Law and Order – Justices of the Peace.

Among the first Justices of the Peace on the darling Downs were: -
G.F Leslie. Patrick Leslie. G.K.E Fairholme. W. Leith-Hay. M.H. Marsh. C.H. Marshall. Henry Hughes. Arthur Hodgson. Robert Ramsay
With the settlement that had already taken place in the Warwick district, which included many ticket-of-leave men, so designated because they had been kept under restraint at the Penal Establishments of Sydney and Moreton Bay, for in many cases trivial crimes, which under present-day conditions, the Police Courts could settle immediately. There were another class commonly known as “Exiles”, who for pronounced political speeches or taking part in strikes, etc., were quickly transported from the United Kingdom, “for the benefit of their country”, as it was naively expressed, but as it afterwards turned out to help the United Kingdom to be the largest colonizing Nation the world has ever known. Naturally, there were some who had suffered the indignity of being flogged for breaches of discipline. To these the worst side of human nature sometimes appeared uppermost, and they caused trouble. It must also be remembered that the white people on this continent were so few, that the early settlers were thankful to get what labour they could from this class. Many of the incorrigibles in the lower portion of New South Wales became unbearable directly they acquired freedom, and took to bushranging. It cannot be wondered at, that the influence of these desperados, who had been at the Cockatoo Gaol, manifested itself occasionally among the young bloods who came under it, and permeated right through to the Darling Downs, Warwick, of course, feeling its effect. As a result, the New South Wales Government decided to extend a Police Station at Warwick in 1847. Sergt. Thomas McEvoy was placed in charge, with Constables J. Hourigan and Jerry Scanlan.