Gold fever and the Kelly Gang
During the gold rush of the 1850s, policemen collected taxes for the government and policed unlicensed miners. On Sunday, 3 December, 1854, miners unhappy with the gold licensing system and the administration of the goldfields at Ballarat barricaded themselves in what became known as the Eureka Stockade. A military force, including 94 police, attacked the miners' camp. Up to 30 rebels were killed and four soldiers died. No police lost their lives but the events of that day are forever etched in Victoria Police history.
The nineteenth century was also marked by another significant event in Australian history. On 26 October, 1878, Sergeant Michael Kennedy rode out with Constables Thomas Lonigan and Michael Scanlon to arrest the outlaw Ned Kelly. The men were ambushed and never returned, killed in the line of duty by the Kelly Gang at Stringybark Creek, near Mansfield, Victoria.
The hunt for the notorious Kelly Gang lasted two years and ended in 1880, when Ned Kelly was arrested at Glenrowan. Kelly was hung at the Old Melbourne Goal on 11 November, that same year. In 2001, a memorial in honour of the policemen killed by the Kelly Gang was unveiled on the anniversary of their deaths at Stringybark Creek.
To read the account of the only surviving police member at Stringybark Creek, Constable Thomas McIntyre, visit the 'Collections' link on the right side of this page.
In 1923, Victoria Police members went on strike, prompted by member's dissatisfaction with the lack of state funded pension and an inequitable supervisory system. Full scale riots and looting followed during which three people were killed. Civilian volunteers were employed by the state to help restore order. A total of 634 members were discharged and two members dismissed.
The year 1917, proved a significant year in the organisations history, as it was the year the Victoria Police Association (the police officers' union) was formed.
The history of Victoria Police has also been marked by World War I, the Depression period, followed by problems with unemployment, demonstrations and strikes, and then World War II. By the mid 60s, the population of Victoria passed two million and police were trying to combat gambling issues, a developing youth culture, Vietnam War demonstrations and the impact of drugs on our society.
