Queensland Police Museum

The Queensland Police Museum is focused on police history, Queensland crimes, investigative techniques, the history of policewomen, operational equipment and transport. The collection includes simulated murder scenes, a research library, archival material and images that date back to 1864.

A Tour of the Queensland Police Museum

• Australian Native Police Uniform
• Bandolier
• Poker Machine, 1929
• United Nations Cap

Highlights of the Queensland Police Museum

• Australian Native Police Uniform

  • This Australian Native Police Uniform belonged to an Aboriginal trooper under the command, usually of a white officer. Australian native police units existed in various forms in the Australian colonies during the nineteenth and into the early twentieth century. The aboriginal troopers were vastly superior in their ability to track down dissidents in the early colonial period of poorly charted and challenging terrain.

    The Native Police were a cost-effective and brutal paramilitary instrument in the expansion of the British colonial frontier in Australia. Mounted aboriginal troopers armed with rifles and swords escorted surveyors, settlers, and prospectors into frontier areas. They would set up base camps and patrol these areas to enforce warrants, conduct punitive missions against resisting local aboriginal groups.

• Bandolier

  • This Bandolier was used as a pocketed belt for holding ammunition, usually slung over the chest. This leather bandolier was worn over the shoulder and could carry 20 cartridges in four separate pouches with four brass knobs. The brass buckle sits on the shoulder when worn.

    The Bandolier was used to keep the ammunition of the police officer’s hips, as carrying a significant load on the hips lead to constrained movement and difficulty in ammunition retrieval. The early Bandolier was a standard issue for armed officials from the 16th century to the 18th century. It contained either pre-packed chargers, small containers of wood, metal or cloth containing the measured amount of gunpowder for a single shot with muzzle-loading muskets or other guns, or early forms of cartridges also carrying a musket ball.

• Poker Machine, 1929
  • This Poker Machine is an unusual “pokie” because the odds of achieving three of a kind could be influenced by pressing the buttons at the top to stop the individual wheels. Many of this type of machine and others made in the U.S. were used in clubs in NSW from 1920-1950s.

    Called a “Mills Jackpot Reserve” and nicknamed “Poinsetta,” this gambling machine has 20 symbols, but only every second one can stop in pay window. The buttons on top enable the player to stop the reels and therefore gave the machine a skill factor thus giving it legal status at the time. It is illegal for private individuals to own or operate gambling machines.

• United Nations Cap

  • This United Nations Cap belonged to a Queensland Police Officer who went to Cyprus as part of the 6th contingent of peacekeepers who served during 1969-1970.

    The UNCIVPOL or United Nations Civilian Police consists of Police officers from across the world. During the Cyprus crisis, civilian police were supplied by several countries,, including Australia. Thirty-nine of the Australians came from Queensland Police. The Civilian Police became known as UNFICYP meaning United Nations (Police Peacekeeping) Forces in Cyprus.