Australian Bicentennial Police Overland Camel ExpeditionPrint Page

The plaque commemorates the police who were stationed along the Overland Telegraph Line from Adelaide to Darwin. It  also commemorates the use of camels in South Australia and the Northern Territory from the 1880s to the early 2950s.

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. 

The South Australian and Northern Territory police forces hope to shift the focus of the bicentenary from the east coast to early police efforts in the harsh Australian outback. They believe the bicentennial police overland camel expedition, which arrives at Adelaide Town Hall on the first day of 1988, may do just that. The first completed bicentennial event involved more than 40 police officers, all on annual leave. The expedition, in the form of a police procession of 12 adult and two young camels, will arrive at Adelaide Town Hall one minute into January 1, 118 days after leaving Darwin.

Travelling an average of 45 kilometres per day, the expedition has been a joint venture of the South Australian and Northern Territory police forces. Expedition leader Mr Robert Clyne said the historic north to south crossing of Australia commemorated the use of camels for police work in the South Australian outback and the Northern Territory from the 1880s to the early 1950s.  The $300,000 journey was funded by private sponsorship and a $10,000 bicentennial grant. The expedition has collected about $5000 from motorists along the way to aid the Crippled Children's Association in South Australia.
The Canberra Times (ACT), 28th December 1987.

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