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Bryan Boyd KELAHER | |
Cadet ID: 261 | |
Association ID: 430 | |
Details: | |
I joined the Cadets in
1940 with twelve others. After about 12
months, I stood for the Silver Baton Competition which finally came down to
Jack McNeill and me and so, to separate us, they gave us a shorthand test to
decide who would win. Naturally, when
they were not looking, we exchanged notes and we both put in a perfect
transcription. The result showed that
somehow we had put our heads together and the Cadet Sergeant, CJ Delaney, gave
us a blast and made us do a fresh test. It turned out they couldn’t separate us so we both received 12 months’
seniority and they decided it would be a waste of time putting us through the
class. As far as I know, we were the
only two cadets not to go through the three months initial training. I picked up my uniform
from the building beside the gym, got changed in the gym, and Sergeant 1/c
Delaney told me I was attached to No. 3 Division. So I jumped aboard a tram to Darlinghurst and
walked into the Station. The Station
Sergeant was Mick O’Connor who looked me up and down and grunted, “Go over to
Kings Cross and relieve Ahearn for lunch.” Being a good country boy I enquired where Kings Cross was located and
was told, “Go and find out!” I walked out of the
Station and saw the Traffic Constable from It did not take long
before I went to the CIB in Later I was
transferred from CIB Central to Glebe and spent 8 years working with Detective
Sergeant Blissett (“The Blizzard”) which was the hardest period of my
life. Crime was forbidden in Glebe and
we made it very unhealthy for criminals as they could live there but it did not
matter what they did elsewhere (unless it was very serious). Blissett was the most dedicated detective I
have ever known and we not only did our own area but helped out in Balmain and I “fell out of favour”
over one incident and so was transferred to Police Boys Club at the Police
Training Centre in uniform (being the greatest possible insult to any
hardworking detective). It became
evident I was not expected to work and they merely wanted me to resign. It did not take long for me to realise that
getting back to plainclothes would be impossible so I went to Sydney University
on a night time course and did Valuation and Town Planning, graduating in both. I applied for and got
a job as a Valuer with the NSW Valuer General’s Department but when I submitted
my resignation Commissioner Norm Allan stopped my appointment and refused
to accept my resignation. The Valuer
General thought I had been given a “rough deal” and organised with his opposite
number in Then I opened my own
valuation business on the Gold Coast and did motor trade valuation work for Nic
Politis, who also ran the Eastern Suburbs Rugby League team. Finally I retired in 2006 when I was 85 years
of age. I joined the Gold
Coast Branch of the Retired Police Association some years ago to keep in touch
with former colleagues. Socially, I have been
a fanatical member of the Surf Life Saving Association for the last 65
years. While in My only real failure
in life was shorthand writing. I thought
I was “the best” but two years in a row I was beaten for the Pitman Gold Medal
by Miss Hornblower who wrote at 190 words per minute against my best of 180
wpm. She was simply too good. I look forward to
getting a telegram from the Queen in due course. In summary: the then
Commissioner, William John MacKay lined us up and said, “How am I going to keep
the boys down on the farm?” He then
outlined how we would receive seniority for hard work to stay in the Police Force. The members of my group were dedicated to
PROTECTING THE PUBLIC and we did so. What we had trouble with was handling the dislike and victimization by
senior officers who had no ability, did nothing, and were promoted on seniority
in their order on the Seniority List. |