FIRST COMMISSIONER
EROM THE RJAIIKS
oN THE 1 JULY 1-964' THE NORTHERN TERRTTORY PoLrcE, THE FIRST TIME TN ]TS 94 YEAR H]STORY, A SERV]NG MEMBER FROM RANKS, WAS APPOTNTED COMMTSSTONER.
FOR THE
THE NORTHERN TERRITORY HAS ENJOYED POLICE PROTECT]ON CONTINUOUSLY SINCE JANUARY 1870, WHEN PAUL FOELSCHE AND 6 CONSTABLES LANDED IN PALMERSTON (NOW DARWIN) FROM SOUTH AUSTRALIA. FOELSCHE AND HrS SUCCESSOR, TNSPECTOR NTCHOLAS WATERS, WERE ANSWERABLE TO THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE IN ADELAIDE.
AFTER THE POLICE CAME UNDER COMMONWEALTH CONTROL TN I9II, THE GOVERNMENT RESIDENT,OR AS THE POSITION IS NOW KNOWN AS, THE ADMINISTRATOR, HELD THE TITLE OF COMMISS]ONER OF POLICE IN THE NORTHERN TERR]TORY.
THERE WAS A 3 YEAR RESPITE FROM THIS PRACTICE, IN 1.924 UNTIL 1'927, A MAJOR G.C.V. DUDLEY HELD THE POSITION OF COMMISSIONER. ON HIS DEPARTURE, THE OLD SYSTEM RESUMED.
CLIVE WILLIAM GRAHAM, THE SON OF A FORMER N. S.W. POLICEMAN, JOTNED THE NORTHERN TERRTTORY POLTCE ON THE 7 NOVEMBER, 1932. AT THAT T]ME THE POLICE FORCE CONSISTED OF ABOUT 40 MEMBERS, INCLUDING THE SUPERINTENDENT AND FOUR SERGEANTS. TEN YEARS AFTER HE JOINED, CLIVE GRAHAM BECAME A A SENIOR SERGEANT IN L949, AN INSPECTOR IN 1.952, SUPERTNTENDENT rN 1956, DEPUTY COMMTSSTONER rN 1960, AND FTNALLY, rN JULY 1964, THE TOP JOB. SERGEANT,
AFTER SERVING IN DARWIN, GROOTE EYLANDT, ALICE SPRINGS A.\ID TENNANT CREEK, AND IN i931 HE OPENED THE FIRST ''STATION'' AT HATCHES CREEK.
IN JULY 1938 HE MARRIED MISS JANE HAYES, FROM UNDOOLYA STATION, AND TOOK HIS NEW BRIDE TO THE NEW "STATfON" AT HATCHES CREEK. IT WAS A CANVAS AND BOUGH MANSION! LATER THAT YEARS THEY TRANSFERRED TO BARROW CREEK, ]N 1939 TO F]NKE, I94O RANKIN RIVER, L942 ANTHONY' S LAGOON, AND THEN AFTER THE WAR HE REMAINED MA]NLY IN DARWIN, AFTER A SHORT STINT IN THE AL]CE.
JULY SEEMED TO BE A VERY SIGNIFICANT MONTH FOR THE MAN. HIS PROMOTIONS WERE EFFECTED IN THE MONTH, H]S TRANSFERS, THE SAME, HIS WEDDING' IN .JULY...AND THEN HIS UNTIMELY DEATH, ON THE 11 JULY 1983.
MOST OF
A
TRIBUTE TO OUR FIRST COMMISSIONER, THROUGH THE RANKS.
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