George Christopher Dyas (1840-1881) a dyer from co Westmeath, was admitted to the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) force in 1858. His application was supplemented with a recommendation from a Protestant clergyman. Interestingly, (and not so unusually), Dyas later converted to Catholicism. Customary to the RIC practice, Dyas was moved away from his native county: his first transfer was to co Armagh. After a brief spell in reserve, he was relocated to Dublin in 1862, and a year later to Cork. He was regularly on mounted duty, which indubitably later influenced his colonial placement in the northern parts of Queensland. Having completed nearly six years in the RIC, in the rank of Sub-Constable First Class, he resigned and emigrated to Queensland.

Recruitment and training for the new Queensland Police Force took place in Brisbane at the Police Depot. All candidates were instructed to attend with an application in their own handwriting, along with testimonials to their character. His personnel file shows Dyas was sworn in May, 1864, a month after he applied. After a year in Ipswich, Dyas was transferred closer to the frontier, to Mackay, then Gilbert Ranges, where he undertook Gold Escort duty. The work was arduous, dangerous, and required extensive travelling on horseback. It is striking how Sub-Inspector Dyas’ colonial line of service diverged from his previous employment with the RIC. Frontier Queensland of the 1870s was still an unsettled territory, the site of recurring conflicts with the aboriginal population of the colony.

Dyas was transferred from Georgetown to Normanton on 8 January 1881. He set out with Constable McGrath and on the 13th made camp at 40 Mile Waterhole. At 6am the next morning McGrath left to collect the horses but at 7.30am he returned to tell Dyas that they were gone. Dyas immediately set out to search and later returned to report to McGrath that he had found horse tracks, but because of sore feet, he could not continue on to get them. Dyas pointed McGrath in the right direction and instructed him to take a bridle and find the horses. At 11am McGrath found the tracks and at about 3pm the horses. On his return to camp he was surprised to discover that Dyas had left taking his gun, cartridge belt and bridle. He waited at the camp for 24 hours and then left for Normanton to report the incident to Sergeant Byrne. Byrne and McGrath then left for Bynoo Native Mounted Police Camp to report the situation. Soon after Sub-Inspector Lamond and several troopers left for 40 Mile Waterhole. The search for Dyas started on the morning of the 18th, four days after he went missing.

Dyas’ tracks were found and followed for 10 miles down a creek to where he had taken off his boots. Sometime was then lost while other footprints were investigated, later found to belong to the mailman. Lamond continued the search and on the morning of 22nd he found Dyas’ bridle hanging in a tree and tracks left by a group of aborigines. On the 23rd Lamond followed more tracks and spotted a series of arrows and the word DYAS written in the dirt. At 8am Lamond finally found were Dyas had slept and tragically where he had been murdered, stripped and buried by aborigines.

Lamond believed that Dyas was murdered on the night of 20 January and that he had been speared in the back. His body was left buried at the site of the murder. It has never been ascertained why Dyas left the camp while McGrath was away looking for the horses. During his service, Dyas continually pushed the frontier, opened up places, and arranged them for settlement.

Correspondence from his file described Dyas as highly skilled, seasoned policeman defiant in the face of danger; an avid bushman, and one of the best in the colony at that.

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This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing and those made available by Postdoctoral Fellow Anastasia Dukova, PhD (TCD).

The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM THE VAULT – George Dyas, a Gallant Officer” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

The Queensland Police “Motor Cycle Display Team” was reformed for the 1979 Police Spectacular, held at the RNA showground. The team included 19 officers lead by Sergeants Donald McKean and John Toohey. All the officers in the display team regularly performed traffic enforcement duty on all major roads in and around Brisbane. Each officer was allocated a motor cycle and it was his responsibility to keep the machine in a clean and serviceable condition at all times. The motor cycles used in the 1979 spectacular were 1978 Honda 750 – Four – Police Specials capable of reaching speeds of 190 km per hour. They were equipped with two-way radios with earphones and a microphone built into the helmet, which simplified radio communication whilst riding at high speed. Standard fittings included flashing blue light, sirens, pannier bags and windshield.

At the 1979 Police Spectacular the Motor Cycle Display Team displayed their talents in the sport of tent pegging which was usually achieved in the back of the horse. Each motor cycle was ridden by two officers, one to drive and steer and the other to wield the lance.

Tent pegging involves riders who use a sword or lance to strike, pick-up and carry a peg over a designated distance. The sport stemming from the actions of mounted soldiers who would gallop through enemy camps, removing the tent pegs with their lances and swords. They would be followed by more mounted soldiers who took advantage of the surprise and havoc caused by collapsed tents and a confused enemy.

