Thomas O’Grady’s Career in the New Zealand Police Force
Bay of Islands, ‘The Thames’, Greymouth, Napier & Oamaru Police Stations

Russell, Bay of Islands Police Station 1880

Thomas was in charge of the Bay of Islands station for 6 months.

Press 22 May 1880
Sergeant Major O’Grady left for the Bay of Islands by the ship, Arawata yesterday.

Timaru Herald 26 October 1880

Auckland Star 28 October 1880

‘The Thames’ District Police Station
Thomas was in charge 1880 – 1882

‘The Thames’ was initially built during the gold rush which began in 1867. Land was rented from local Maori for mining purposes for the sum of 5,000 pounds per year, a colossal sum and a source of great envy by other iwi. Towards the end of the 19th century Thames was the largest centre of population in New Zealand with 18,000 inhabitants and well over 100 hotels and three theatres in 1868. Many people migrated to Thames and it became the second largest city in New Zealand.

Manawatu Standard 28 February 1884

Detective Farrell v Sergeant Major O’Grady
Hawke's Bay Herald 13 October 1886
Thomas had charge of the Thames for about three years. While there Sergeant Major O'Grady very properly reported his subordinate, Detective James Farrell for a most cowardly and unmanly assault on a bushman. For this Farrell was dismissed from the police service and then retaliated by bringing a series of charges against O'Grady, all of which were dismissed and no taint attached to him. In one case the evidence for which had to be raked up from a black book kept by Farrell, the alleged misconduct dated back eighteen months. The chief witness stated on oath that she had no charge to prefer and that Farrell had offered her £25 to lay information, and £50 if O'Grady were dismissed the service. She refused and the information was laid by a detective. The Resident Magistrate the late Warden Kenrick dismissed the charge and informed O'Grady that he left the Court without a stain on his character, a decision which was received with enthusiasm and cheers by the people.

Greymouth Police Station 1881-1883

Richmond Quay, Greymouth, circa 1890
Greymouth was first settled by Europeans in 1865 when first coal and then gold was discovered in the area.

Marlborough Express 18 December 1884
Promotions. The Defence Department have reinstated the following first-class sergeants to their former rank of Sergeant Major: Sergeant Fai' Wellington, Sergeant O’Grady Greymouth, Sergeant Mason Lyttelton, and Sergeant Bevin Dunedin.

There were many commissions of enquiry into the workings of the New Zealand Police Force during the time that Thomas worked in the force.
Thomas himself faced vendettas of revenge by fellow police officers and other accusations from disgruntled public. However Thomas survived all the enquiries unscathed. It seems the public genuinely appreciated his conscientiousness, and on his departure to different districts Thomas was always given official farewells and very generous parting gifts. His experience in the police force was used to advantage and on his retirement in 1901 Thomas was referred to as “The father of the New Zealand Police”.

Evening Post 10 May 1884

Hawera & Normanby Star 19 May 1884

(By reference to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand inflation calculator:
A basket of goods and services that cost £92.00 in1884 would have the value of $NZ15,619.56 in 2011).

Napier, Byron Street Police Station 1885
Sergeant Major O’Grady was in charge 1885.
Patrick Joseph O’Grady was born in Napier.

Sergeant Major O’Grady v ‘Mad Man Bullen”
Sergeant Bullen brought a case of ’making a false statement’ against Sergeant Major O’Grady who was charged with equivocation and his rank was reduced. Sergeant O’Grady then asked for an enquiry.

Evening Post 9 February 1887
The report of the Magistrate at Napier on the dispute between Sergeant O’Grady and Inspector Bullen has been received by the Commissioner of Police. The circumstances out of which the enquiry arose are these. A man employed as waiter in a hotel at Napier was fined and O’Grady was deputed by Inspector Bullen to collect the fine. In the course of his duty O’Grady made a statement which was apparently untrue, and for which Inspector Bullen reported him. O’Grady had been previously reduced from the rank of Sergeant Major to that of Second class Sergeant, and after he was reported he was removed to Oamaru. He demanded an enquiry and the Magistrate who investigated the case has reported that Sergeant O’Grady did not make a false statement, but that he equivocated. He stated that the waiter said he would be responsible for the fine, whereas the evidence showed that no such statement was made, but that the waiter said he would try and get the fine in. The matter has now been referred to the Minister of Defence.

North Otago Times 17 February 1887

Oamaru Police Station 1887
Sergeant Major O’Grady was in charge from 1887 to 31 Dec 1901

Oamaru police horse stables and gaol 1867 - still standing 2010. Photo Ann O’Grady.
According to the historian at the Oamaru police station Thomas would have been a mounted policeman in Oamaru.

Royal Commission Oamaru District Police force
In 1898 a Royal Commission in the Oamaru district was called to investigate the conduct of district police and police practices. (Appendix to Journal of the House of Representatives 1898 Vol 111-2 -328-931).

The book ’A Century of Service’ by D A Thomson and H Kagei describes Thomas as “one of the more interesting and intriguing characters” of the enquiry.

