On 29 February 1988 I became the Regional Superintendent in charge of the North Coast Police Region which was then based at Gympie in the former police station.

Back a fair few years before 1988, Gympie was a 24/7 station which was part of the Maryborough Police District.  While the local MLA, Max Hodges, when he was a Cabinet Minister and with the Queensland Police Force in his portfolio, Gympie was made a Police District in its own right and when Police Regions were being formed Gympie was the base for the North Coast Police Region.

What this meant was that the District Office and Regional Office staff were all cramped into the previous 24/7 station.  The Regional Office staff consisted of myself and a Clerk Typist while the District Office staff consisted of an Inspector (Graeme Hollands), a Sergeant (Bill Waterson), a Constable and I think two female Public Servants at probably AO2 level.  (I mention here that, prior to the state election in 1989 after which the Labour Party transferred the base of the North Coast Region from Gympie to Maroochydore, I had gained excellent accommodation at the Five Ways in Gympie for myself, the District Officer and a new Regional Crime Co-ordinator, together with supporting staff.).

I inquired about the existence of a Social Club but was advised there was none.  I think it was Sergeant Bill Waterson who took up the challenge of encouraging all staff members – sworn and unsworn – to contribute $2.00 from their fortnightly pay to the Queensland Police Credit Union.  This was done and the Social Club received a fortnightly cheque from the QPCU.  I never saw any details of the finances of the Club, not that I wanted to.  (This was a standard practice throughout the state to enable funds to be raised for social activities).

The following is my recollection of how a large fenced off area and BBQ was built in the large holding yard at the rear of the station.

• ·       I had noticed a pallet of Besser blocks in the enclosed yard.  I inquired through I think Sergeant Waterson who was responsible for the case involving the blocks.  Next thing Plain Clothes Constable Lance Guteridge (who I had known as a Police Cadet and who later rose through the ranks to be the Senior Sergeant in charge of Murgon Station.  He is now retired at Stanthorpe) appeared.  He explained the blocks belonged to a builder in Nambour and that they were no longer required by him as the arresting officer.  I suggested to Lance – rightly or wrongly – that he should contact the builder and advise him he could have the blocks back provided he paid for the cartage.  Lance returned to say the blocks were ours.
• ·       I knew the QBuild Supervisor at Maryborough who had been told by the Director General of Works at that time to ‘look after Early with anything reasonable he requested’.  He asked me what I wanted and I said so many three metre steel posts, so many metres of I think 2 metre high chain wire and I think two 2 metre gates.  He thought for a while and queried if a large truck had damaged the fence and naturally I replied yes.  Soon afterwards everything arrived.
• ·       I distinctly recall going and seeing the manager of then Sellars Concrete at Gympie.  I knew of small amounts of concrete being available at the end of jobs and he readily agreed to have these delivered to the area when required.
• ·       One Saturday morning soon afterwards, I recall going to the station and assisting the Station Cleaner Ted Todd to box out what was to become the pad for the BBQ.
• ·       Ted dug the post holes in my time and in due course the posts were fixed and the pad was poured.  Sellars personnel even helped Ted fix the posts and the pad.
• ·       Then Ted got to work, again in my time, and fixed the blocks to make up a nice BBQ.  All that was required was a plate.
• ·       I had a lot to do with Councils in the South Burnett, most of which were later eliminated by the Beattie Government.  However, somehow I recalled that the late Sergeant 2/c Graham (Podge) Pollock, Officer in Charge of Wondai Station,  had a good relationship with the Shire Clerk of the Wondai Shire Council.  I asked him to inquire about a plate for the BBQ which had to be two foot square (600 mm by 600 mm) or even a bit bigger.
• ·       Graham came back to me and advised the Council could supply the plate but it would cost $25.00.
• ·       In those days Regional Superintendents or District Officers had no ‘slush fund’ and on Sergeant Waterson’s recommendation the $25.00 was taken out of the stamp account.  (Don’t know how that was done but I took the $25.00 over to Wondai and picked up the plate in return for the money). 
• ·       We then had to decide who apart from sworn and unsworn staff would be invited to use the BBQ and of course have a quiet ale or two. 
• ·       This was in the middle of the Commission of Inquiry and also at a time when Thursday Island police appeared adversely in the Sunday Truth newspaper for getting  pallets of liquor brought into TI in opposition to a local publican who had a contact in the Sunday Truth. 
• ·       We decided that the only outsiders would be the Court House staff and the late Keith Jamieson, Hour Glass Jeweller in Mary Street, Gympie.  Keith, probably without authority from head office, had an alarm terminating at the Police Station and in return for this favour he produced a 5 gallon keg each year. He also gave a great discount on prizes/trophies used for bowls and golf charity days.
• ·       Then came the official opening which was planned for, from recollection, a midday lunch.
• ·       Again from recollection, invitations were sent to the eleven retired Police Officers in the district.  Names I can recall are:  Charlie Dwyer, Pat Swan and Bob Gray.
• ·       On the morning of the official opening, I distinctly recall going down to the BBQ area and then noticing in the large trees some orchards, staghorns, etc.  My query of Sergeant Waterson received a reply:  ‘I don’t think I should tell you Super’.  However, he later told me the local Detectives had taken the ‘exhibits’ from the Brooyar State Forest which is roughly midway between Gympie and Kilkivan.
• ·       On reflection, the taking of these ‘exhibits’ could have blown up, considering the Commission of Inquiry was still going.  However, to my knowledge nothing came of this venture by the Detectives.
• ·       It was about two years ago when I was present at a medal presentation at the Headland Golf Club when  Detective Senior Sergeant Daren Edwards and I caught up from when he was a Plain Clothes Constable at Gympie.  We got talking about the ‘exhibits’ and he recounted how the Sunshine Coast Helicopter Pilot had blown up when he found out that they were not really exhibits before taking them across to Gympie.    
• ·       Just prior to the official opening, rain commenced to fall.  Sergeant 1/c Cavill Heywood, who was then the Regional Operations Officer seconded to the SES and based at Gympie, was summoned and quickly provided some cover.  The opening proceeded and a good time was had by all.
• ·       I am not sure if the BBQ and the fenced in area survived the transition to a new police station but I have thought for several years I should put these few words together as I don’t think anyone else would be able to tell the story from go to whoa.