Could anyone provide a link to a site or sites carrying information about the slang terms used for both foot and mounted police in Australia in the 1850s? My searches have been unsuccessful.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Slang names for Police, Australia, 1850s
- Thread starter The Backward OX
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Natsuki
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You would have to research a little more, but I found on wikipedia slangs for police officers from around the world, and there are several Australian slangs in there. I don't know if they were used in the 1850's, though...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_slang_terms_for_police_officers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_slang_terms_for_police_officers
Ox - some of the old poets might tell you. Patterson uses the expression "peeler" for general police (from Robert Peel late 1770s - mid 1850s I think) but I think that might be a bit late for you. Try some of the older poets, especially ones who were writing about outlaws...
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Printed in Australia Dated 1812 PIGS, or GRUNTERS: police runners. TRAPS: police officers, or runners, are properly so called; but it iscommon to include constables of any description under this title.
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0600111.txt
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0600111.txt
I knew of peeler, and its provenance, but even so wondered how widespread its use may have been.
Ps: Don't you just love The Man from Ironbark? 'A peeler man who heard the din came in to see the show...'
I’d also heard of traps. As I understood it, the term may have been indigent only to Southern NSW and Victoria and additionally may have referred only to mounted troopers.
So I’ve been hunting for a more general term.
Personally I prefer traps. It seems more colourful. My story is set in Queensland and includes both mounted and general police so perhaps I might get away with traps for the first and just police for the second.
Sincere thanks to both of you.
Fascinating reading there. Thanks. Not much help for what I need but still a good diversion. That's the trouble with the internet - it's full of diversions.
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1863. B. A. Heywood, `Vacation Tour at the Antipodes,'p. 165:"In the early days of the Australian diggings `Joe' was thewarning word shouted out when the police or gold commissionerswere seen approaching, but is now the chaff for new chums." http://www.gutenberg.org/files/27977/27977.txt
Now here's a radical suggestion if you haven't tried it. Have you contacted the Qld police, or perhaps the police academy where they have a library? Alternatively, the State Library of Qld has a collection of old Qld materials.
I lived in Brisbane for 30+ years and when necessary I found contacting the librarians at various government departments produced good results. Same with other states.
Good thinking. I never thought of that. I'll keep it in mind for general use. Thanks.
The fact that I spent 30+ years as a librarian tends to encourage me to use libraries as a resource.
