Physical description

Hard Bound Volume. Victorian Police Gazettes for 1863
Author: Institutional Government Publication
Publisher: John Ferres, Melbourne
Date: 1863
Further Information: Compilation of Weekly Victorian Police Gazettes for 1863 in a hard bound volume with red spine and red corner reinforcing. Front panel grey coloured lettering in gilt with gilt banding to spine. Inside is twelve issues of the Police Gazettes for 1863.

Publication type

non-fiction

Inscriptions & markings

No library labels or markings, on first page is the first Gazette for January 2nd 1863.

Summary

The Victoria Police Gazette was a confidential, internal publication of the Victoria Police, issued to inform police officers, court and justice officials, and government departments about matters relevant to policing across the colony. It commenced in December 1853 and was initially published weekly by the Victoria Police. It was distributed each week to city and rural police stations and to government offices and newspaper publishers.
Inclusions in this weekly publication were people wanted for questioning in relation to various crimes, prisoners discharged from city or country gaols, extracts from Police Gazettes in New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, Tasmania, New Zealand, and occasionally overseas countries, as well as extracts from the Hobart Town Gazette listing escaped convicts and the person to whom they were assigned.
There was also a "Missing Friends" section, where most people listed were not criminals but were sought by police so relatives, old friends, or government officials could renew contact with them. In addition, there was a record of deserted wives and children, listing the offender's name, birthplace, age, occupation, last known area of residence, likely future movements and known relatives. There was also a section on court lists, warrants issued, appointments and staffing changes within the police service, arrest and discharge records with physical descriptions, and lists of pastoralists with descriptions of their livestock brands.