South Australia Police Historical Society

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Mounted Police Troopers
By Chas Hopkins
(cont’d from January 2005)

Edward Napoleon Bonaparte Catchlove was a police trooper with an interesting history that I consider worthy of

mentioning. He joined the S.A. Police on 4th March 1863. His Christian names alone should arouse interest. I first learnt of this character through a close neighbour who was a relative [Phillip Catchlove]. He loaned me a copy of the diary the Trooper had prepared when he accompanied the first contingent of S.A. Police to be based in the Northern Territory in June 1870.   The Police Service Record of Catchlove is
as follows-

Date of appointment . Rank    Station. or promotion.
4/3/1863      Third Class Trooper         Adelaide
13/4/1865    Second Class Trooper
14/4/1866    First Class Trooper
1/1/1867     Third Class Trooper
10/5/1867    Second Class Trooper
2/6/1867     First Class Trooper
14/4/1870       “       “          “            Northern Territory
30/4/1872    Resigned
13/12/1875 Third Class Trooper        Adelaide
1/1/1879     Second Class Trooper
1/7/1880    2/Class Mounted Const.
1/9/1880    1/Class Mounted Const.    Waukaringa
         “          “           “       Yongala
                       “          “           “       Farina
4/11/1887        “          “           “       Diamantina
29/11/1892    “          “           “       Beltana
31/12/1897    "         “           “       Port Augusta
17/1/1898        “          “           “       Fowlers Bay
17/4/1903        “          “           “       Adelaide
?/5/1903          “          “           “      Winnecke’s Depot
1/1/1904    Senior Constable            “              “
31/3/1907    Resigned

Notation on file. £185-17-6 compensation paid on April 1907.

I have been unable to find any documents which indicate the reason he was paid this compensation. A pension system and long service leave payments were not in operation at that time.

Due to the shortage of provisions at Darwin after the police contingent arrived there, it was necessary for the inhabitants to travel to a nearby lagoon to shoot wild birds for food.
The supply ship from Adelaide was irregular, as it had to half circumnavigate the Continent to make the deliveries. There were instances where weeks had passed from its expected arrival time.
As there were no enclosures to paddock the police horses, it was necessary at times to travel in excess of 20 miles to recover them. On one occasion in searching for the police horses they discovered a horse abandoned by the explorer Stuart, on his epic journey travelling across Australia. It had probably broken down, but was in good condition when they sighted it and the fact it had eluded the crocodiles, which were prevalent in the area.
On another occasion when a gold exploration team was searching the area 100 miles south of Darwin they discovered a tree marked by Stuart. The entry in the diary included that when he, Catchlove, left Adelaide, only a few people there believed Stuart had achieved his goal in crossing the Continent.
It is well documented that Stuart, although an expert Surveyor, was also a chronic alcoholic at the time he was selected to explore the country, so much so, that police were instructed to ensure that all premises licensed to sell liquor in the areas he was to pass through, were to close for business until he was well clear of their area.
Another character I found to be of interest was Mounted Constable George Aiston.

George joined the Force in the early l890's and spent most of his service in the outback stations. He spent several years at Fowlers Bay and when he married was transferred to the Tarcoola Gold Field. Tarcoola in those days was really in the back-blocks as there was no east-west Railway and it was necessary for him to travel to Coward Springs on the Ghan Train and then collect his camels to travel the 400 miles to his Station. In fact the old Tarcoola Township was located approximately 5 miles from the present town, which came into existence when the railway reached there during the 1st World War. After spending a few years at Tarcoola, Trooper Aiston was transferred to Mungerannie Police Station, which was located on the Birdsville Track. He remained there for 12 years, and resigned when he was informed he was to be transferred.
In fact the old Tarcoola Township was located approximately 5 miles from the present town, which came into existence when the railway reached there during the 1st World War. After spending a few years at Tarcoola, Trooper Aiston was transferred to Mungerannie Police Station, which was located on the Birdsville Track. He remained there for 12 years, and resigned when he was informed he was to be transferred.
When he resigned, he shifted to the Mulka Bore, which was also located on the Birdsville Track and supplied water to the drovers at a penny a head [for the cattle]. He remained there until his death in about 1920. During his service in the outback he had made a study of anthropology and was regarded somewhat an authority on the aborigine. In fact he accepted an invitation to lecture at the Melbourne University on several occasions when on annual leave.

Mr. Aiston travelled extensively in the outback, and in particular in the Cooper Creek area. After his death his widow remained at Mulka & was employed as a bookkeeper on the Station and stayed there until the mid 1950’s. Trooper Aiston had Australia’s best collection of aboriginal artefacts and his widow subsequently donated them to the Adelaide Museum.

Mulka