Thomas Rowe had an amazingly extensive policing career in Western Australia it started when he had successfully been an undercover spy aboard the Hougoumont and on the 17/10/1868 a colonial office dispatch announced the caseation of transportation of convicts to Western Australia, and it is of interest to know that a total 9,721 convicts had been transported following the arrival of the Hougoumont.

Following the handing to Governor Hampton of despatch NO.80 and in conclusion of formalities, the governor’s conversation with Thomas Rowe is recounted as follows-
H. “well Rowe, what do you intend to do now?
R. Sir, I intend to have some month’s holiday before returning to England.
H. would you consider remaining here and pursuing your previous vocation?
This offer Thomas Rowe later accepted and following is a history of his career in the western Australian Police Force.
Appointments
Constable: 5/10/1868
Constable 1st Class and Acting Corporal: 1/1/1872
Corporal: 23/3/1872
Lance Sergeant: 14/3/1873
Detective Sergeant: 1/12/1873
Senior Sergeant: 1/10/1881
Sub-Inspector: 23/1/1883
Acting Inspector: 1/5/1884 (Southern District)
Inspector: 1/8/1885 (Northern District, later Southern District)
Transfers
Perth: 5/10/1868
Fremantle: 1/1/1872
In charge of Guildford: 11/3/1873
Perth: 14/3/1873
Detective Branch as office-in-charge (or ‘Department’, later the Criminal Investigation Branch): 1/12/1873 (Branch possibly formally established on 1/1/1874)
To Sydney to do duty at the International Exhibition: August-September, 1879
Temporary charge of the Northern District (Geraldton) during the absence of Inspector William Timperley (on leave): 24/7/1882
Sub-Inspector in charge of Metropolitan Police and Detectives Department: 23/1/1883
Acting Inspector in charge of Southern District (Bunbury): 1/5/1884
Inspector in charge of Northern District (Geraldton): 1/8/1885 Albany as the man in charge of the Southern District, the police ‘capital’ of which had been moved away from Bunbury: 1/7/1888
Thomas Rowe’s received recognition as a very efficient and intelligent officer. As was the custom in this era, the hierarchy promoted and transferred him to areas outside the narrow confines of detective work when the time came. He was the founding father of the CIB and responsible also for establishing and maintaining the WA police Gazette on an annual basis from 1876 onwards. In the course of the same year (1876) he played a leading role in trying to prevent the escape of Fenian prisoners on the ‘Catalpa’

The ‘Catalpa’
Thomas Rowe ‘s Perth residence (perth town lot w.4 – 241 stirling st) was a fine two-story house, later to become St Helen’s Hospital.

Thomas Rowe Resigned: 31/10/1892 Thomas moved to Geraldton and became a respected and prosperous member of the community. He owned property there and was elected to the Municipal Council. He was something of a scholar, with wide-ranging interests. He received remarkable recognition late in life, being made a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society of London. Died: 31/1/1904 at Geraldton and buried in East Perth Cemetery.

Sun 27 Jan 2013

my great x7 grandfather :) the above is from my book "from whence we came"

Mon 25 Feb 2013

wonderful, I must revisit the home town of Tiverton .

Wed 10 Dec 2014