- About this Archives in Brief
- Historical Background
- A select list of sources
- Mounted Police
- Water Police
- Border Police
- Police Gazettes
About this Archives in Brief
This AIB provides a brief overview of the major sources held by State Records that relate to police officers in New South Wales. Other records may be identified in Archives Investigator, and Short Guide 10: Professions and Occupations.
Researchers should consult the Register of Access Directions to confirm the public availability of records. State Records' staff can advise you on the availability of records if they are not listed on the register.
For further reading see:
- Daniel P Webster, Beyond courage: the circumstances of New South Wales police officers who have lost their lives. Sydney: New South Wales Police Association, 2004.
Historical Background
In August 1789, Arthur Phillip established a night-watch which came under civil control. It consisted of eight of the best-behaved convicts in the Colony. This was the first Police force in the country.
The force was re-organised along English lines by Governor Hunter in 1796, with constables being placed under the control of local magistrates. It remained this way, until Governor Macquarie's time, when a certain degree of centralised control was achieved in January 1811 with the appointment of a Police Superintendent.
As the Colony expanded and the population grew a number of specialised forces were established. These included a Water Police force which was set up in Sydney c.1832, abolished in 1843 and re-established with the appointment of a Water Police Magistrate in 1847; the Native Police corps which operated mainly in northern New South Wales from 1848; and the Border Police, who were responsible to the Commissioners of Crown Lands for policing the land regulations in the remote Squatting Districts.
The most important of these specialised forces was the Mounted Police, which had the responsibility of protecting settlers in outlying areas as well as goods in transit on the roads. It was abolished in 1850. A Gold Escort was formed a year later in 1851 to provide safe passage for gold being transported from the diggings to Sydney.
Unification of the Police force did not come about until the Police Regulation Act of 1862. This Act placed the responsibility of the whole Police force into the hands of the Inspector General and it was organised largely along the lines of its present day basis.
A select list of sources
This list is not exhaustive. Researchers should also consult:
Archives Investigator,,
under agency
No. 9, Inspector General of Police
and agency
No. 12 NSW Police Service.
Records described include police service records, correspondence, and publications. Records of police stations are listed individually.
Short Guide 10: Professions and Occupations
This Guide is arranged alphabetically by profession.
Index to Colonial Secretary's papers, 1788-1825
To locate the early records of the Police Service consult the index under the term 'Police'. Correspondence relating to appointments, reports, applications, pay lists and other general police information from the early years of the Colony is listed. Researchers should also consult the index under the name of the individual.
Colonial Secretary
These records contain the names of police officers working in both Sydney and country areas. In some instances numbers rather than names of constables are given.
| Title | Series | Copy | *ARK |
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Special bundles |
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Blue Books: NSW Civil Establishment, Police, 1825, 1831 [4/7419] | |||
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Blue Books: NSW Civil Establishment, Returns of Police 1833-35, 1837-43; 1844-49; 1850-53; 1854-56 |
Reels 1720-1723 | ||
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Index to the Colonial Secretary's Correspondence, Convicts and Others, 1826-88 |
On fiche in the reading rooms |
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This indexes Colonial Secretary: Main series of letters received, 1826-88, NRS 905. The index may be of use to researchers interested in police officers serving during the 1840s-60s. | |||
NSW Police Service
It is important to note that records of the NSW Police Service do not generally provide the details of a particular police station where a police officer was working. Records will provide with the name of the district in which a policeman was working.