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This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.

The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“From the Vault – Motor Cycle Display Team” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

Robert Rodgers joined the Queensland Police as Constable number 5904 on 10 October 1986. He served at the following stations: City; Mooroka; Brisbane Mobile Patrols; Inala, Brisbane CIB and Wynnum and retired on 7 February 1990.

On 29 June 1989 Constable Robert Rodgers and Senior Constable Peter Edwards of the Wynnum Police, were told to attend an incident at Carmichael Court where a man was going berserk with a gun and where several persons had been shot, including Plain Clothes Constable Brett Handran. Rodgers and Edwards arrived at Carmichael Court, alighted from the vehicle and took cover. Constable Rogers ascertained from local residents the approximate location of the gunman and learned that a child and woman had been shot.

Constable Rogers found a position of safety close to the gunman’s location and communicated with the man to negotiate access to the wounded people. Without thought for his own safety, Constable Rogers successfully removed the child and woman from harm’s way. Constable Rodgers was awarded the Star of Courage on 18 April, 1991 for displayed conspicuous courage.

The Star of Courage is awarded for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril. It is the second highest Australian Bravery Decoration. Only four Queensland Police officers have been in receipt of the Star of Courage since the award was established in February 1975.

Australian Bravery Decorations date from the establishment of the Australian honours system in. The Group Bravery Citation was added in 1990. The decorations recognise acts of bravery by members of the community. There are four levels of decoration:

• Cross of Valour (CV)
• Star of Courage (SC)
• Bravery Medal (BM)
• Commendation for Brave Conduct

 __________________

This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.

The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM THE VAULT: Star of Courage: Constable Robert Jordan Rodgers” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

Rodney Lew Edwards joined the Queensland Police as Constable 6194 on 6 June 1986. He served at the following stations Woolloongabba; Chermside; Juvenile Aid Bureau (City) and Broadbeach and resigned on 30 November 1987.

The Star of Courage Citation reads:
At about 8.40 pm on 10 July 1986, Constable Rodney Edwards while on a meal break in the Boomerang Café on Main Street, Kangaroo Point, heard a loud crash and went to investigate. He discovered a collision involving three motor vehicles, one of these vehicles had overturned and was well alight.

Constable Edwards saw that the female driver of the burning vehicle had been dragged almost clear of the wreckage by two passers-by and that her body was on fire. Constable Edwards doused the flames with blankets then helped move the badly burnt women well clear of the accident scene. He learned that there was a child in the burning car and made several desperate attempts to free the child from its restraint harness.

Due to the intense heat and flames, Constable Edwards was forced away from the burning vehicle and could not save the trapped child. By his actions Constable Edwards displayed conspicuous courage.

Constable Edwards was awarded the Star of Courage at a ceremony held on March 16, 1988.

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The Star of Courage is awarded for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril. It is the second highest Australian Bravery Decoration. Only four Queensland Police officers have been in receipt of the Star of Courage since the award was established in February 1975.

Australian Bravery Decorations date from the establishment of the Australian honours system in. The Group Bravery Citation was added in 1990.

The decorations recognise acts of bravery by members of the community. There are four levels of decoration:

• Cross of Valour (CV)
• Star of Courage (SC)
• Bravery Medal (BM)
• Commendation for Brave Conduct

 __________________

This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.

The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM THE VAULT: Star of Courage: Constable Rodney Edwards” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

Peter Grahame John Kidd joined the Queensland Police as Constable 3560 on 29 April 1977. He served at the Traffic Branch, Banyo Station; Brisbane Mobile Patrols; as a member of the Brisbane Task Force and the Tactical Response Group.

The Star of Courage Citation reads: At about 5.30 a.m. on 29 July 1987 members of the Tactical Response Team raided a house at Virginia to capture a dangerous offender who was known to have been responsible for several armed hold-ups.

Senior Constable Kidd was the first policeman to enter the House. He lead an assault team through the living area and into the hallway towards the main bedroom.

Shots were fired from the bedroom but knowing that an armed man was in there Constable Kidd pushed the door open and went in rather than taking cover.

He fired at the offender who was in a corner and himself received three gunshot wounds, one to his right wrist and two to his body. He collapsed and later died in hospital.

By his actions Senior Constable Kidd displayed conspicuous courage.

