The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1943-03-18


the North Australian Mounted Police
"a fine body of men, who, like their
more well-known counterpart, the
Canadian Mounties, never fail to get
their man."
Maintaining law and order among
the black and white inhabitants of a
territory as large as Germany, Italy,
France, and Spain, combined is no
easy task, especially when the white
settlers dwell hundreds of miles apart
on lonely cattle stations, mining
camps and isolated communities. In
the Northern Territory's $4,000
miles there are 40 white police and
35 black troopers.
The "Mounteds," as they are called
are true bushmen, with the alertness
and cleverness of the aboriginal when
it comes to reading the story of the
tracks-a horses hoof, the passing
Of camel train, the bare foot of an
aboriginal, or the signs of water in
waterless land. They live and work
in wild, untamed land, these
Mounteds. They are looked upon to
defend the whites from hostile blacks,
and also the blacks from INSCRIPTIONS
whites. A thousand mile patrol of his
vast territory, alone with packhorses
or with only a black boy assistant,
means nothing to trooper of the
North Australian Mounteds.
Over six feet in height, lean, sun
tanned and why, they are the best
Australian type, and are at their best
dressed in their picturesque uniform
khaki shirt and riding breeches,
leggings and wide brimmed sombrero
with the blue and white enameled
badge.
The Mounteds are not just police.
Their duties are varied, from that of
stock Inspector tax collector and min
ing warden, to register of births,
deaths, and marriages, protector Of
aborigines and supervisor of cattle
dips In a troopers territory, cover
ing perhaps $4,000 square miles, there
may be a dozen white inhabitants and
several thousand aborigines. Yet this
vast appropriated district has to he
regularly patrolled, taking up to four
months. Patrols are always under
taken on horseback or on camels, ac-
cording to the class of country. Any
other means of land transport in this
roadless region would be impossible.
The constant patrolling of a trooper
with black crackers has quoting
effect on the half-wild aboriginal
tribes.
One of the loneliest police posts
is Tanami, on the Northern Terri
tory-Western Australia border in
the heart of the desert, 200 miles
from the next white inhabitants.
Troopers Hood and Toohey patrol
their territory of 10000 square miles
from little hut built of boughs with
roof of spinifex thatch which serves
as the police station. The blacks in
the region are wild and warlike. They
issued a challenge to the Tanami pa
troll to meet them in open battle at
Bluebush Claypan. To reach the spot
the police rode all night, and surpris-
ing the camping blacks at dawn, dis
persing and disarming them.
Eight years ago, the DAILY River
and Timber Creek police patrols in
the Northern Territory had a hard
fight to subdue a notorious aboriginal
chief, Nemarluk With his band of
| hundreds of wild warriors, he terror
lied the white settlers and friendly
tribes within a radius of 800 miles.
After months of constant patrolling
covering thousands of miles, Nemar-
LUX was captured, but ecaped after
few weeks and resumed the fight
against the whites and blacks who
were friends of the whites. A black
tracker of the DAILY River police patrol
eventually killed the rebel in single
combat.
In 1888, Constable McColI, who was
with a patrol against the hostile
blacks of Woodah Island, in the Gulf
of Carpentaria, was speared to death
by aborigines.
1t is surprising how few lives have
been lost among the Mounteds, con-
sidering the dangerous work under
taken by them in the course of bring
ing the white mans law to the coun-
try of the oborigine, where the tribal
witch doctor and chief still rule.
The Southwest Police District is
one of the largest in the world. It's
headquarters is at Alice Springs, and
its territory is the very heart of Aus
tralia. 1t extends into three states.
and is 100000 square miles in area, of
which $500 square miles is an abo-
riginal reserve which no whites eX-
ccpt police are allowed to enter. The
police have great trouble in this re-
spect, as many gold prospcctorS per-
sist in entering the reserve and lose
their lives in consequence, as the !
aborgines in this desert region arc
wild and primitive.
-Four years ago, Constable Hall of
Marranboy. in the Northern Terri
tory, Travelled almost 1000 miles on
horseback on patrol against a notori-
nuS HACK man. nicknamcd "Smiler." !