| Title | Series | Copy | *ARK |
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Police salary registers, 1838-1915 | NRS 10946 |
Reels 1970-1974 |
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These registers provide the following: register number, name, rank, salary details and remarks (this column usually notes promotions, dismissals or resignations). | |||
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Registers of police appointments, c.1857-1913 | NRS 10943 |
Reel 3043 |
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This series is arranged alphabetically by surname and provides: service number, name, mounted or foot, date of birth, physical description, native place, marital status, calling, district, date of appointment and date and cause of leaving the force. See the online index. | |||
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Registers of police, 1862-1904 | NRS 10945 |
Reels 2657 and 1974, Fiche 846-850 |
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1866-May 1913 [8/3255-58] |
Reels 3044-3047 | ||
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These registers provide details such as: date of appointment, age, physical description, marital status, native country, religion, education, previous occupation and where stationed. They also include demotions, discharges, deaths, and superannuation. | |||
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Registers of pensions, Nov 1851-Jan 1907 | NRS 10944 |
Reels 3048 & 2658 |
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Information provided includes: name, rank, district, gratuity or pension, and amount. | |||
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Register of appointments, promotions, dismissals and retirements, 1855-61 | NRS 10942 |
Reel 2657 |
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Details include: name, physical description, marital status, trade/calling, date of appointments and previous Colonial government service. | |||
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Police service cards, 1913-c.1986 [AK724] |
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This series provides details such as: name, date of birth, physical description, previous calling, marital status, examinations and qualifications, district and station, duty, and cause and date of leaving the force. | |||
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Police service registers 1927-80 [11/11767-77, 6/20576-609] | NRS 10950 |
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These registers relate specifically to those officers who left the Police Department between the years 1966-80 (some joining the Force as early as 1927). Details provided include: appointment and promotions, personal descriptions, previous calling, examinations, medical history, uniforms and equipment issued, duties, misconducts and commendations, and special abilities and qualifications. They relate not only to police officers but also to Junior Trainees, Cadets, Special Constables, Trackers, Matrons, and Parking Police. | |||
Mounted Police
Colonial Secretary
| Title | Series | Copy | *ARK |
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Returns of Mounted Police, 1837-50 [4/7420, 4/7205] |
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Returns of the Gold Escort, 1851-56 [4/7423] |
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NSW Police Service
| Title | Series | Copy | *ARK |
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Record of offences by members of the Mounted Police Corps, 1839-50 | NRS 10998 |
Reels 2901, 3041 |
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Nominal Roll of the Mounted Police Corps, 1848 | NRS 10999 |
Reels 2901, 3041 |
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Orders to Mounted Troops, Jul 1841-Sep 1850 | NRS 11000 |
Reel 2901 |
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Mounted Police Adjutant's Office Sydney: Copies of letters sent, Jan 1842-Sep 1846 | NRS 11001 |
Reel 2901 |
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Water Police
Colonial Secretary
| Title | Series | Copy | *ARK |
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Special bundles |
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Returns of Water Police, 1841-44, 1847-56 [4/7425, 2/8022, 2/8028] |
Border Police
Colonial Secretary
| Title | Series | Copy | *ARK |
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Special bundles |
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Border Police: reports on conduct and employment, 1842 [4/1132] | |||
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Commissioners of Crown Lands. Reports and returns of Border Police — Portland Bay, New England and Clarence River districts, 1843-46 [4/1139.1] | |||
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Commissioners of Crown Lands. Reports and returns of Border Police — Darling Downs and McLeay River districts, 1843-46 [4/1138.1] | |||
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Commissioner of Crown Lands, Bligh District. Reports re Border Police, 1843-47 [4/7204] | |||
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Commissioners of Crown Lands. Reports on Border Police in the various districts, 1843-47 [4/1141.1] | |||
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Returns of Border Police, 1845-46 [4/7321] | |||
Police Gazettes
Information relating to policemen may also be located in the publication NRS 10958 Police Gazettes,
This is a printed publication issued on a regular basis to Police stations. Its purpose is to provide a means of communication between the members of the police force and it contains information such as wanted criminals, crimes committed, missing persons and criminals who have been apprehended.
Police Gazettes also contain information relating to Police officers. There are several supplements to the Police Gazettes. Supplement A provides information about Police officers such as vacant positions, appointments, promotions, and administrative arrangements. The years 1862-99 are copied onto Reels 3129-3143 and 1900-1930 are on reels 3594-3606. Police Gazettes are also held by the State Library NSW.
*ARK signifies that a copy of the record or guide is part of the Archives Resources Kit and is held by the community access points.
© State of New South Wales through the State Records Authority, 2003.
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