Senior Constable Kidd was awarded the Star of Courage posthumously and it was accepted by his parents at a ceremony held on August 9, 1989. He was also awarded the Queensland Police Valour Medal for putting his duty before his life.

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The Star of Courage is awarded for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril. It is the second highest Australian Bravery Decoration. Only four Queensland Police officers have been in receipt of the Star of Courage since the award was established in February 1975.

Australian Bravery Decorations date from the establishment of the Australian honours system in. The Group Bravery Citation was added in 1990.

The decorations recognise acts of bravery by members of the community. There are four levels of decoration:

• Cross of Valour (CV)
• Star of Courage (SC)
• Bravery Medal (BM)
• Commendation for Brave Conduct

__________________

This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.

The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM THE VAULT: Star of Courage: Constable Rodney Edwards” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

Michael Francis Symes joined the Queensland Police as Constable 4570 on October 24, 1980. To date he has served at Broadbeach, Gold Coast, City Station, Brisbane CIB, Woolloongabba, Wynnum Traffic, Tambo, Eromanga, Whitsunday, Cunnamulla, Dalby, Capalaba, Hervey Bay and Thursday Island. Senior Sergeant Symes is currently stationed in Gympie.

The Star of Courage Citation reads:
During the night of 18-19 May 1990, Senior Constable Symes controlled an armed man at Tambo while securing the release of two hostages, maintaining psychological pressure to prevent widespread shooting, and eventually overpowering the offender.

A little before midnight a man armed with a rifle shot a motorist, threatened others, and walked the streets of Tambo firing indiscriminately. Senior Constable Symes, who was unarmed for most of the time, engaged the man in conversation and although repeatedly threatened by him remained in his company until just before daybreak.

During this time Senior Constable Symes influenced the offender to desist from shooting a number of other people and to release two hostages he had taken. Despite the danger of his position, Constable Symes maintained a commanding perspective and arranged for the streets to be cleared, the wounded motorist to be evacuated, police support called and civilian assistants deployed. Eventually, disregarding the increased risk to his personal safety, Senior Constable Symes closed in on the gunman and overpowered him.

By his actions Senior Constable Symes displayed conspicuous courage.

Senior Constable Symes was awarded the Star of Courage at a ceremony held on September 9, 1992.

________________

The Star of Courage is awarded for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril. It is the second highest Australian Bravery Decoration. Only four Queensland Police officers have been in receipt of the Star of Courage since the award was established in February 1975.

Australian Bravery Decorations date from the establishment of the Australian honours system in. The Group Bravery Citation was added in 1990.

The decorations recognise acts of bravery by members of the community. There are four levels of decoration:

• Cross of Valour (CV)
• Star of Courage (SC)
• Bravery Medal (BM)
• Commendation for Brave Conduct

__________________

This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.

The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM THE VAULT: Star of Courage: Senior Constable Michael Symes” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

Florence O’Driscoll joined the Queensland Police on 29 January 1912 at the age of 25. He rose through the ranks over his 34 year career to the rank of Inspector and retired in 1946.

During his career O’Driscoll was also received:
8 favourable records ( 1914; 1918 ; 1923; 1924; 1927; 1928 & 1933)
4 rewards totally £28 and 8 shillings (1917; 1927; 1928 & 1929)

Medal for Merit awarded to Florence Michael O’Droscoll on October 9, 1914

At 1.30pm on September 16, 1914 Mr Benjamin Andrews reported that his horse and sulky had been stolen from the front of the Rowes Café in Edward Street and furnished a description of the thief. Constable O’Driscoll was sent out in search of the stolen property and took a tram to the Valley. On information received, he tracked the stolen sulky on foot, to the Waterloo Hotel on Breakfast Creek Road, then back to the corner of Wickham and Brunswick streets; past the Jubilee Hotel on St Pauls Terrace and along Campbell Street to the Bowen Hills railway station.

Members of the public supplied information that the sulky was now being driven by two men. While O’Driscoll was at the railway station formulating his next move he saw a horse and sulky coming up the street. He walked into the centre of the street and signalled the sulky to stop but the driver whipped up the horse and it came towards him at fast clip.

O’Driscoll stepped toward the sulky and caught the reins, he was then dragged a distance before the horse stopped. Once he had ascertained that this was the stolen property, O’Driscoll stepped up into the sulky to arrested the two men but they attacked him, the horse bolted and went galloping down the street. While careering down the street O’Driscoll continued to be assaulted by the two men while he grappled with the reins. After a time O’Driscoll managed to slow the horse and sulky. He then subdued the thieves and handcuffed them with some help from a passing police officer.

