Billy Elsdale, Queensland Police Indigenous Tracker and Anzac
Today is the National Police Remembrance Day. Each year, on September 29, vigils, services and marches are held nationally to commemorate National Police Remembrance Day to remember and honour all police officers who have been killed in the line of duty, and also remember and honour officers whose death did not occur as a consequence of their duty. Last month, August 2023, the Queensland Police Museum applied for the name of Billy Esldale to be added to the Queensland Police Honour Roll, based on this research.
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William E.D.M. Armit, the Qld Native Police Officer (Part 1)
Guillaume Edington Armit, later William Edington de Marguerittes (de Margrat) Armit, was born in Liege, Kingdom of Belgium on 10 May 1848, to John Lees Armit Esq of Kildare St, Dublin, formerly an army agent, and Elizabeth Yeldham. William’s father’s first wife, Noemie Augustine Eugenie de Teissier, was a granddaughter of Jean-Antoine Teissier de Marguerittes, Baron de Marguerittes, guillotined in 1794, during the French Revolution. This explains the later addition to Armit’s name. Armit had four half-siblings from his father’s first marriage and five full siblings from the second. William went on to have a large family of his own.
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A Busy Constable Polices Gamblers and Larrikins
George Charles Rayner was born at Moraby, near Yeulba, on 28 October 1876. Before joining the Queensland Police Force he was employed as a stockman. His employer, Mr. Moore at Miles described him as ‘a willing and hard worker, honest and sober’.
Rayner was sworn in as a Constable on the 4 March 1899. He was stationed at Charleville for about 18 months, before being transferred to Bundaberg in January 1901. Three months later Rayner resigned to help his mother and brothers at Moraby Station. On the 6 August 1901 he married Edith Bunt, whose family lived in Chinchilla.
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