A letter to the editor in support of Sergeant Major O’Grady, also serving as an interesting summary of Thomas’ previous policing in New Zealand.
Hawke's Bay Herald 13 October 1886
Sir,—The case of Sergeant-Major O'Grady having been referred to in the Press may I ask space in your valuable paper to put the public in possession of some incidents of interest in his career as a public officer? My acquaintance with O'Grady commenced in 1862, and this is a statement of facts mostly within my personal knowledge. If somewhat lengthy I would point out that the career of an active police officer during a quarter of a century cannot be summed up in a few words.

O'Grady was of material assistance to Commissioner Shearman and Inspector Pender in establishing an efficient police force in Canterbury and I could give names of most daring criminals brought to justice by his efforts, as also some gallant acts, one only of which will be sufficient to mention, viz., the rescue from the river Avon in a flooded state on a dark night of a young woman, now mother of a large family. For this O'Grady received the thanks of the public through the Press and a general notification was issued to the police of his “humane, gallant, and fearless conduct" of which an entry was made in his meritorious conduct sheet. This sir is only one of several such entries on the police records to the credit of O'Grady.

He was in 1863 placed in charge of the Heathcote Valley station where he had to contend during the construction of the Christchurch-Lyttelton tunnel with some of the worst characters in the district. From Heathcote he was promoted and sent in charge of the Rangiora police district, and when again promoted and transferred from there to the Leithfield district he was presented by the inhabitants of Rangiora with a substantial testimonial.

On again being promoted he was transferred to Lyttelton and was presented by Leithfield people with a valuable testimonial and general regret was expressed at his departure.
At Lyttelton he was in charge of a larger staff than here for eight years and when leaving for Auckland he received from the inhabitants, at the hands of the Mayor of Lyttelton and in the presence of a large assemblage at the Court house a very valuable presentation.

He was in charge of the Bay of Islands for six months whence he was transferred and had charge of the Thames for about three years. While there Sergeant-Major O'Grady very properly reported his subordinate, Detective James Farrell for a most cowardly and unmanly assault on a man whose name I cannot remember. For this Farrell was dismissed the service and retaliated by bringing a series of charges against O'Grady, all of which were dismissed and no taint attached to him. In one case the evidence for which had to be raked up from the diary or black book kept by Farrell, the alleged misconduct dated back eighteen months. The chief witness stated on oath that she had no charge to prefer, that Farrell had offered her £25 to lay information, and £50 if O'Grady were dismissed the service, and that she refused and the information was laid by a detective. The R.M., the late Warden Kenrick dismissed the charge and informed O'Grady that he left the Court without a stain on his Character, a decision which was received with enthusiasm and cheers by the people.

Shortly after he was transferred to Greymouth Westland, and was conspicuous in the zealous discharge of his duties. One or two instances will be sufficient to mention. A brutal murder by one Donoghue in the bush at Maori Creek when O'Grady received the thanks of the Defence Minister and a money reward for the manner in which he had worked up the case, though by the same act he seems to have incurred the ill will of some of his own countrymen.

Eighteen months later there occurred a suspicious fire and O'Grady found a quantity of goods buried in a garden and arrested the owners. On their trial the men owing to the disagreement of two juries, were admitted to bail to appear when called upon. They then took action against the insurance companies for the recovery of the amount of insurance.
The case was heard before the Chief Justice and a verdict given for the defendants with costs. For his energy in the case O'Grady received a reward from the Insurance Association.

Shortly after he was charged at the instance of the Land League with having said eighteen months previously that that association had retained a solicitor to defend Donoghue. As this, even if proved, disclosed no offence against the regulations, the informants withdrew their case, employed a solicitor, and applied for and obtained a Royal Commission to inquire into the allegations. The evidence admitted into the case was mainly hearsay and the Magistrate who was the Royal Commissioner, reported to the Defense Minister, who in reply to a question in the House said there was nothing in the report sufficient to suspend O'Grady. Later, by resolution the report was laid on the table of the House. It is a matter for regret that the report was published without the evidence in the Tablet and other papers.

However it would seem that due to pressure O'Grady's transfer was ordered to Wellington, subsequently altered to Masterton and afterwards to Napier. The last order I believe, O'Grady endeavored to have rescinded but to no purpose.
Of course those transfers were made in the Commissioner's office, and not by the Minister. Since Sergeant-major O'Grady has been stationed here, I think populace and police, bar one, will testify to the cool, courteous, and efficient manner in which he has carried out the oft times unpleasant duties of a police officer. I believe O'Grady is charged with and has been reduced in rank for being unreliable (as a police officer, I presume).

Now sir, all this sketch of his career during a great portion of which we were intimately associated, I have given a few instances of his zeal, and nothing extenuated on the other side. Does anything therein show unreliability? O'Grady was never fined, nor till now punished. I believe he has had no opportunity of defending himself- indeed does not know with what he is charged more than “unreliability" whatever that may mean. It is to be hoped that as an old public officer he may have a public inquiry in the fullest sense, and I am only one of many who trust you will use your efforts to this end. I am, &c, Fair Play. Napier, October 11, 1888.