Geoffrey Ernest SHEATHER
AKA ?
Late of ?
“possible” relation in ‘the job’: ?
NSW Police Training Centre – Belmore Barracks Class # ? ? ?
New South Wales Police Force
Regd. # 2081
Uniform # 2540
Rank: Commenced Training “possibly” at Belmore Barracks Police Academy on Monday ? ? ?
Probationary Constable- appointed 12 May 1925 ( aged 21 years, 0 months, 7 days )
Constable – appointed 12 May 1926
Constable 1st Class – appointed 28 May 1937
Detective – appointed ? ? ? ( NO )
Senior Constable – appointed 20 July 1945
Leading Senior Constable – appointed ? ? ? ( N/A )
Sergeant 3rd Class – appointed 10 April 1947
Sergeant 2nd Class – appointed 1 March 1953
Sergeant 1st Class – appointed 1 April 1956
Inspector 3rd Class – appointed 17 December 1959
Inspector 2nd Class – appointed 12 June 1961
Final Rank: = Inspector 2nd Class
Stations: Depot ( 12 May 1925 )
Southern District: Burrowa ( 24 December 1925 – 23 November 1926 )
Ariah Park ( 24 November 1926 – 7 April 1927 )
Temora ( 8 April 1927 – 15 August 1927 )
Tallimba ( 16 August 1927 – 2 January 1928 )
Ardlethan ( 3 January 1928 – 13 January 1928 )( Temporary )
Nimmitabel ( 14 January 1928 – 7 November 1928 )
Queanbeyan ( 8 November 1928 – 7 November 1930 )
Yass ( 8 November 1930 – 13 August 1934 – 26 May 1938 )
Goulburn ( Cancelled )( General Duties )
North Eastern District: Gosford ( 27 May 1938 – 8 October 1948 ( GDs )
Newcastle GDs ( Cancelled )
Metro District: 9 Division ( 9 October 1948 – 13 October 1948 )( GDs )
12 Division ( Hurstville )( 14 October 1948 – 6 June 1949 )( GDs )
18 Division ( Parramatta )( 7 June 1949 – 12 November 1950 ( GDs )
18 Division ( Merrylands )( 13 November 1950 – 1 September 1953 )( O.I.C. )
Dubbo District: Cobar ( “A” Class )(2 September 1953 – 28 May 1954 )( O.I.C. )
Metro District: 9 Division ( Burwood )( 29 May 1954 – 8 May 1955 )( GDs )
18 Division ( 9 May 1955 – 18 March 1956 )( GDs )
11 Division ( 19 March 1956 – 9 August 1956 )( GDs )
18 Division ( 10 August 1956 – 25 August 1957 )( GDs )
22 Division ( Liverpool )( 26 August 1957 – 15 October 1959 )( GDs )
20 Division ( 16 October 1959 – 24 January 1960 ( Temp )( Training )
4 Division ( 25 January 1960 – 24 May 1960 ( Assistant Officer )
22 Division ( 25 May 1960 – 29 June 1960 ( Assistant Officer )
18 Division ( 30 June 1960 – 4 May 1964 )( O.I.C. )
Service: From ? ? ? to 4 May 1964 = ? years Service
Retirement / Leaving age: = ?
Time in Retirement from Police: ?
Awards: No Find on Australian Honours system – however,
Awarded the Police Long Service & Good Conduct Medal – 11 February 1957
Born: Thursday 5 May 1904 in Gundagai, NSW
Died on: Tuesday 26 January 1993
Age: 88 years, 8 months, 21 days
Organ Donor: No
Cause: ?
Event location: Castle Hill, NSW
Event date: ?
Funeral date: ? ? ?
Funeral location: ?
LIVE STREAM ?
Wake location: ???
Wake date: ???
Funeral Parlour: ?
Buried at: ?
Grave Location: Plot: ? Section: ?
Grave GPS: ?, ?
Memorial / Plaque / Monument located at: ?
Dedication date of Memorial / Plaque / Monument: Nil – at this time ( May 2023 )
GEOFF is NOT mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance *NEED MORE INFO
FURTHER INFORMATION IS NEEDED ABOUT THIS PERSON, THEIR LIFE, THEIR CAREER AND THEIR DEATH.
