His services are much needed

Following the reference from HE King "he is a good man & will I think make a good bobby" John Galligan was sworn in as a recruit on 13 February 1882.  Then in July 1882, being well drilled and of good conduct, recommendation was made that he and 3 others be appointed Constables, "particularly as their services are much needed at present".

According to the Queensland Police website

Conditions were arduous and police often worked a seven day week, although they were entitled to every second Sunday free, they rarely benefited from this arrangement. A police officer worked a minimum nine hour day and often more when the situation warranted it. Leave was infrequent.

John's first station was Brisbane (Roma Street).  He almost certainly lived in the barracks, at least until his marriage in 1888.  From the State Library of Queensland -

Roma Street Police Barracks, ca. 1883

[John Oxley Library, neg. no. 65395]

The Roma Street Police Station and Barracks were erected in 1879/1880.

"This building provides barrack accommodation for about forty-five men and room for officer-in-charge. The lower floor contains cells to provide for the use of the station, if needful, as a lockup."

Queensland Legislative Assembly, Votes and Proceedings 1880, Vol II p.1007

Australia Day 2011: John Galligan joins the Queensland police

Happy Australia Day 2011

As part of the Twigs of Yore Australia Day suggestion to find the earliest piece of documentation about an Australian ancestor I have selected this letter written by my ancestor John Galligan in 1881 "respectfully applying for a situation in the Queensland Police Force".

I first obtained this letter early on in my research after hearing from relatives that John had been a policeman.  It  came in reply to a letter I wrote to the Queensland Police Department.  The covering letter to that reply said "I hope the material forwarded provides new data and further avenues for investigation." It most certainly has.

This letter in John's own hand and hopefully accurate on the facts tells us

• John was in Brisbane in 1881
• John could read & write
• John had been in the country for the last 7 years - if I was absolutely certain his arrival was on the Clara in 1875 then the shipping list would be the earliest piece of documentation  
• John was 27
• John was 5 feet nine 
• John had worked for Hon HE Ring who was the speaker of the Legislative of Assembly (Queensland Parliament).  At the time there were 42 members (there are now 89).

Visiting the Queensland State Archives in 2009 I thought I may as well look at John Galligan's police file which I had seen in their index.  My expectation was it would be the same as what I already had.  Instead there were a few surprises including his application to get married to Miss Maggie Hudson residing with her father in Montague Road South Brisbane.   This sentence has opened the door to new Australian & Irish research on the Hudson family.

Opening blog

Welcome to my new blog launched in January 2011.

I hope to share some of my family history research findings & illustrate them with pictures & maps.

Thanks to Twigs of Yore for the upcoming Australia Day challenge.  This has inspired me to get this blog started now so it would be ready in time for me to do my first real post on Australia Day.

Feel free to comment or email me - especially if you think there's a family connection.