Patrol Officers

A Patrol Officer service in the Northern Territory was established in response to murders in the 1920s and 1930s* and the responses to them. The first Patrol Officer was Theodore (Ted) Stehlow who served from October 1936 until 1942 when he joined the army.

Post WWII the NT was divided into 6 patrol areas. Les Penhall, Syd Lyle-Kittle, Fred Gubbins and Ted Evans were appointed and provided anthropological training at the University of Sydney.

Like the early police, patrol officers were required to travel by horse, camel, foot or canoe in many cases to reach the remotest areas of their district. A similar scheme had been running in New Guinea. Later Patrol Officers were:

• Creed Lovegrove

• Jeremy Long

• Harry Kitching - 1953 to 1960

• Colin McLeod - 1955 to 1958

Les Penhall talks about his time as a Patrol Officer.

Patrol of Southern Stations - 1949 - a report by Patrol Officer Les Penhall

Links

• Nationa Archives of Australia Guide to Patrol Officers

• Patrol Officers Reports

• THE GO-BETWEENS: THE ORIGINS OF THE PATROL OFFICER SERVICE IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY by Jeremy Long

• Appointment of Stehlow in April 1936 - reported in the Northern Star