January 2001

Whilst many of us celebrated the Christmas and New Year period I am pleased to report that many of the SAPHS members continued to work tirelessly for the Society during this time. Many thanks to the Thursday Group for their continued efforts. I must also give special thanks to Senior Sergeant Charlie Tredrea, who in his own time, designed and implemented our Society’s own Web page. Many thanks to Charlie and those involved.

I hope that you all had an enjoyable Christmas and New Year. For many of us who had to work (police duty) during this time we certainly were kept busy and did not have a great deal of time to think about celebrating the New Year.

With the new year upon us it is now time to plan for the Society’s activities for the continuing 12 months. The February Annual General Meeting gives us an opportunity to reflect back on the past 12 months, to elect a new Executive Committee and plan for the future. The Annual General Meeting gives all Society members an opportunity to nominate to serve on the Executive Committee. I am already heartened to know that many of the current serving Executive Committee members have indicated their willingness to continue in that capacity and I am confident that we will again have no difficulty in filling all positions.

Remember there is no January general meeting. Our next meeting is the AGM on Friday 2 Feb ruarv. I look forward to seeing you all there.

Once again thanks for your outstanding support during 2000 and I look forward to your continue support and involvement in 2001.

John White
President

The SOCIETY was founded in December 1977 and has grown steadily. to provide its members with a wide range of activities, including field trips, excursions, film nights and interesting monthly meetings.

If you, like me, find tripping among the tombstones an engaging exercise .  .  .  .  read on.

Recently at the North Road Cemetery I had just finished Photographing the headstone of a Police Inspector who was accorded a Police funeral in 1931 when I came across another Police grave of a Sergeant who died in 1926.

A check on his Service Record produced a list of misdemeanours and penalties for infringements of the Police code of the day. To us, quite hilarious.

He joined in 1882 and within a year was found “Asleep on his beat” and was reprimanded for ”Neglect of Duty being in the Lady Daly hotel”, fined three days pay. “Drinking in the Adelaide Brewery” brought a fine of two shillings and sixpence.

Six years later he was charged with the curious offence of “Exceeding his duty re Mr. Worth”.   Fined one days pay and cautioned. The following year he was up for “Insulting Mrs J. Moss” for which he was severely reprimanded.   Four months later he was Fined one days pay for “Not attending Court”.

This must have pulled him up rather sharply as 21 years elapsed before he was again charged with the Heinous offence of “Hands in pockets at Morphettville Races.” Fined eight shillings and sixpence.

There is much work to be done in recording Police graves. If you would like to help our Society in this field perhaps you could contact me on 8278 1311 or on Thursday mornings at the Barracks on 8207 4103.
 

Dorothy Pyatt

***************************

COVER OF HUE & CRY

S.A.P.H.S. members, Dorothy Pyatt, Pat Minahan and Terry
Roberts clearing and recording the grave of
Trooper Kewson at Clare, 1982.

IN 1932 — WHEN I WAS A Motor Traffic Constable (‘Speed Cop’) the speed limit in Adelaide was 25 m.p.h.    At about 9.15 a.m. one morning, having timed a car travelling at just over 30 m.p.h., I called on the driver to stop.
He showed considerable annoyance, I must say, when I told him of his offence and proceeded to ask his name, and address etc.   He grudgingly gave that information - but when I asked his occupation he asked, “Do I have to give you that?”
I told him No, but we are instructed to ask for it.” With a scowl and after a moment’s thought, he answered, “Put me down as a labourer.

“You’re no labourer”, I said, “But I’ll put that down in the report if you say so.”
“what do you think my occupation is?”, he more or less sneered.
To that I replied, “I don’t know. But I’ll be surprised if you aren’t a professional man of one kind or another!”
“Put me down as a labourer”, he repeated.
As I turned to leave him he nodded at my right hand which was very badly inflamed, swollen and painful from blood poisoning, “You should get that attended to.” he said.   I told him that as soon as I was relieved from the patrol, which should be within half an hour, I proposed to go to the Adelaide Hospital and have it attended to.  And this I did.

At the hospital I was referred to “Casualty”, and after the nurse had stripped my arm they called the doctor. Who should come in - but the man I’d ‘pinched’ for speeding!
“Oh...Hell!...”, thinks I.   But he gave no sign of recognition; indeed, he did not appear to even look at me. He ordered the nurse to apply a local anaesthetic —and then proceeded to cut deep into the greatly inflamed and swollen flesh.
His first half-inch or so of cutting gave me little pain... but before long he had hacked down further and I was in agony  - Did he do anything to me!??

Once I realised he was “getting his own back”, I was determined not to move or show pain. But when he stuck an instrument something like a pair of pliers right down into the by then very deep cut and deliberately spread the wound, I came the nearest I have ever been to fainting — before or since!

I didn’t move a muscle. I was determined not to give him that satisfaction.
All good — and bad — things come to an end and as he moved to leave the surgery after washing his hands, I quietly remarked to him:
“Well, you DID give your right occupation after all!”   The peals of laughter that followed from the nurses left me in no doubt as to their having been told of the doctor’s plan....

Police may get handymen duties
Will some western cops be forced to wash cars, clean cells and replace light globes when they should be out walking the beat? James Quast investigates:

SENIOR western police are furious at a decision to remove handymen from local stations — a move they claim could drain resources and force police to carry out menial tasks.
Spokeswoman for the South Australia police (SAPOL) Roberta Chan confirmed station handymen positions would be abolished after December 31.
She said the role of handymen would be absorbed by existing property maintenance and cleaning contracts.
But the Portside Messenger understands police believe many of these jobs - such as cell cleaning, car washing, gardening and low-level maintenance will be expected to be carried out by station police.
When contacted last week, senior police declined to comment and referred the Messenger onto SAPOL.
But the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union (LHMU), which represents the station handymen, said as many as 17 positions across SA were to be phased out for an as yet  undetermined period after December
31.
Union official Rod Graham said senior police were furious with the decision but had been gagged from speaking out.
He said under the changes, Local Service Areas would have to pay contractors from station funds or assign tasks to on-duty police: “My under­standing is $400,000 was taken out of the police budget and that meant the loss of the handymen,” Mr Graham said.
He said the LHMU disagreed with the decision and was angry its members had not been consulted.
“They (handymen) do the mundane tasks which allow the police to do what they’re supposed to.”
Ms Chan said the loss of handymen was part of a Statewide efficiency strategy.  “Current employees will be offered redeployment to other duties or be eligible for voluntary separation pack­ages,” she said.
But Mr Graham said most of his members could not afford to take packages: “Most of them are in their 40s and 50s with families to support.”
He supported the SAPOL’s efficiency plan, which aimed to put police resources back into policing, but this should not come at the expense of the handymen: “I don’t argue with putting extra resources into police. But what the handymen are doing is freeing up police from more menial tasks. They help the station run smoothly.”
 

Ten years prior to the discovery of four female bodies in shallow craves near Truro South Australia, four women had been found in shallow graves in similar circumstances at Truro. Massachusetts USA.

A.P.
 

Because the buildings were in such a state of disrepair. Judges in Sydney’s old law courts in the 1940s often found it necessary to sit with blankets wrapped around their legs during the cold weather. And orderlies were required to stand by barristers’ tables with mops to mop up puddles formed by the dripping water caused by the rain.

AP.