Royal Commission at KellyGang

The Royal Commission on the Police Force of Victoria 1881 was one of the great clashes between authority and accountability in Australian history.

It conducted a large scale review into the events of the KellGang and the police. It led to many of the senior officers in the Police Force of Victoria involved in the hunt for the KellGang loosing their jobs.

The main issues covered on this page include Establishment of the Royal Commission , The First Report , The Second Report , Account of the KellyGang story , Members of the Royal Commission , List of Witnesses ,

The Royal Commission examined most of the police and some of the other key players. The KellyGang were off course all dead. So was Aaron Sherritt. Most of the sympathizers were also still outside the law. But the Royal Commission's summary of events is a good record of the main parts of this story.

On 5/7/1880 Com Standish called for an inquiry.(see text) (RC 79)

Establishment of the Royal Commission

On 30/6/1880, soon after the siege at Glenrowan, Ass Com Nicolson asked for a Royal Commission. See text (RC886)

The Royal Commission was established on 7/3/1881 to
1. To inquire into the circumstances preceding and attending the Kelly outbreak.
2. As to the efficiency of the police to deal with such possible occurrences.
3. To inquire into the action of the police authorities during the period the Kelly gang were at large.
4. The efficiency of the means employed for their capture; and
5. Generally to inquire into and report upon the present state and organization of the police force.
An additional reference was made to Insp O'Connor and whether he should be appointed to the Victoria Police

The Commissioners held 66 meetings, and examined 62 witnesses. They visited several centres in the district, including Benalla, Greta, Glenrowan, Beechworth, Sebastopol and Wangaratta.

Commissioner Standish recommended that the Royal Commision be held. In part he said "the conduct of the members of the force has been, according to some, characterised by an inconceivable disregard of human life, and according to others, by an absence of that courage and dash which every good constable should possess." "that the proceedings should not be open to the press, for though the full details of what the police have been doing should be known to the Government, it would be obviously contrary to public policy that they should he published for general information." The Royal Commission stated its position in the following words, " I suppose you are aware that all the members on this Board are more or less identified with the public, Members of Parliament, or otherwise; that they receive no remuneration; that they have been severely criticised on this Board; and do you think it would be fair to them that the press should not be present"(RC141)

First Report
The first report was issued on 6 July 1881 made a number of specific recommendations
- Inspector O'Connor not ba appointed as an officer in the Victoria Police
- the permanent employment of black trackers as an auxiliary branch of the police service
- a thorough system of police patrol shall be established throughout the colony, more especially in the North-Eastern district
- that immediate steps be taken to arm the mounted police of the colony with the Regulation Pattern Martini-Henry carbine.(RCApp20)

Second Report
The second report was issed at the end of the Royal Commission in October 1881. They made a number of specific recommendations and then issued a description of the main events of the hunt for the KellyGang.

The recommendations included
1. The administration of the police in the North-Eastern District was not satisfactory; and that a grave error was committed in abolishing the police station at Glenmore, and in reducing the number of men stationed at other places.
2. The conduct of Captain Standish (see Standish for details).
3. The conduct of Mr. Nicolson (see Nicolson for details)
4. That the charge made by Superintendent Hare about hand over from Nicolson 2/7/1880 - disproved by the evidence. 5. The conduct of Superintendent Hare (see Hare for details).
6. The conduct of Superintendent Sadleir (see Sadleir for details).
7. The conduct of Inspector Brook Smith (see Brook Smith for details)
8. The conduct of Detective Ward (See Ward for details)
9. The conduct of Sergeant Steele (see Steele for details)
10. The conduct of constables Henry Armstrong, William Duross, Thos. Patrick Dowling, and Robert Alexander.
11. The conduct of Senior-Constables Kelly and Johnson.
12. The conduct of Constable Bracken.
13. Mr. James Wallace.
14. Mr. Thos. Curnow.
15. Mr. C. H. Rawlings .
16. approval of the assistance rendered to the police at Glenrowan by the members of the press present.
17. appreciation to the Queensland Government in forwarding a contingent of native trackers to Victoria

Mr Dixon was very critical of the decision of the Commission in relation to Hare and the majority responded in a vigorous manner

Account of the KellyGang story
The Royal Commission produced as part of its second report a good account of many aspects of the KellyGang story under

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The role of the Royal Commission in the KellyGang story

Overview

Members of the Royal Commission

The records of the Royal Commission

KellyGang