Police Politics, Patronage and the 1899 Royal Commission in Queensland

Revisiting the 1899 Royal Commission into the Queensland Police Force (QPF) this article studies the persistence of political patronage in the appointment of public service leaders. In 1895 the Queensland government appointed William Parry-Okeden to replace David Seymour as leader of the QPF. He in turn made Frederic Urquhart head of the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB). Dissatisfaction with the CIB’s handling of some homicide cases prompted the government to appoint a Royal Commission in 1899. Finding that patronage was causing tensions in the QPF, the Royal Commission censured both Parry-Okeden and Urquhart and recommended that senior appointments and promotions be based on merit. The subsequent career of Urquhart demonstrates the persistence of patronage in Queensland’s police force.