Olive "Ollie" Philips joined Victoria Police in 1949 and served for over 35 years. In the 1950s she moved to Geelong to establish the areas first Women Police Division. In this photograph she is pictured with another policewoman "Barbara".Black and white photographpolice women, policewoman, police woman, victoria police, philips

Born in India on 10 December 1902, Kath Mackay is described on her Record of Conduct and Service as being 5' 7" tall, weighed 9 stone 4 lb and had hazel eyes, light brown hair and a fair complexion. Before joining Victoria Police in April 1930 she worked in the Chief Commissioner's Office. She worked for many years at Russell Street and in 1943 attained the rank of Senior Constable, the first police woman to attain that rank. In 1956 she was the first woman promoted to Sergeant but only after a separate seniority list for women was created. Kath retired on 10 December 1961 and was later awarded a Chief Commissioner's Certificate.Kath Mackay, dressed in a dark jacket and beret, taken in a parkland setting, circa 1950spolice women, mackay, katherine 8600, police woman, policewomen, policewoman

Gwendoline Mudford was born in Flemington on 11 April 1914 and was appointed to the Police Depot for training on 11 February 1941. Her Record of Conduct of Service describes her as being 5'5" tall and weighing 9st 10lb, with brown eyes, light brown hair and medium complexion. Despite showing great promise of being a successful police woman she was forced to resign on 3 September 1941 due to her impending marriage. Graduation class of July 1941 showing Gwendoline Mudford, centre, as the only woman amongst a group of male graduates'The Terrible Fifty Two Squad 1941 July 1941' (pencil under image)police women, mudford, gwendoline 9575, police woman, policewomen, policewoman

Born 9 May 1901 in Prahran. Her Record of Conduct and Service describes her as being 5' 2½" and 8 stones 3 lbs, with hazel eyes, dark brown hair, a fresh complexion and of good appearance. She belonged to the Church of Christ. She commenced training at the Police Training Depot in 1929. In December of that year she passed the examination for a licence as a Shorthand Writer under the Evidence Act. In 1938 she won first prize for the 'empire-wide' King's Police Gold Medal Essay Competition - the set topic for that year was 'Juvenile Crime - Its Causes and Treatment'. The essay was subsequently published in two parts in The Australian Quarterly. Jessie suffered ill health in later life and died after a stroke on 3 June 1952. She had worked mainly at the Russell Street and the Fitzroy P.C.B. and C.I.B.Jessie Clarey 8507 taken in the early 1930spolice women, clarey, jessie jemima 8507, king's police gold medal, police woman, policewomen, policewoman

Born at Drouin on 2 April 1923. Her Record of Conduct and Service describes her as being 5' 6¼" tall and weighing 10 stone, 3lb., with brown eyes and hair and a fair complexion. She was a factory hand before joining the police force and has also served as a cook with the WRAAF. She served at Russell Street and Geelong and was also seconded to the Crown Law Department at the Fair Rents Board as an investigator. A photograph of Olive with an abandoned baby appeared in the Sun News Pictorial on 30 March 1960. Olive retired on 1 April 1983, having reached retirement age.Two police women talking to a man in an arched entrance. Olive Phillips is in the centre'Taken when at Russell St - possibly late 1960s for some press affair - so not "fair dinkum" suspect P/W Piper - Olive Phillips Joan McShanag' (Blue pen on rear)police women, phillips, olive joyce 10742, russell street, police woman, policewomen, policewoman

Taken from an album of various police departments at Russell Street. Group of Auxiliary Police women, taken from the steps of Russell Streetpolice women, women's police auxiliary force, russell street, police woman, policewomen, policewoman

Cap badge number 251 belonging to Jeanette Silvester The distinctive badge of the Women's Police Auxiliary Force, Victoria Policepolice women, women's police auxiliary force, silvester, jeanette alyce 9954, police woman, policewomen, policewoman

Madge Connor was one of Victoria's first police women. She was appointed as a police agent in 1917 and a fully sworn police officer in 1924.Photograph of Madge Connor, one of the first female police agents employed by Victoria Police in 1917. police agents, connor, madge irene 7711, police women, police woman, policewomen, policewoman

Dark blue tunic with silver buttons and first constable rank. Metal Victoria Police insignia on each shoulder. 1947-1979.'Victoria Police' (on badges) 'June M. Long 23/10/1968' (on inside label)police women, uniform, long, june, m. 11868, police woman, policewomen, policewoman

Kath Mackay was the first female Sergeant and oversaw the Women's Auxiliary and Police women. This diary was issued in 1950 and is a record of her shifts, which included investigations of child-abuse, incest and sexual assault.Official police diary issued to Senior Police woman K.A. Mackay.diary, police women, mackay, katherine 8600, police woman, policewomen, policewoman

