cases weekly, of which a
third or forth are free cases.
I am of opinion that an addition of two constables (one of
whom should be chief constable) to our present police force would
be sufficient, provided the Bench had the power of appointing
constables on special occaisions,when additional force was required
in the district (to be paid by them as contingent expenses, or by
an order on the chief police magistrate, as rewards are paid at
present): and the constable were relieved from the duty of serving
warrants and subpoenas from the Supreme Court and the Court of
Quarter SEssions, and form escort duty to Patricks Plains,a distance
of fifty miles, throughout the whole which there is no place where
prisoners under escort can be secured.
I am of opinion, therefore, that a lock-up house, erected
midway between these places, would be of great service. Summonses,
especially those to be served at a greater distance, are now served
by the Mounted Police, and on some of these occasions they have to
travel a distance of one hundred and fifty miles or more.It is
impossible that a foot constable should perform duty of this
description.
A court house and lock-up hose are absolutely necessary for
the district; the Government, some time since, gave orders for their
erection, but no satisfactory tender for the work has yet been
received.
We have a clerk of the Bench, with a salary of £70 a-year.
He is also the deputy postmaster of the district; from this office
his income must be very inconsiderable indeed.
There are five mounted policemen in the district,stationed
at Puen Buen, within a mile of the Bench.
We have very great difficulty procuring proper or fit mne
to hold the situation of constable.
I am decidedly of opinion,that a great addition should be
made to that most useful body, the mounted police, and that they
should be made a permanent force; a detachment of them should be
stationed on Liverpool Plains, and another in the Munmurra country,
to connect us with Bathurst; and that a constable should also be
stationed at the foot of the main pass into Liverpool Plains,whose
duty it should be to examine cattle and drivers;and,if allowed a
horse, he might assist in serving stipends in the outer part of
the country.
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