predecessor successor birth_date order term_start article_title term_end name alma_mater
cecil abbott tony lauer 07 august 1927 17th commissioner of the new south wales police 7 august 1984 john avery -lrb- police commissioner -rrb-
 12 march 1991 john avery macquarie university
john avery -lrb- police commissioner -rrb-

john keith avery ao , apm -lrb- born 18 august 1934 -rrb- was the commissioner of the new south wales police from 1984 to 1991 .
john keith avery was the 17th leader of the organisation and the 10th person known under the title of commissioner of police .
avery was one of the longest serving and more popular commissioners of police to serve the state of new south wales .
one of the first police commissioners to have a tertiary education , obtaining a masters degree from macquarie university and a diploma in criminology .
he was awarded the officer of the order of australia , australian police medal , centenary medal and national medal .
he is also the author of a popular book titled `` police - force or service ? ''
which he wrote as an inspector , ultimately resulting in the organisations ' name being changed from nsw police force to nsw police service .
the library at the new south wales police college at goulburn is named in his honour .
the former headquarters of the new south wales police in college street , sydney was also named in his honour , named the avery building until the headquarters moved to a new building in parramatta in 2003 .
he has retired with his wife to port macquarie on the mid-north coast of new south wales .
