Otago Police Gazette

In 1852 New Zealand was divided into six provinces, each with an elected council and a superintendent. These provincial governments became responsible for policing within their own regions, and each set up police forces of their own.

The Otago police force was the first province to publish a Police Gazette. This was modelled on police gazettes from Australia, particularly Victoria’s. The Otago Commissioner of Police, St John Branigan, requested copies from the Australian forces to help his men identify criminals coming across the Tasman because of the goldrushes.

The first issue of the Otago Police Gazette was published on 28 October 1861. It was initially published fortnightly and circulated around the province’s police stations. Copies were also supplied to the heads of other police forces in New Zealand and Australia. The first issue included a description of a highway robbery that had taken place at the foot of the Maungatua by “five men wearing masks on their faces, and armed with revolvers…The first offender is 5 feet 10 inches high, rather stout, florid complexion…wore a black oilskin coat, rather old, mole-skin trousers with red clay marks…4th and 5th fingers to left hand short and stiff.” (28 October 1861: 2) Detailed descriptions like this helped police recognise offenders in the days before mugshots were commonly used.

As well as descriptions of crimes and offenders, the gazette contained information about missing people, stolen items, lost and found property, and notices about police appointments or promotions. It also published reports of discharged prisoners which, as well as listing the prisoner’s name, offence, date and place of trial, and sentence, included information about their occupation, height, eye and hair colour.

In 1864, the provincial government, for reasons of cost, suggested closing down the Otago Police Gazette and replacing it with notices in the general Otago Provincial Government Gazette. St John Branigan fought to retain it as a separate publication and won, although it became a monthly, rather than a weekly, publication from July 1864.

Canterbury (1863), Southland (1864) and Auckland (1865) soon followed suit, and established police gazettes of their own. These were also circulated around the country. However, copies of the Otago and Canterbury police gazettes are the only ones to survive. When the provinces were abolished in 1876, the police gazettes were merged to become the national New Zealand Police Gazette, the first issue of which appeared in July 1877.