Shaping Our Identity: Law & Order

A tender for a new Court House and Lock-up in the Government paddock was accepted in July 1847 and was to be completed within six weeks. Just two months before, a prisoner had to be transferred to Brisbane for safe custody as the Ipswich lock-up was considered to be insecure.

There were frequent complaints about the insecurity of the lock-up at Ipswich. New Watch Houses were proposed for Ipswich and South Brisbane in December 1852.

Ten new cells were added to the Ipswich lock-up in late 1862. This was considered to be necessary as the watch-house was also being used as a gaol and the accommodations were thought to be inadequate. A few months earlier the lock-up at Ipswich had been proclaimed as a public prison (for reception and detention of prisoners committed to and awaiting trail) during the sittings of the Circuit Court.

Little Ipswich Watch-house
Little Ipswich, now known as West Ipswich, had a Watch-house as early as 1863. The North Australian reported on 23 May 1863 that Daniel Sullivan was charged of stealing property from John Pickard of the Steam Packet Hotel. He was confined in the Little Ipswich Watch-house. It was noted that his children would be allowed to visit him but any adults visiting had to do so in the presence of the watch-house keeper.

Constable Jesse Stevens was stationed at the Little Ipswich Watch-house when he died in 1877. Constable Stevens funeral left from his residence at Little Ipswich on 15 February 1877. The Queensland Times reported that he had been in charge of the Little Ipswich lockup for many years and that he had been in the Police Force for approximately sixteen years.

On the 24th February, not long after his death, an article appeared in the Queensland Times suggesting that the Queensland Police Force establish a system similar to that of New South Wales that provided annuities for the families of deceased officers. This was raised by monthly deductions from the pays of officers. This suggestion was prompted by the fact that upon his death Jesse Stevens had not provided for his family.

Constable Richard Francis Woodcraft who was stationed at Ipswich was appointed to be in charge of the Little Ipswich Police Station after the death of Constable Jesse Steven. He was promoted to the rank of Senior Constable in 1878 and had been stationed in Ipswich for six years prior to this time. By 1879 he was stationed at Mount Esk where he was the inspector of Slaughter Houses and the Acting Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths at Esk. In 1888 he was Senior-Constable at Harrisville where he was the inspector of breweries, acting Clerk of Petty Sessions and the assistant registrar of births and deaths at Harrisville. He retired from the Police Force c.1892 and later became involved with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty. Richard died on 4 August 1908 at his home in Main Street, Kangaroo Point.