PLEASE SEND PHOTOS AND INFORMATION TO Cal
May they forever Rest In Peace
https://www.facebook.com/groups/AustralianPolice.com.au/
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Australian Police YouTube Channel
Upon joining the employ of NSW Police Force, Geoff was described as:
5′ 8.5″ tall, 10 st 7 lb in weight with brown eyes, black hair, dark complexion and single.
His previous employment was a Farm & Station Hand; Storeman, Vineyard worker; Horse Breaker; Athlete, Shop Assistant. His religion was C of E.
On the 12 October 1928 he was 5′ 9.75″ tall and 12 lb 6 st in weight.
On the 9 April 1928 he Married Mary Agnes JOHNSTON at West Wyalong, NSW.
On the 9 November 1928 he went from Mounted duties to Foot Patrol.
On the 26 November 1928 he Passed his Constable 1st Class exam.
On the 14 February 1936 he was found Competent to driver Departmental motor vehicles.
On 3 August 1943 he Passed his Sgt 3/c exam.
On 8 February 1955 he Failed his Sgt 1/c exam but Passed on his second attempt on 7 February 1956.
On 12 February 1957 he Passed his Inspectors exam.
Noted, in his Service Book:
Passed examination on A.R.P. conducted by a N.E.S. Official at Newcastle and now eligible to act as Instructor on A.R.P.
Received instruction in operation and servicing of Producer Gas Units.
No dates recorded for those notes – although file numbers are recorded.
Record of Punishments and Court Proceedings:
1927:
Offence: Breach Police Rules Sec. IV S.S. 1 Clause (k) that he was guilty of misconduct in making allegations against his Senior Officer ( Constable 1st Class C.S. Brown ) which he failed to substantiate.
Decision: Severely reprimanded and cautioned and transferred to Temora. A further report as to his conduct should be submitted in 3 months. Commissioner of Police 30 March 1927
Deletion of entry approved. W.H.C. Commissioner of Police 17 July 1934
Although this Service Card, ( new card prepared and checked 25 July 1962 ) it does not record the % mark he gained at the completion of his Training Class.
Therefore I am unable to calculate a Class number ( there may not have been actual “Classes” in those early days ) or if he attended Bourke St Academy or Belmore Barracks.
Card sourced via Joe Stanioch.
As of the 31 December 1925, the NSWPF, including 32 Trackers, number 2,965.
There were 1,044 Constables & 170 Probationary Constables.
During the year the number of applications received for appointment to the Police Service was 1,240, but of this number only 166 were successful/ 881 candidates were rejected for various reasons, while 186 failed to pass the police surgeon’s examination.
There were 37 resignations, 49 discharged on pension, 9 deaths.
Source: Police Dept. Annual Report for 1925.
Family Tree
Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW : 1901 – 2001),
Friday 6 December 1957 (No.160), page 3952
IN the Supreme Court of New South Wales.—Probate Jurisdiction. -In the estate of COLIN THOMAS SHEATHER, late of Merrylands, in the State of New South Wales, clerk.— Letters of administration granted by the Supreme Court of New South Wales on 12th September, 1957.—Pursuant to the Wills, Probate and Administration Act, 1898-1947 (Testator’s Family Maintenance and Guardianship of Infants Act, 1916-1938, and Trustee Act, 1925-1942), Geoffrey Ernest Sheather, the administrator of the estate of the said Colin Thomas Sheather, who died on 17th June, 1957, hereby gives notice that creditors and others having any claim against or to the estate of the said deceased are required to send particulars of their claims to the said administrator at the office of D. C. MacLaren, Solicitor, 77 Castlereagh-street, Sydney, on or before the 19th February, 1958, at the expiration of which time the said administrator will distribute the assets, having regard only to the claims of which he then has notice.— Dated the 28th day of November, 1957. D. C. MACLAREN, Proctor for the Administrator, 77 Castlereagh-street, Sydney.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/220359909
Evening Advocate (Innisfail, Qld. : 1941 – 1954),
Wednesday 22 December 1954, page 4
Action over a cat’s death
SYDNEY. — A 71 year old man was charged by summons in Burwood Court, of Petty Sessions with having needlessly killed a domestic cat.
