Derrick Thompson

His father, Gary had ambitions to form a local marina in a country suburb in New South Wales, so in 1955, he and his wife, Lara moved to a small coastal village in the Shoalhaven region called Currarong. Gary, once a police officer in Ireland, was working in Sydney as a security guard, and his wife worked as an English teacher. With both career prospects on hold while living in Currarong and struggling to get the business afloat, they would soon move to the closer, more accessible Callala Bay.

Things took off well around 1956, as Lara got a job teaching at Shoalhaven High School, whilst Derrick was enrolled in the Primary School. Though Derrick was a quiet and seemingly stable boy, he could often be problematic and rebellious. He put up a front to his parents, but in front of his friends, he would love to be mischievous and daring.

In 1962, when Derrick was caught teasing an overweight boy at school, a class-coordinator absolutely terrified him by taking him to his office and screaming at him, along with being caned. Derrick would go home a different boy from that day on, and became far more respectful of adults and their authority. However, he would go into a slump of depression that lasted almost an entire year. In 1963, Derrick would start showing an active interest in history, and would even begin bragging that he would make a perfect soldier one day.

His father, Gary, was mostly a pacifist, however, and tried to team up with his wife to get it out of Derrick's system. In late 63', Derrick sneaks off to an Australian Reserves recruitment meeting, watching from a distance.  There, he met a 23 year old man, Lyle Henry, who he felt he could relate to in several ways, such as their isolation, frustration in small town life, and eagerness to serve their country. The two would grow close, despite their age gap.

In 1964, Derrick would turn 16, and in a flash, the Australian government introduced The National Service Act, which required males over 20 to serve a two year tour in Vietnam, and then to remain in the Reserves for another 3 years. Gary Thompson one of the many chosen by birth-date at random, to serve. Gary would leave his business in the hands of a family friend – Walt Daniels. Along with his father, his other male role model at the time, Lyle, was also summoned into war.

In 1965, Gary was killed during an air strike.

An emotionally volatile, devastated Derrick flees his home and steals a motorcycle in town, and rides it up north into the Currambene Forest, crashing it 20 minutes into the trip.

Miraculously surviving an extremely destructive wreck with only a broken arm and fractured collarbone, an off-duty police officer; only calling himself Kieran, finds Derrick and takes him to the hospital. He tells Derrick what to say, and assures him that no one will know he stole the bike.

Lara comes to see Derrick in hospital, where she clutches her fury and breaks down in sorrow over his bed. He promises her he'll never endanger his life like that again.

In late 1966, Derrick's friend Lyle returns from the war.

He is missing four fingers on his right hand, and has completely lost his senses – also now having developed a heavy morphine addiction. Derrick struggles to find any common ground with Lyle anymore, and instead is traumatised every time he visits him.

Derrick graduates high school with average scores. His highest marks go to history class, which prompts him to consider studying it further, and becoming a teacher.

By 1967, Derrick has enrolled in a History course at his local university. He finds comfort outside of Callala Bay, and spends most of his time in the Shoalhaven capital of Nowra. He soon enrols in a second course, World Politics. At this time, Derrick has a brief fling with a girl at his college.

In 1968, Derrick continues his studies, and begins associating with the anti-war effort. He relates a great deal to his WP Teacher, Mr. Califour. He begins a serious relationship with one of his classmates, Elise. She studies philosophy and criminology, and the two of them begin having Socratic discussions about the nature of the law, and what drives criminals to do what they do. These healthy debates fuel a drive in Derrick to dive deeper into the not so black and white world of policing, and forensic investigation.

In 1969, Derrick completes his History Major, and decides to drop his World Politics Course, much to the disappointment of his teacher. Derrick meets law student, Jed Moylan through Elise Braidwood. The three soon become close, and even discuss moving in together to a flat in Sydney. This is cut short when Derrick is chosen by the birth-date lottery to serve in Vietnam. Derrick had strong urges to burn his draft-card, but now knew that if he did so, the rest of his life and career would be in jeopardy. Elise would argue that at least he would keep his life and his mind intact. Jed would also share similar thoughts on the matter.