Medal for Merit
On 4 October 1906 Police Commissioner William Cahill signed a memorandum announcing the institution of a departmental gallantry award to be known as the Medal for Merit. The medal was to awarded when…”a member of the Police Force, in the performance of police duty, displays pre-eminent bravery…” Between 1906 and 1917 at least 103 Medals for Merit were awarded.

The obverse side of the medal shows an image of King George the 5th and the reverse shows the Queensland state shield with the words Queensland Police For Merit and the Latin phrase Audax At Fidelis (meaning bold but faithful).

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This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.

The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM THE VAULT: Medal for Merit – Florence O’Driscoll” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

Sunday Lecture Series
November 25
11am
QPS Headquarters
 200 Roma Street, Brisbane

_________________________________________________
Stories from the Police Museum Collection

The Queensland Police Museum will celebrate its 119th birthday on November 27 this year. The original c1890s collection was filled with “black” items such as crime evidence and murder weapons. The collection was housed at the Petrie Terrace Depot and was used to educate police officers about criminality.

Today’s Police Museum still includes collection items with gruesome stories but it also includes other significant objects which describe the changes in, and challenges to, policing across the past 148 years. The Museum’s current mission is to enhance the public image of the Queensland Police Service and foster pride in its achievements in the wider community.

In this presentation entitled Stories from the Police Museum Collection, Lisa Jones, Police Museum Curator, will outline the fascinating history of the Police Museum and will delve into the collection to bring the stories of rarely seen objects to light.

The one-and-a-half hour presentation will begin at 11am on Sunday, November 25 and will provide educational content suitable for all audiences.

The Museum opens its doors to the public on the last Sunday of each month from 10am to 3pm from February to November in addition to the standard Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm opening hours. Monthly Sunday openings feature guest speakers from across the historical and crime-solving spectrums.

PLEASE NOTE: The Police Museum will open Sunday November 25 from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.

It all began the same way that most Police Museums do… by an act of bureaucracy. On 27 November, 1893 Mr Finucane, Chief Clerk of the Queensland Police, signed a memorandum on behalf of Commissioner Seymour, which instructed all police officers to send in items of interest concerning crimes and suicides, that they might come across in the course of their duties. And so the Queensland Police “Museum” was born. While not really a proper museum to begin with it constituted, as much as we can discover, a glass cupboard and then a small room. The collection was designed to educate police officers about criminality.

In May 1895 the Police Museum collection was written up in the Brisbane Courier and described thus: … the exhibits in the museum, founded by Mr. Finucane, speaking of the seamy side of colonial life, are a painful reminder that criminal instincts, slumbering in the hearts of men, like extinct volcanoes, belch forth at times in full eruption…

The collection was by nature eclectic, and included some very gruesome things. The objects were initially housed at the Petrie Terrace Depot and police officers were required to see the display as part of their training. By 1930 the Museum was still located at Petrie Terrace Barracks. In 1934, a new appeal for objects was made by then Police Commissioner Mr Carroll.

The Museum was written about in several newspapers in the 1930s. In the Truth in September 1933 the article was titled as Brisbane Chamber of Horrors: Grisley Relics of Ghastly Crimes and summarised as … reminders of dark and dreadful deeds in the wild days when Queensland pioneers were waging a fierce and furious fight in the cause of justice lie there, amid dust and stillness and mutely bear witness to many a strange and terrible tale…

Remembering that the Police Museum was not open to the public, we were also described by the Sunday Mail in May 1936 as Queensland’s Black Museum and the article titled as Grim Relics of Early Crimes. Such newspapers are useful as the give us a window into what material was in the early collection and in most instances, what is no longer here.

On 13 July 1949 the collection was officially handed over into the care of Detective Constable Les Bardwell head of the Technical Section, Criminal Investigation Branch, at the old church building in George St and then the basement level of Morcome House across the road. Bardwell was keen to study, classify and set them up as museum pieces to join his already extensive firearm reference collection.

Bardwell also wanted to show off the collection and in September of 1949 requested the purchase of display cases to be used at the annual Royal National Exhibition. Displays were organised for this show every year and people still remember the Police Display as a room “stuffed with unusual objects”.

In February of 1978 Commissioner Lewis approved the formation of a Museum Committee which included members of the Public Relations Branch, CIB, Photographic Section and Commissioner’s Office. It was their job to sort through the collection and decide what was to be kept and displayed. On 20 May 1979 the “new” Police Museum opened. Located on the 7th floor of Forbes House in Makerston Street, it was not initially open to the public but group bookings were taken.

