The Arrival of the Police on the Gold Fields
In
the Victorian goldfields in 1851, it quickly became obvious that the
Victorian colony’s police force was not able to deal with the growing
numbers of diggers.
As more and more people travelled to the gold fields, the government realised it needed to recruit more policemen but this was difficult for two main reasons:
As more and more people travelled to the gold fields, the government realised it needed to recruit more policemen but this was difficult for two main reasons:
- not many men wanted to be policemen because the wages were much lower than they might be able to make mining for gold;
- most potential police recruits were unreformed convicts, many of them lacking the skills and the moral fibre required to provide law enforcement;
The governors of New South Wales and Victoria had asked the English Government for permission to use the money collected from the miners' for their licenses to pay for costs associated with the gold rush. This would have allowed them to pay police officers a reasonable amount. However they had to wait for an answer from England and, in the meantime, they did not have much money to pay for more and better policemen.
Because of this, some of the troopers who were sent to the gold fields were ex-convicts. Others were old, retired soldiers who had agreed to serve out their army careers as temporary guards in exchange for a grant of land and a cottage.
The diggers recognised "good" authority when they saw it and were not impressed with these new police, whose "...only item of uniform was a blue serge jumper, which – when accessorised with battered cabbage tree hat, dirty moleskins and a rough-cut demeanour - was unlikely to make them stand out in a crowd."
The diggers thought the troopers treated them unfairly. Diggers had to carry their mining licenses on them at all times and any official could stop them and demand to see it. The licence could get wet at the diggings but if the miner left it in his tent, he could be chained up to a tree or a log and then marched off at bayonet point.
The diggers got angrier and angrier. The commissioners and troopers had extraordinary powers and many of them treated the diggers as if they were crooks. Many diggers were crooks, or at least ex-convicts, but the constables were often crooks too. They were often drunk and would take bribes to let people who were really breaking the law go. Often they accepted bribes from people who were running illegal businesses selling alcohol to the miners. They were also so busy collecting license fees that they had little time to fight crime or keep order.
In 1852 the English government agreed to allow the money collected from issuing gold licenses to be used to pay policemen and to build bridges and roads to the gold fields. The higher wages attracted more men, many of whom were educated and by 1853 there were many more troopers and officers (inspectors or sub-inspectors).
Unfortunately this new "gentrified" police force made the diggers even more angry. The troopers were often aggressive and set out to antagonise the diggers. Some of the troopers were men who had failed to find gold and had been made fun of by other diggers. They therefore felt it was time to get back at the men who had made fun of them by treating them harshly and unfairly.
The climate of cooperation between diggers and authority began to deteriorate further as a result of this and the diggers became increasingly dissatisfied and rebellious.
Because of this, some of the troopers who were sent to the gold fields were ex-convicts. Others were old, retired soldiers who had agreed to serve out their army careers as temporary guards in exchange for a grant of land and a cottage.
The diggers recognised "good" authority when they saw it and were not impressed with these new police, whose "...only item of uniform was a blue serge jumper, which – when accessorised with battered cabbage tree hat, dirty moleskins and a rough-cut demeanour - was unlikely to make them stand out in a crowd."
The diggers thought the troopers treated them unfairly. Diggers had to carry their mining licenses on them at all times and any official could stop them and demand to see it. The licence could get wet at the diggings but if the miner left it in his tent, he could be chained up to a tree or a log and then marched off at bayonet point.
The diggers got angrier and angrier. The commissioners and troopers had extraordinary powers and many of them treated the diggers as if they were crooks. Many diggers were crooks, or at least ex-convicts, but the constables were often crooks too. They were often drunk and would take bribes to let people who were really breaking the law go. Often they accepted bribes from people who were running illegal businesses selling alcohol to the miners. They were also so busy collecting license fees that they had little time to fight crime or keep order.
In 1852 the English government agreed to allow the money collected from issuing gold licenses to be used to pay policemen and to build bridges and roads to the gold fields. The higher wages attracted more men, many of whom were educated and by 1853 there were many more troopers and officers (inspectors or sub-inspectors).
Unfortunately this new "gentrified" police force made the diggers even more angry. The troopers were often aggressive and set out to antagonise the diggers. Some of the troopers were men who had failed to find gold and had been made fun of by other diggers. They therefore felt it was time to get back at the men who had made fun of them by treating them harshly and unfairly.
The climate of cooperation between diggers and authority began to deteriorate further as a result of this and the diggers became increasingly dissatisfied and rebellious.