The Northern Territory Police Association
A brief history - page 1
Imagine serving in a police force with no industrial organisation to support your legitimate claims. Consider what conditions you might have - one day off a fortnight perhaps, no provision, of housing, and no sick leave. These are all some of the conditions that police associations in Australia have fought for in recent years. The existence of our Association is one of the reasons that the conditions of police have changed so much in the Northern Territory over the last sixty five years.
In Northern Territory, 2 months after the declaration of the World War II the inaugural meeting of Northern Territory Police Association was held. Since then, the organisation has gone from strength to strength.
Before considering the history of the Police Association it is necessary to digress briefly and consider the origins of the Police Force itself. The Northern Territory Police Force was founded in January 1870, when Sub-Inspector Paul Foelsche, one corporal and five troopers arrived in Darwin. At that time the Northern Territory Police Force was a Division of the South Australia Police. In 1911 the Commonwealth assumed control of the Northern Territory Police Force. Discipline was hard and living conditions rough. Many single members lived in tents. An industrial body representing police was unheard of.
After the Commonwealth assumed control of the Northern Territory Police, the Police Force became the Northern Territory Mounted Police. Unfortunately, the change of control did not bring with it a change in the fortunes of the Police Force. Expenditure on the Police Force did not match the needs. Many, younger police officers became discontent. A Parliamentary visit to the Northern Territory in 1922 resulted in Senator Newlands announcing in federal parliament:-
"We found that on travelling through the Northern Territory that the conditions under which the police are asked to live are an absolute disgrace. They have the worst horses, and the worst accommodation of any section of people in the Territory."
By the mid 1930's a number of members were dissatisfied with the system of promotions without examination, the lack of an allowance for escorting leper patients, inadequate accommodation and patronage in relation to postings. Pay rises were infrequent. The poor standard of housing was particularly galling as other government employees consistently received better qualify accommodation. A direct appeal to the Administrator who was also Commissioner of Police, resulted in only one matter being addressed, examinations for promotion were instituted.