In 1980 the Museum was opened to the public on Wednesday afternoons and in 1981 Ross Chippindall, an assistant in the Media Liaison office was appointed as part-time Curator. Although Chippindall had no museum qualifications, he was an avid scrounger of collection material and a firearm enthusiast. By the end of 1982, 4000 people had passed through the doors and displays were being mounted at school fetes, and country shows.

In 1985, Sergeant 2/c Bob Good temporarily took over the running of the museum and over a year or so, managed to have the museum displays refurbished and a system in place for evaluating the collection material. In 1986 Gabrielle Flynn, with skills in historical research and education, was appointed as fulltime Curator and the Museum began opening for 5 and a half hours per week.

By the late 1980s plans were in place to build a new Police Headquarters in Roma Street which was to include a purpose built home for the Police Museum. The building, along with the new museum, opened in August 1990. The display area was divided into six colour-themed areas – Heritage; Crime; Technology; Developments; Murder! and Crisis. (The colour scheme even won two Dulux Colour Awards). The Curator, Gabrielle Flynn was kept busy with visiting school groups, designing photographic displays and answering historical enquiries. The Museum was now open every weekday.

Since 1997 when the current Curator was employed, staffing levels have grown to five; the Education Program thrives; more than 13000 visitors come into the museum every year and we have expanded our opening hours to include the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov).

Our Vision is to be an accessible and valued Museum of national standing, collecting and exploring Queensland’s policing history.

Our Mission is to enhance the public image of the Queensland Police Service and foster pride in its achievements in the wider community.

__________________

This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.

The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au

“FROM THE VAULT: Happy Birthday to Us – 119 years old today!” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode

Police believe a vehicle stolen in Pallarenda overnight is in possession of Tyronne Speechley, one of two men who absconded from a complex in Townsville on Monday night, April 22.

The vehicle, a blue 2012 Hyundai i30 hatchback (similar to the one pictured) with Queensland Registration 098 SQP, was stolen from a house situated near bushland areas searched by police yesterday. Anyone who sees the vehicle is asked to immediately contact police.

Yesterday’s air and land search of bushland to the west of Pallarenda involved uniformed, plain clothes and dog squad police. Police located the second absconder around 10.30am in the search area.

Anyone who sees Mr Speechley or the vehicle should call Triple Zero (000), and anyone who has information which could assist with the investigation can call Crime Stoppers.

Anyone with information which could assist with this matter should contact Crime Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333 000 or qld.crimestoppers.com.au 24hrs a day.

Crime Stoppers is a registered charity and community volunteer organisation working in partnership with the Queensland Police Service.

For all non-urgent police reporting or general police inquiries contact Policelink on 131 444.

Photography to Detect Bloodstains in Crime Scenes

Sunday, July 28 – 11am

Infrared photography is a method of optical enhancement that can be used for forensic purposes. It enables a person to see by means of an image, what they would not be able to see with the naked eye. There are many forensic applications for infrared photography including fingerprint analysis, the detection and analysis of gunshot residue, document examination and bloodstain pattern analysis.

Sergeant Melissa Bell of the Scientific Section and, Senior Constable Kathryn Denny of the Photographic Section will present “Photography to Detect Bloodstains in Crime Scenes”, to discuss how blood is crucial evidence for obtaining DNA and reconstructing bloodletting events at crime scenes. When blood is deposited on dark coloured clothing and items it cannot be seen with the naked eye which significantly hinders forensic examinations.

During the talk Sergeant Bell and Senior Constable Denny, will outline the basics of infrared photography, how it is used to image bloodstains on dark coloured surfaces and items and the benefits of infrared photograph to forensic examinations. They will also speak about recent research that has been conducted in infrared photography, by the Photographic Section and Major Crime Unit.

The one-and-a-half hour presentation will begin at 11am on Sunday, July 28 and will provide educational and up-to-date content suitable for any audience.

The Museum opens its doors to the public on the last Sunday of each month from 10am to 3pm from February to November in addition to the standard Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm opening hours. Monthly Sunday openings feature guest speakers from across the historical and crime-solving spectrums.

PLEASE NOTE: The Police Museum will open Sunday, July 28 from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.

A project undertaken by a small group of volunteers will make an important contribution to the history of the Queensland Police Service and in the process will reinforce its commitment to solving and preventing some of the most serious and major crimes.

