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Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney
Subjects
Law and Order

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Law and Order

Subject

Law and order

Prisons to 1920

Shirley Beiger

Sydney’s Oldest Unsolved Murders

The murder of Constable Joseph Luker

Bridge Street Affray

Colonial police

Night watch

Bladders, William

Freeman, James

Howard, Robert Rice

Smyth, Thomas

'Cooks River Cruelty' from The Police Report, Bell's Life in Sydney, 3 April 1852

All that glittered was not gold: The change in the life of Shirley Beiger, November 1954

Blonde model weeps at inquest September 1954

Description of the execution of Thomas Barrett in Arthur Bowes Smyth's journal, 27 February 1788

Description of the trial and execution of Thomas Barrett in Arthur Bowes Smyth's journal, February 1788

Doris Fitton's production of Sumner Locke Elliott's fine Australian Army play Rusty Bugles, 1948

General orders issued by Governor King concerning Pemulwuy, November 22, 1801

Glebe Court House 16 February 2012

Glebe Court House c1970

Police arrive with exhibits at Coroner's Court for inquest into death of Arthur Griffith, September 1954

The Bridge Street Burglars: Graphic Account of the Execution in 'The Bird O'Freedom', 2 June 1894

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Law and Order

Law and order

The politics of law and order were present at the foundation of Sydney as a convict settlement. They have remained part of the fabric ever since, and a vital aspect of the city's imagined life. Like many other parts of the city (its churches, its schools, its hospitals), the institutions of law and justice are a material aspect of the values and experiences of those who inhabit the city.

Prisons to 1920

Even a penal colony needs prisons. As early as 1796 gaols were built to hold criminals who had committed offences in the colony, and to hold the public floggings and executions that were thought to deter such crimes. Through the nineteenth century, attitudes changed, and prisoners were expected to reform and repent, although treatment got little kinder in the new buildings and systems that were devised.

Shirley Beiger

Shirley Beiger was a fashion model who shot and killed her lover, Arthur Griffith, outside Chequers Nightclub in 1954. She was tried for murder and acquitted. Her trial gained significant national media attention at the time.

Sydney’s Oldest Unsolved Murders

With colonisation came numerous acts of violence inflicted upon the First Nations people, including murder. It was several years, however, before murders were committed in Sydney by the colonists upon each other. Identifying Australia’s oldest case of unsolved murder in this context is not necessarily a straightforward task.

The murder of Constable Joseph Luker

Convict Joseph Luker placed his past firmly behind him when he decided to pursue a career as a police constable in colonial Sydney. This transition from law breaker to law enforcer would also see him become the first officer of the law killed in the line of duty in Australia.

Bridge Street Affray

full record »

Incident on Bridge Street in the early hours of Friday 2 February 1894 in which three men, who had tried to rob the Union Steamship Company's offices, attacked and injured several police officers in the pursuit. Five police officers were seriously injured and two of the robbers were subsequently hanged. As a result of the incident, police in New South Wales were authorised to carry firearms in the line of duty.

Colonial police

In 1796, Governor Hunter reorganised the night watch that had been established in 1789 to maintain law and order in the colony. The new structure of the 'civil police' was more formal than that of the night watch, with each region under the control of local magistrates. Police officers were initially still selected from the best behaved former convicts however. The number of regions was increased at the same time, enabling police jurisdiction to be extended as far as Toongabbie, the Hawkesbury and Parramatta.