Margaret 'Catherine' McVeigh joined the Women's Royal Australian Air Force in 1951, aged 19, discharging at her own request on 10 July 1956. Margaret then joined the Victoria Police Force on 20 June 1956 and served in the Women Police Division. Following the application of the Equal Opportunity Act, Margaret moved to general police duties on 4 January 1979. She was then in charge of No. 3 Division "O" District (Mounted Branch, Police Dog Squad and the Police Horse Stud Farm). In 1973 Margaret won the Churchill Fellowship award and travelled overseas to study the integration of women into world police forces. She then joined the International Police Association and was issued this identification card. Margaret was the first female member of the Victoria Police to attain the rank of Chief Inspector and subsequently Superintendent and Chief Superintendent. In August 1988, at the time of her retirement, she was Chief Superintendent in Charge of the Traffic Operations Group.International Police Association identification card belonging to Police Woman Inspector Catherine Margaret McVeigh. Card has blue cover and is unsigned.mcveigh, catherine margaret, 12428, police women, international police association, police woman, policewomen, policewoman

Nell Davidson was a staunch member of the Salvation Army and was born in Warrcowie, South Australia, in 1885. She was one of the first four 'police women' when she joined Victoria Police as an agent on 3 June 1918. She was described as being 5' 6" tall, weighed 8 stone 7lb, with brown hair and eyes and a dark complexion. She retired on 25 December 1940, having achieved the rank of First Constable in 1934. She was renown for her work in the slums of Melbourne.Nell Davidson, with hat and glasses, seated, second from the right, with members of the Salvation Armypolice women, davidson, ellen francis 7709, salvation army, police agents, police woman, policewomen, policewoman

Taken from an album of various police departments at Russell Street. Auxiliary Police woman looking at a traffic map of Victoria at D24 in Russell Street.police women, d24, russell street, women's police auxiliary force, police woman, policewomen, policewoman

Elva Carr was unhappy waiting around at Russell Street for policemen to bring the work to them. In 1947 she asked Kath Mackay for the opportunity for police women to be more involved in police work. Having proved their worth the Street Patrol was established in 1948 and the police women patrolled the streets in their patrol car, dressed in dark blue uniforms and peaked caps with a silver police badge. Joyce Johnston and Elva Carr during Street Patrol, date unknown.police women, johnston, joyce evelyn 9840, carr, gwenyth elva 9835, street patrol, police woman, policewomen, policewoman

A group of police women taken in the 1950s at the St Kilda Road Police Depot. Third from the right, standing, is Gwenyth Elva Carr, born at Glenhuntly on 19 July 1917. Elva led the first women's Street Patrol in the uniform they designed themselves. The first patrol was on the night of 13 January 1948 when they arrested a woman for being drunk and disorderly.A group of police women in the 1950s taken in front of the Police Depot in St Kilda Rd.police women, women's police auxiliary force, bates, kathleen mabel 11125, carr, gwenyth elva 9835, lenthall, dorothy 11244, williamson, irene may 11657, police woman, policewomen, policewoman

Grace Brebner graduated in 1942 and was the first police woman to attend Detective Training School. She began at the Criminal Investigation Branch in 1951 often taking on undercover shifts at a factory to investigate illegal gambling. Brebner was later employed as Sub-Officer-in-Charge at the Women Police Division.Record of Conduct and Service belonging to Grace Brebner, registration no. 9690. Includes personal description, list of transfers and black and white profile photograph of Grace Brebner.police woman, brebner, grace, 9690, conduct record, service record, criminal investigation branch, detective, police women, policewoman, policewomen

In 1938 Jessie Clarey won first prize for the 'empire-wide' King's Police Gold Medal Essay Competition - the set topic for that year was 'Juvenile Crime - Its Causes and Treatment'.Gold medal in red presentation case given to police woman, Jessie Jemima Clarey for winning the King's Essay Writing Competition for police in all parts of the British Empire. Presentation case has inscription for George VI on outside and emblem of Royal Mint on inside.Obverse - "GEORGIVS VI D: G: BR: OMN: REX ET INDIAE IMP" Reverse - "POLICE ESSAY COMPETITION"clarey, jessie jemima 8507, police women, writing, essay, empire, royal mint, george vi, police woman, policewomen, policewoman

Four uniformed women standing beside a Ford, circa 1953'1953 Ford. Val Jones'police vehicles, transport branch, wireless patrol, motor police branch, motor traffic section, ford car, police women, police woman, policewomen, policewoman