Regardless, Derrick would eventually make up his mind.

He would apologise to his mother, and to Elise, and he would go to war.

Elise tells him that he's going back on everything he once believed in. She leaves him.

By 1971, Australia gradually decreased their war efforts in Vietnam, and Derrick returns home, physically unscathed. He returns to Callala Bay to meet his mother.

Whilst there, he also visits Lyle Henry.

Soon, he gets in touch with Jed Moylan, who is becoming increasingly frustrated with his law course. Derrick tells him that he plans on becoming a police officer, and perhaps one day, a detective. Derrick's conviction and determination, despite the horrors of the war, inspire Jed to also make a similar decision. Derrick soon begins training at the Academy. Whilst there, he tells Jed what it's like, and what to expect if he were to decide to join one day.

In 1972, Jed completes his Major in Law, but after several months struggling to come to grip his new profession, he decides to follow Derrick into the police force, and use his knowledge of the law as an advantage over his peers. The two become closer than ever in this period, where they soon begin working in the same precinct, in Nowra.

By 1975, both men have come accustomed to their new way of life.

However, on a fateful evening, Jed calls Derrick in an emergency. He has killed a woman who attacked him with a knife in a motel room. She was blackmailing him. Derrick helps Jed hide the body in the Currambene Forest. Derrick tells Jed that he must be entirely open with Thompson if anything like this were to happen again.

Derrick climbs the precinct's ladder, and by 1978, becomes a Sergeant. During the next several years, he keeps an eye on Jed but finds that Moylan is becoming increasingly distant, much to his concern. In 1979, he confronts Jed, and reminds him of his promise to be come clean with Derrick whenever possible. Jed tells him that he'll be moving to Melbourne for a little while, and while there, he plans to learn a bit about the crime that goes down.

Later that year, Derrick befriends a rising author, Tom Searle.

In 1982, Derrick is now 34 years old. By this time, Derrick is spending much more time with Tom. Around this time, Derrick introduces Tom to Chief Regand, and to fellow officer, Jed Moylan. Jed receives a promotion to Inspector around this time, due to multiple successful arrests and tip offs.

In 1983, Derrick meets a Dutch backpacker, Isa Fortuin. He is immediately charmed by her, and the two see each other regularly until her trip takes her further on. He tells Isa that if she would ever return to Australia, he would set up a good life for the two of them.

She returns two years later, in 1985. Around this time, Jed has become close with Tom, and is assisting him with a home robbery case, which Jed closes within a week. Isa tries to convince Derrick to take time off the force and travel the world with her for a little while. He reluctantly agrees, given that he's considering settling down with her. The two of them travel to Northern Europe when Derrick takes time off work. They visit the UK, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium and France.

When the two of them return, Isa feels quite disenchanted with the Australian way of life, but grows to love Derrick enough to stay with him. In late 1986, she becomes pregnant.

This becomes somewhat a time of turmoil as Isa fears the child will pin her down to the country forever. Derrick pleads with her to keep it, but tells her that perhaps she shouldn't be with him if she is doubting herself so much.

In 1987, Earl Thompson is born. Isa goes in to a post-natal depression, and becomes incredibly detached from reality. This is the most mentally straining period in Derrick's life since the war, and losing his father. For the next six months, Thompson deals with an increasing crime rate in the area, along with raising his newborn, and trying to bring Isa back to her normal self.

By 1990, things turn relatively back to normal. Derrick is promoted to Inspector.

He is assigned a partner in-training; Arthur Surrey.

Arthur is sharp and on the ball, to every extent. He often points out discrepancies and loopholes in the system. In 1991, he quietly confides in Derrick that he believes the Shoalhaven region may have it's own 'Joke'. Derrick keeps this information to himself.

 Over the next ten years, Derrick rises to the rank of Chief Inspector

In 2001, Jed gets back in contact.

Derrick helps where he can, but mostly does not jeopardise the law in any way.

He uses Jed's services only in personal emergencies.

In 2002, Surrey is promoted to Detective.