Queenstown Police Station facts for kids
The Queenstown Police Station (you can call them at 034411600 if you need help!) is the biggest police station in the Otago Lakes Central Area. This area is part of the Southern District of the New Zealand Police. The main office for the Otago Lakes Central Area is now back at the Queenstown Police Station. This station looks after a large area, from Kingston in the south to the Crown Range mountains in the north. It also covers from Glenorchy in the west to the Roaring Meg power station in the Kawarau Gorge in the east.
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History of Queenstown Police
The land where the police station stands has been used by police since 1862. That's when gold was first discovered near Arrowtown and the Shotover River! The old Court House next door was built between 1875 and 1877. Before that, court was held in tents! The police station is at 11 Camp Street, and Queenstown used to be known as 'the Camp'.
The station first opened in November 1862. By March 1863, over 1000 people lived in Queenstown. The police force then had an Officer, a Sergeant, a Mounted Constable (who rode a horse!), eight Foot Constables, a Detective, and four horses. There were also police officers in nearby towns like Arrowtown, Frankton, Arthurs Point, and Maori Point.
Back then, there was also a special 'Gold Escort'. This group, run by Cobb and Co, was separate from the police. Their job was to transport gold safely. They also moved prisoners, sometimes shackling them to posts along the way! The escort riders carried guns and swords. Newspapers at the time reported that there were many problems like theft and arguments, which meant the police were very busy.
By 1867, there were police stations in Queenstown, Arrowtown, Frankton, Skipper's, Maori Point, Nevis, Nokomai, and Cardrona.
In the early days, almost all the police staff from Queenstown would travel daily to Frankton. That's where the first court was held. The building that was once the courthouse later became a church.
First Police Buildings
Early photos show the original police station in Queenstown at the same spot. It had a stable for horses, a small cell for prisoners, and a house nearby. The stone bridge at one end of the station grounds was actually built by prisoners!
In July 1960, the Arrowtown police station closed. Constable Leo Daly then took charge of the Queenstown station, and it was updated. The police house was right next to the station.
By 1998, the police station had grown. It included the old police house and was home to many officers. These included senior officers, detectives, constables, and staff who weren't police officers. The station was quite small, with one room used for many different things.
New Police Station Building
The police station you see today was designed by architects Mason and Wales. It officially opened on Friday, July 10, 1998. The building cost $2.3 million to build. Its design fits in well with the historic buildings around it. The land where the station stands is owned by the Māori tribe Ngāi Tahu.
Who Works at the Station?
The Queenstown Police Station is busy all the time! It has officers working in three different shifts, day and night. Each shift has a sergeant (a type of police leader) and a few constables (police officers).
Here are some of the other important people who work there:
- An Inspector, who is like the main boss for the whole Otago Lakes Central Area.
- A Senior Sergeant who helps prevent crime in the area.
- A Senior Sergeant who is in charge of how police respond to calls in Queenstown.
- An officer who helps keep the community safe.
- A Sergeant who helps with family problems and keeping families safe.
- A Constable who works closely with the community.
- A Sergeant and an assistant who help with court cases.
- A Constable who works as a youth aid officer, helping young people.
- A Detective Senior Sergeant who leads all criminal investigations in the area.
- A Detective Sergeant and four Detectives who investigate crimes.
- A Constable who gathers important information for the police.
- A Senior Sergeant who is in charge of road safety for the whole area.
- A Sergeant who leads road safety efforts in Queenstown.
- Eight Constables who focus on road safety.
- An expert who looks after all the computer systems.
- Three officers who work at the station's front desk and help with daily tasks.
- An officer who helps with the overall running of the area.
- A Sergeant and six Constables are based at the Queenstown Airport. They work at the airport, on nearby roads, and also help out in Queenstown when the airport is closed. More staff were added when night flights started at the airport.
Famous Police Officers from the Past
Sergeant Major Hugh William Bracken
In 1862, an Irishman named Sergeant Major Hugh William Bracken arrived in Arrowtown. He was part of the Otago Mounted Police. Bracken had been a soldier in a big war called the Crimean War, so he was very brave and strong. He was a very important person in the early days of Queenstown.
He later left the police to help run a hotel called the Queen's Arms Hotel, which became known as "Bracken's." Hugh Bracken helped to set up Queenstown in 1863 and 1864. He looked after the town at night, often patrolling with his gun. He also helped start a committee to improve Queenstown and raised money for a hospital. He even helped create the local Jockey Club!
At the end of 1864, he sold his hotel. This hotel is now Eichardt's, a very famous building in Queenstown. Bracken then moved to other gold rush towns before returning to Ireland.
St. John Branigan
Mr. Commissioner St. John Branigan was in charge of all the police in Otago. He came to Queenstown in early 1863 to make sure gold was collected safely and that the gold escorts were protected. Before this, he had been a police officer in Australia and had experience from earlier conflicts.
His office in Queenstown was just a tent with a board for a table! Miners used to keep large amounts of gold in simple boxes or other unsafe places. Some would even leave their money with Bracken at the Queen's Arms Hotel. One story tells of a tent with over £100,000 in bags on the floor, guarded only by a cook! The town of Kingston was once called 'St. John's', named after Branigan.
Sergeant McKenzie
Sergeant McKenzie was in charge of the Queenstown Police Station in 1900. He was known as a very careful and alert officer who did a lot of good for the town. In June 1900, he spoke out about rules for hotels staying open late. He believed that if rules were too strict, people might try to break them more often. He thought it was important for tourists to find hotels open when they arrived late, but also wanted to make sure the town stayed safe and orderly.