Following the successful restoration in 2010 of the grave of Senior Constable William Considine (a police officer who died in a horse riding accident in 1887) the Friends of the Queensland Police Museum (FQPM) initiated a project to research and identify the location of the graves of Queensland Police Service officers who have died in the course of their service.

During this project, the grave of Inspector of Detectives Thomas Slattery was identified at ToowongCemetery. Thomas Slattery died in 1878 having served in the Queensland Police and previously the Victoria Police Service and most likely the Royal Irish Constabulary, prior to his immigration to Australia. His grave was paid for with contributions from 136 of his fellow police officers and colleagues.

The FQPM were alerted to the grave by the Friends of the ToowongCemetery. In a state of disrepair, with its headstone lying in three broken pieces after having toppled some 25 years ago and his son (who is buried in the same gravesite) remaining unacknowledged on the headstone, the group commenced a project to restore the gravesite.

“During research into the background it was identified that Thomas Slattery may well have been the first Inspector of Detectives (Brisbane).

“While this project is not about singling out any particular rank or role, it is certainly worth highlighting the importance of this find. Detectives certainly play an important role in investigating some of the state’s most serious and significant crimes,” Commissioner of Police Ian Stewart said.

With the support and assistance of the Queensland Police Service, the Queensland Police Commissioned Officer’s Union and the Queensland Police Union of Employees, the grave has been fully restored and was this morning, rededicated by the Queensland Police Service’s Roman Catholic Padre, Graeme Ramsden OAM.

The grave is located at: Portion 7, Section 9 (Grave 4) of the Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane (see attached map)

More information on how to become involved or to lend your support to the Friends of the Queensland Police Museum can be found on their website at www.friendsqpmuseum.com.au

Anyone with information which could assist with this matter should contact Crime Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au 24hrs a day.

For all non-urgent police reporting or general police inquiries contact Policelink on 131 444 or www.Policelink.qld.gov.au 24hrs a day.

Crime Stoppers is a registered charity and community volunteer organisation working in partnership with the Queensland Police Service.

The Forensic Crash Unit uses analysis of road scars, vehicle positions and tyre marks to better understand the circumstances surrounding vehicle crashes,

Senior Constable Sherryn Klump will present ‘Road Crash Investigations – Policing and Forensic Analysis’. She will explain the investigation techniques of fatal and serious injury road crashes, road incidents where there is evidence of criminal negligence, and other major traffic incidents. Senior Constable Klump will also outline the use of specialized equipment, such as electronic data measuring devices.

The one-and-a-half hour presentation will begin at 11am on Sunday, August 25 and will provide educational and up-to-date content only suitable for high school aged youth and adults.

The Museum opens its doors to the public on the last Sunday of each month from 10am to 3pm from February to November in addition to the standard Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm opening hours. Monthly Sunday openings feature guest speakers from across the historical and crime-solving spectrums.

PLEASE NOTE: The Police Museum will open Sunday, August 25 from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.

Police are investigating three robberies and the circumstances surrounding an incident where a man was hit by a police vehicle that occurred overnight in the South Brisbane and Ipswich areas.

Around 5.25pm, two men have entered the gaming area of a hotel on Newham Road in Upper Mount Gravatt and have attempted to remove a money changing machine.

The pair has been unsuccessful in removing the machine and then left the scene.

At 5.40pm, two men have then entered a convenience store on Holland Road in Holland Park and produced a knife.

They made demands for money, and the attendant handed over a sum of cash before the men have left the store in a ute.

The attendant wasn’t physically injured as a result of the robbery.

Shortly before 9.40pm, two men have entered the gaming area of a hotel on Shaftson Street in East Brisbane and attempted to remove a money changing machine.

They were unable to move the machine, and one of the men has then approached a staff member at the bar and demanded cash.

The attendant has given one of the men a sum of cash and the men have then left the scene in a ute.

A vehicle matching the description of the one used in these offences was then sighted by police at 11pm on Ipswich Road in Oxley and police have attempted to intercept the vehicle and have deployed a tyre deflation device.

The vehicle has then crashed into a concrete barrier on Ipswich Road in Goodna, and a man has exited the vehicle and was struck by a police car.

He has been taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, and the other man has fled the scene.

The Ethical Standards Command is investigating, and investigations into the robberies are also continuing.

Anyone with information which could assist with this matter should contact Crime Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au 24hrs a day.

Crime Stoppers is a registered charity and community volunteer organisation working in partnership with the Queensland Police Service.

For all non-urgent police reporting or general police inquiries contact Policelink on 131 444 or Policelink.qld.gov.au 24hrs a day.