IntroductionVictoria Police has a proud history serving the community of Victoria, building and nurturing a positive relationship with the public.Policing is not an easy occupation. Victoria Police is here to provide assistance, protection, support, leadership and above all, maintain peace in society. Every minute of every hour of every day, year in and year out, Victoria Police is ready to respond to the needs of the community.Victoria Police history moves through the gold rush days, the brutal Kelly Gang era, the urban sprawl of the late 1880's, World War 1 and the Great Depression, followed by unemployment, demonstrations and strikes before the onset of World War II.By the mid 1960's ...view middle of the document...
Throughout its existence the organisation has remained true to its motto of 'Uphold the Right'. Its members always strive to perform their duty in an exemplary fashion and ensure Victoria remains a safe place to work, live and visit. (Victoria Police c2006 b).History of Victoria PoliceThe Victoria Police was formally established on 8 January 1853 from an existing colonial police force of 875 men. The first appointment as Chief Commissioner was William Henry Fancourt Mitchell.Their first major engagement was the following year, 1854, in support of British soldiers during the events leading up to, and confrontation at, the Eureka Stockade. A new Chief Commissioner, Charles MacMahon, was appointed that same year. The first death in the line of duty, that of Constable William Hogan, also occurred in 1854.The following couple of decades saw the growth of the police force, including the beginning of construction of the Russell Street police station in 1859 and the establishment of a special station in William Street to protect the Royal Mint in 1872.Six years later, three more officers (Kennedy, Lonigan and Scanlan) were killed by the Kelly Gang at Stringybark Creek. Two years later, in 1880, the police confronted the Kelly Gang at Glenrowan. A shoot-out ensued on June 28, during which three members of the Kelly Gang were killed and following which Ned Kelly was captured.1880 also saw the formation of the Aboriginal Tracker Corps. The corps was disbanded in 1968.In 1888 Senior Constable John Barry produced the first Victoria Police Guide, a manual for officers. (The Victoria Police Manual, as it is now known, remains the comprehensive guide to procedure in the Victoria Police.) Police officers were granted the right to vote in parliamentary elections the same year.In 1899 the force introduced the Victoria Police Valour Award to recognise the bravery of members. Three years later, in 1902, the right to a police pension was revoked.The Withdrawal of Police ServicesThe 1929 Victorian Police StrikeThe strike started late on Wednesday night 31 October 1923 when a squad of 24 constables at Russell Street Police Headquarters refused duty citing the continued use of "spooks" in supervision. The Victoria Police force at the time were understaffed, lowly paid in comparison with other state police forces, and had no industry pension with the Government continually deferring promises on the introduction of a pension program.The Victorian Police Association had made repeated attempts to improve the pay and conditions of the force, and had made representations over the use of "spooks" as inappropriate for supervision to the Nationalist government of Victoria under the Premier, Harry Lawson. The strike was led by Constable William Thomas Brooks, and was not a Police Association initiative, although they negotiated on behalf of the strikers with the Premier, Harry Lawson. Most of the strikers were constables, many of them being returned servicemen. Detectives ...