In January 1811 the organisation was again restructured with the introduction by Macquarie of the new role of Police Superintendent. Often referred to in secondary sources as the Sydney Foot Police in order to differentiate it from the other specialist police forces that developed like the Mounted Police and Water Police, this does not appear to have ever been an official title of the department. The separate forces were united in 1862 with the Police Regulation Act of 1862 and the establishment of the New South Wales Police Force.

full record »

Night watch

Early police force established by Governor Phillip in 1789 to patrol the town of Sydney during the night in order to prevent and detect 'the commission of nightly depredations'. It consisted of twelve of the 'best behaved' former convicts, with the town divided into four regions. In 1796 the watch, or 'civil police', was reorganised by Governor Hunter so that constables in each region became answerable to a local magistrate. The number of regions was also increased and extended to include the Hawkesbury, Parramatta and Toongabbie.

full record »

Bladders, William

Former convict who had been transported for burglary but became a constable in Sydney's early police force. He was one of several suspects in the murder of another police officer, Joseph Luker, in August 1803 but was found not guilty due to lack of evidence. He was also known as William Hambridge, Ambridge or Embridge.

full record »

Freeman, James

Convict who arrived on the First Fleet and became the colony's first official executioner for the duration of his sentence when offered the role in lieu of his own execution.

full record »

Howard, Robert Rice

Robert 'Nosey Bob' Howard was the New South Wales public hangman from 1876 until his retirement in 1904. He acted as assistant executioner several times prior to his official permanent appointment. Howard had been a successful hansom cab driver who was popular with his wealthy Darling Harbour clientele (it was rumoured that he had been the preferred cab driver for Prince Alfred during his visit to Sydney in 1868), but after being kicked in the head by one of his horses and losing his nose, his disfigured appearance deterred his former patrons and his business failed. He moved from Paddington with his family to Bondi Beach in 1888 and lived there until his death in 1906.

full record »

Smyth, Thomas

Marine on the First Fleet who took up land on Sydney's southern boundary. A storekeeper since 1792, he was appointed as Provost Marshal in February 1796. He died suddenly in 1804 while visiting the Hawkesbury and was described as 'universally respected for his humanity in acquitting himself of the duties of his office; the generosity and benevolence of his heart; the affability of his manners, and the placidity of his disposition'.

full record »

'Cooks River Cruelty' from The Police Report, Bell's Life in Sydney, 3 April 1852

full record »

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[nla.news-article59774396 via Trove]

(Bell's Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer, 3 April 1852, p3)

All that glittered was not gold: The change in the life of Shirley Beiger, November 1954

full record »

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[Truth, 28 November 1954, p50 via Trove]

Blonde model weeps at inquest September 1954

full record »

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[PIX, September 18, 1954, p19 via Trove]

Description of the execution of Thomas Barrett in Arthur Bowes Smyth's journal, 27 February 1788

full record »

By

Arthur Bowes Smyth

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

(Journal of Arthur Bowes Smyth, 1787 March 22-1789 August )

Description of the trial and execution of Thomas Barrett in Arthur Bowes Smyth's journal, February 1788

full record »

By

Arthur Bowes Smyth

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

(from Journal of Arthur Bowes Smyth, 1787 March 22-1789 August)

Doris Fitton's production of Sumner Locke Elliott's fine Australian Army play Rusty Bugles, 1948

full record »

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[Pix, 25 December 1948, p11 via Trove]

General orders issued by Governor King concerning Pemulwuy, November 22, 1801

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a341098 / Safe 1/17a, p68]

(From 'New South Wales general standing orders (...), 1802, and New South Wales continuation of general standing orders (...), 1806', Mitchell Library)

Glebe Court House 16 February 2012

full record »

By

Balmain and Glebe Heritage

Contributed By

[https://www.flickr.com/photos/69965207@N03/6883726013]

(CC BY 2.0))

Glebe Court House c1970

full record »

Contributed By

City of Sydney Archives

[85080]

(SRC23906 Bernard Smith Collection)

Police arrive with exhibits at Coroner's Court for inquest into death of Arthur Griffith, September 1954

full record »

Police arrive with exhibits. Officer on right has rifle alleged to have been used in shooting. His companion has bag of golfclubs police say was found in car with rifle.

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[PIX, 18 September 1954, p20 (detail) via Trove]

The Bridge Street Burglars: Graphic Account of the Execution in 'The Bird O'Freedom', 2 June 1894

full record »

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[The Bird O'Freedom, Saturday 2 June 1894, p4 via Trove]

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