Today - August 12 - marks 125 years since the first police station was opened in Proserpine.
Before our first “permanent” police presence:
In the early days of settlement, police protection in Proserpine was scant indeed. Members of the Colonial Police Force were responsible for patrolling huge areas of land throughout Queensland. Such was the case for Ferdinand Tompson who travelled by horseback with an aboriginal tracker scouting ahead of him. His police district encompassed all the land bordered by settlements of Proserpine, Cairns and Georgetown and he would take twelve months to cover the district. In the course of his travels, Tompson often stayed at Goorganga (then known as Bromby Park) with his sister, Rebecca Bode. His final resting place is in the Proserpine Cemetery.
Finally, an official police station of our own:
• On August 12, 1897, the Proserpine Police Station – if one could call it that – opened on two acres of land purchased from Proserpine Central Mill directors at £7/acre. It consisted of two duck tents (12 foot by 10 foot) and flys – one for an office; the other for a dwelling. The lockup was primitive - prisoners were chained to a large, heavy log under a massive Moreton Bay fig.
• Constables Tasker and Sherlock and a tracker, patrolled the district on horseback.
• On February 3 1898, a cyclone destroyed the station but requests for a building were ignored.
• In October/November, a police hut was completed after three District Justices of the Peace complained about the inhumane act of chaining prisoners to a log and that police were still living in tents.
• By the end of 1898, the Proserpine district was declared a place for holding Court of Petty Sessions and with a growing population, residents felt a building was appropriate.
• By 1899, a combined police station and courthouse had been erected on the corner of Main Street and what is now known as Mill Street.
When the “silent cops” came to town:
Did you know that Proserpine had two “silent cops” back in 1935? And no, these were not shy recruits.
• Traffic domes made from stone, concrete, metal or other substances were installed in the centre of the road, rising above the road’s surface. They were fitted with reflectors and painted to improve visibility.
• These domes replaced a policeman who, in earlier times, was on point duty at some intersections to direct vehicles in heavy traffic areas. They took on the nickname, “silent cop”.
• Proserpine Council installed two domes, one on Main Street at the Chapman Street intersection and the other at the junction of Mill Street. Drivers had to keep the “cop” on the right when making turns.
It was hoped these would minimise accidents at these corners.
• The “silent cop” disappeared from Queensland roads on Monday, October 1 1962.
Moving forward:
• Over time, there were alterations and extensions to the police station/courthouse built in 1899 – most notable was in 1938 when a major addition saw the complex extended further down Mill Street.
• On June 9, 1967, a new complex consisting of two separate buildings was opened. The police station was built in its current position in Mill Street approximately on its original site while the courthouse was built in Main Street where it still exists today.
• In response to growth in the district, the Cannonvale Police Station, built as a two-officer station, opened on November 30, 1979. Then, in June 2009, a new $11.9 million building including a modern eight-cell facility on site and a major incident room was opened beside the original station.
How times have changed.
Story and photo courtesy of Proserpine Historical Museum
Police station and courthouse complex cicra 1950s
