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Mervyn Henry Stevenson

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Mervyn Henry Stevenson
Born(1926-03-31)31 March 1926
Died(2001-12-16)16 December 2001
OccupationPolice officer
AwardsAustralian Stockman's Hall of Famer

Mervyn Henry Stevenson (1926-2001) served as a Queensland police officer from 1947 until 1982. He started as a bush cop and ended up as the superintendent in charge of the Townsville Police District, though his retirement years were tainted with the spectre of corruption.[1][2]

Renowned bushman

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Described as "the last of the corned beef and damper coppers", Stevenson made a name for himself as a horseman, cattleman and bushman.[1] He gained notoriety in 1950 at the northern township of Coen for tracking down on horseback a group of 12 Aborigines wanted for questioning over the murder of an indigenous police boy.[3] In 1965 he was promoted to detective sergeant and named officer-in-charge of the CIB stock squad based in Charters Towers.[1]

Crooked Creek Cattle Company

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The cattle duffing racket of north Queensland police was mentioned in the Australian House of Representatives in 2006 by the Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter.[4] He referred to it as ‘the crooked creek cattle company’. He told parliament he had given evidence about it when he was a senior minister of the Queensland government. He also acknowledged the very courageous actions of ABC journalist Steve Austin, who exposed the situation.

Disappearance of Tony Jones

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In 1992 Townsville police published an identikit sketch of a person wanted for questioning in relation to the suspected murder of a young West Australian hitchhiker, Tony Jones, who disappeared without trace in 1982.[5] On the night of the disappearance, the suspect, believed to be involved in the cattle industry, was allegedly dining with Jones at the Rising Sun Hotel and planning to give him a lift to Charters Towers.[5] The Townsville Bulletin reported that the identikit sketch matched a "former policeman",[6] whose identity was subsequently confirmed during the 2002 coronial inquest into Jones's disappearance as being none other than Mervyn Henry Stevenson.[7][8][9]

Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame

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Stevenson avoided prosecution and was eventually inducted into the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame in 2001.[10] He died of cancer on 16 December 2001 and was farewelled by a police guard of honour at his funeral in Townsville.[10]

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Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame [1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Anderson, John, "Tough bush adversary", Townsville Bulletin, 22 December 2001.
  2. ^ Hansen, P, "Ex-policeman lashes out: confessions 'red hot'", Sunday Mail, 23 September 1984.
  3. ^ "Two natives charged with having murdered police boy", Cairns Post, 10 May 1950.
  4. ^ "ParlInfo - AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION AMENDMENT BILL 2006 : Second Reading". parlinfo.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Identikit issued after 10 years", Courier Mail, 2 November 1992.
  6. ^ "Former policeman matches description", Townsville Bulletin, 4 November 1992.
  7. ^ ^ Transcripts of inquest into the cause and circumstances surrounding the death of Anthony John Jones", Townsville Coroner's Court, Ref. no. 20022002 T20/JOW M/T TSV6356.
  8. ^ Armistead, Jane, "Inquest into 30-year-old case gives hope", Townsville Bulletin, 3 November 2012.
  9. ^ Michael, Peter, "The bush copper and the missing hitchhiker," The Courier Mail, 5 February 2016.
  10. ^ a b "Fitting farewell for bush policeman", Townsville Bulletin, 22 December 2001.