Police

Letter containing a statement of absolute pardon for Samuel Henry Horn (more often known as  Horne), dated 1830 and signed by Governor Richard Bourke in 1832

Convict turned constable

A recently donated letter, signed by the governor of NSW in 1832, offers a tangible connection to the story of Samuel Horne, a convict who rose to the rank of district chief constable in the NSW Police

Sergeant Tracker Alexander ‘Alec’ Riley wearing his police uniform

Alexander Riley, legendary Aboriginal police tracker

The remarkable talents of Aboriginal trackers who worked for NSW Police in the 20th century are featured in a display at the Justice & Police Museum

Black and white image of a sandstone building. A man can be seen in the foreground.
Museum stories

Gritty business

Immerse yourself in Sydney's chilling criminal past in this unique water-front museum of policing, law and disorder – with its grizzly collection of underworld weapons along with tales of mayhem and lawlessness, aptly described as an educational resource befitting a 'professor in crime'

Five police men on horseback

Police service guide

The first police force in the Colony was made up of eight of the best-behaved convicts. This guide provides information for researching police officers in NSW

Police Service Card for Constable Hooper. AK724 Container 62

Police service cards

These cards are a rich source of information about police serving in NSW between 1913 and 1986

Howard Family photographs

Police photographer George Howard

George B Howard was a prominent police photographer in Sydney during the 1920s

A man stands looking at the camera with a large black bag next to him.
Underworld

The photographer’s bag

Little personal relics of the man behind the camera make many cameos in the Specials

On This Day

First police force in NSW

On 8 August 1789 Governor Phillip established a night-watch of eight of the best-behaved convicts in the Colony. It was the first police force in the country