Dismissing the information Mr. L. E. Stapleton, SM, said, “No doubt this man killed a cat, but I am not satisfied it was done deliberately. “I think it was done accidentally.” The man, William Oswald Fowler, of Shaftesbury Road, Burwood, had pleaded not guilty. ‘ Sergeant Geoffrey Ernest Sheather, of Burwood, said that Fowler told him he had killed a cat. Fowler had said the cat came into his bedroom and he was only trying to catch it and put it over the front fence. BROOM /HANDLE Sergeant Sheather said he asked Fowler why he hit the cat with the handle of a broom. He said Fowler replied: ” I tried to hold it down with the head of the broom but it got away from me and I then changed ends of the broom and hit it with the handle. I made a swing as it was running past and caught it behind the ears and killed it ‘ Mrs. Valma Kathleen Hough, of Russell Street, Strathfield, said she had visited her sister, Joy Ellen Chambers, of Shaftsbury Road, Burwood, and had gone looking for the cat, which had belonged to her sister. Mrs. Hough said she saw Fowler hit he cat eight times. She had later taken the cat’s body out of Fowler’s garbage tin and telephoned the police.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/212430822
Yass Tribune-Courier (NSW : 1929 – 1954),
Thursday 19 July 1934, page 2
CONST. G. E. SHEATHER Transferred To Cooma
Constable Geoffrey Ernest Sheather who has been in Yass for nearly four years has received notice of his transfer to Cooma.
Constable Sheather is at present on leave.
His transfer at this juncture is not very convenient, as he has just had an addition to his family.
Constable Sheather was formerly stationed at Queanbeyan and Braidwood.
It is not known who his successor will be, but probably constable from Cooma or Goulburn.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/249518756
Gosford Times and Wyong District Advocate (NSW : 1906 – 1954),
Thursday 12 October 1939, page 4
WOMAN KILLED BY TRAIN WHILE WALKING HOME FROM CHURCH FUNCTION
At the conclusion of the inquiry yesterday into the death of Miss Gladys Viti Monckton, 51, a native of Fiji, and of independent means, who had resided for the past four months at Point Clare, the District Coroner, Mr. C. J. Staples, returned a finding of accidental death.
The Coroner added that no blame was attachable to the driver of the train.
Miss Monckton, while walking along the railway line to Point Clare shortly after 6 p.m. on October 6, was struck by the Inter-city Express and killed instantly, the body being shockingly mutilated.
Dr. J. H. Paul, Government Medical Officer, said that about 6.23 p.m. he went to Point Clare and saw the body of a woman lying on the railway line. The body was badly mangled and the head crushed. Death had been instantaneous, caused through severe head injuries.
Constable Geoffrey Ernest Sheather said that blood stains and pieces of flesh indicated that the body had been dragged about 55 yards by the train. A high wind was blowing, making it almost impossible to hear approaching trains
C. Tudor Pile, public accountant, Gosford, said deceased was a cousin by marriage. He had known her about thirty years, and was constantly in touch with her. The last time he saw deceased was about a week ago, and she appeared to be in good health. He identified the body at the Gosford morgue.
Miss Monckton was returning from a party at the Anglican Church, Gosford, when the tragedy occurred. He knew she made a habit of walking along the line, despite the fact that she had been informed it was against railway regulations.
George Frederick Fox, engine driver, residing at Concord, said he was in charge of the Newcastle Express, which struck Miss Monckton. His train passed through Gosford at 5.58 p.m. and when going under the overhead bridge on the Sydney side, two young men ran across the line in front of the train. This attracted his attention and he saw what appeared to be a woman running along the planking boards. The speed of the train was about 60 miles per hour, and he blew a sharp blast, and applied the brakes. He knew he could not stop, but thought the woman would have got clear. Looking back he saw what appeared to be a dress under the first carriage, and brought the train to a standstill.
The speed of the train at the time of the tragedy was approximately 60 m.p.h., while the permissible speed at the point was 70 m.p.h.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/166933794
Numerous other stories available on Trove about SHEATHER.
Nothing further, than what is recorded above, is known about this person at the time of publication and further information and photos would be appreciated.
**********
Cal
14 May 2023
