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I am trying to trace the police career of my 3rd great uncle Thomas Hitchcox who seems to have started with the South Australian police, probably moved on to the police force of New South Wales and maybe even later of Tasmania.

This is the timeline that I currently have for him.

In March 1861 the Adelaide firm of Randell and Scott opened at store at Booligal. The manager, Thomas Hitchcox, was briefly postmaster. Booligal Post Office opened on 7 March 1861 (it was closed between 1866 and 1881). In August 1862 it was reported that both hotels at Booligal were closed and the two publicans were insolvent. Hitchcock [sic] resigned as storekeeper to take over the licence of the Booligal Hotel.

  • Married Catherine Francis at Balranald (NSW; occupation given as Post Master at Booligal) in 1861 and had 5 children :
    • 1863 Henry born at Balranald (died 1863 at Hay, NSW) with father's occupation given as publican at Booligal
    • 1865 William born at Bathurst (NSW) with father's occupation given as mounted constable
    • 1866 Caroline born at Bathurst with father's occupation given as constable
    • involved in an incident at Hartley (NSW) in 1867 when another constable was shot: http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/166795582 and http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13138796
    • 1869 another Henry born at Hartley (NSW) with father's occupation given as draper
    • In 1871 he declared his wife (Catherine Francis) to be a lunatic in South Australia: http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/39250658
    • 1872 Catherine born at Adelaide (SA) with father's occupation given as butcher (and "supposed to be in New South Wales")
  • On 25 Jan 1873 my 3rd great grandfather Thomas Hitchcox indicates that Thomas is at Salt Creek in South Australia when he wrote about his children Joe (Joseph), Kitty (Keturah) and Tom (3rd great uncle Thomas) in his diary:

Early in the Morning Fanny (Joe's Wife) was confined of a Boy - Kitty had a letter from Tom, written at Salt Creek

  • On 5 May 1874 the South Australian Gazette records that "Hitchcox, Thomas" was granted a license to be a servant to L.L.Furner at Moonta (SA)
  • On 14 Oct 1874 the South Australian Gazette records that "Hitchcox, Thomas" was granted a license to be a servant to E.Jacobs at Weaner's Flat, Y.P. (which is now known as Yorketown, SA)
  • In 1877 he married Mary Whitmore at Yass (NSW). Mary was committed to Goulbourn Gaol on 2 Apr 1875 at Yass, for a term of 18 months for "concealment of birth" and was discharged 6 months early on 13 Apr 1876 (this now appears to be a different Thomas Hitchcox)

Are there records of the South Australian police force that I could use to determine whether he left the South Australian police force in or prior to 1861?

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I'm not sure how I missed this in my original searches but there is a search page for South Australia Police 1838 to 1920 by Maureen M Leadbeater.

The entry for Thomas Hitchcox there is:

Surname: HITCHCOX
Given name(s): Thomas
Joined: 1-8-1855
Notes: resigned 12-4-1856, Tpr 16-6-1856, resigned 10-6-1857
Sources: GRG5/16, GRG5/23, GG 1855-7

...

Tpr = Trooper

so it looks like he had two periods of service:

  • 1 Aug 1855 to 12 Apr 1856, presumably as a constable
  • 16 Jun 1856 to 10 Jun 1857 as a trooper

I also located a South Australian Police Historical Society.

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