Home » Themes » Government » State
Police Camel UnitsPrint Page 
The plaque commemorates the Police Camel Units which patrolled the interior of Australia in the 18th century and the bicentenary of European settlers in Australia 1788-1988.
From 30th September 1987 to 1st January 1988, members of the South Australian and Northern Territory Police Force undertook a camel expedition from Darwin to Adelaide as a joint contribution to Australia's Bicentenary.
First used for patrol duties by the SA police in 1881, the policing role of camels expanded in the ’40s amid calls for greater defence of the north-west, but Central Australia’s Finke Police District was still reputedly the world’s largest beat. Spanning the remote space between Mount Dare station, Alice Springs and Mount Gosse in West Australia – passing Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), Uluru/Ayers Rock and Lake Amadeus – it dipped over the border into South Australia, where officers acted as Special Constables.
Location
| Address: | Elder & Wonoka Terraces, Hawker, 5434 |
|---|---|
| State: | SA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -31.886604 Long: 138.420377 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Government |
| Sub-Theme: | State |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Thursday 10th December, 1987 |
|---|
Australia
1788 - 1988
This plaque was erected to commemorate
the Police Camel Units who patrolled the
Australian Interior Last Century.
The Australian Bicentennial Police Overland Camel
Expedition from Darwin to Adelaide was Carried out by
S. A. and N. T. Police units as a tribute to the
tenacity and endurance of their forebears.
Unveiled by
Robert Clyne, Expediton Leader
10th December, 1987
