QSA846982 1877 Petition from Cloncurry residents to Colonial Secretary 13 December, In letter 78:268, Colonial Secretarys In Letters Part 1 DR64044

[oval stamp, left of centre] COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE QUEENSLAND 268 / JAN 22 . 1878

[written in upper right corner] Inhabitants

Cloncurry 13th Dec 1877

[written diagonally, upper left corner] Copy by Mr Sullivan

To the Honourable , The Colonial Secretary, Brisbane.

The petition of the undersigned Settlers, Storekeepers, Miners & other residents of the Cloncurry gold field in the District of Burke, colony of Queensland.

Respectfully sheweth

That the contemplated removal of the Native Police Force now stationed on the Cloncurry gold field reserve, to the "Dugald Station" is undesirable for the following reasons -. viz,

1st. That the present camp is in the centre of the district and at the terminus of the Townsville & Normanton mail routes, thereby affording facilities for communicating with the officer in charge, which cannot be done when the station is off the main route, without loss of time

2nd. That the death of Walter Dutton lost in the bush and killed by the Blacks is attributed entirely to

[oval stamp, left margin] COMMISSIONER OF POLICE QUEENSLAND263/ 23 . 1 . 78 [written lengthwise down page, in left margin] B/C Commissioner of Police Please report 21/1/78 *** [signed diagonally, left margin] P O'Sullivan 28 Jan 78. 161

to the fact that the then Police Camp was too far removed from the main road, causing a delay & difficulty in the communication

3rd. That the miners and prospectors having to follow their avocations mostly on foot, are more liable to be attacked by, and more entitled to protection from the Blacks than any other class in the District.

4th. That the "Dugald Station" has been recently occupied and is surrounded by stations that have been settled for years, and no cause can be given why it is to be specially protected.

5th. That where the Native Police have to depend on Stations for rations, they are invariably disappointed and have to carry their supplies from the nearest Township, thereby seriously interfering with the regular Patrols of the District; whereas here they are within three miles of the principal Store.

Your petitioners therefore pray that you will allow the force to remain at their present encampment until it can be shown that their

removal is for the public good

And we your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray,

[signed] Clarence Carling ** Sutherland Peter Raimond John Wagner Thomas Kelly Geo Seymour Edward Fier John Lawry A.N. Phillips Thos Winter George Slack Richard Scarr Robt. D. Smith. W'm Bibby. C. P*** Antonio Harlovich Ths Haines Will Bice John Allison Alfred Ginn William Bates James Kellick Thomas Bice Henry Oxenham William Huxley Joseph Hutchinson Charles Henry Cooper George Bice James Shaw Nicklos Bice

John Brown Charles Lee Peter Koch Nil Bengilson William Bull Donald McIntyre Joseph Wynne T.J. Jackson Patrick Lyons John Wynne J. Hassett Joseph Fisher Ja. E. Smith James Jack W. P. McPhail[?] C. A. Eldridge P. W. Brady