List of commissioners of the Western Australia Police Force

The Western Australian Police Commissioner is the head of the Western Australia Police Force. The rank of Commissioner was formalised in 1887; prior to then the rank of Superintendent was more commonly used.^[1][2]

Western Australia Police commissioners

Term	Name	References
1853–1856	John Augustus Conroy
1856–1857	Frederick Palgrave Barlee	[3][4][5]: 127
1857	William Hogan	[6]: 1503
1857–1858	Alfred Hawes Stone	[7]: 2956
1858	Charles Symmons	[7]: 2999
1858–1860	Alexander Thomas Cockburn-Campbell	[5]: 585
1861–1866	William Hogan	[8][6]: 1503
1866–1867	Robert Henry Crampton	[5]: 702
1867–1871	Gustavus Edward Cockburn Hare	[6]: 1364
1871	William Henry Timperley	[9][7]: 3070
1871–1887	Matthew Skinner Smith	[10][11][7]: 2872
1887–1900	George Braithwaite Phillips	[12][13][14]: 2479
1900	William Chipper Lawrence	[14]: 1815
1900–1912	Frederick Arthur Hare	[6]: 1363
1912–1933	Robert Connell	[15][5]: 618
1933–1934	William Douglas	[16]
1934–1945	David Hunter	[17]
1945–1951	John Doyle	[18]
1951–1958	Thomas Herman Andersen	[19]
1958–1965	James O'Brien
1965–1971	Richard Napier
1971–1975	Athol Wedd
1975–1981	Owen Leitch
1981–1985	John Porter
1985–1994	Brian Bull
1994–1999	Robert (Bob) Falconer	[20]
1999–2004	Barry Matthews
2004–2017	Karl O'Callaghan
2017–2022	Chris Dawson
2022–	Col Blanch	[21][22][23]

References

1. "WA Police Commissioners". Western Australia Police Force. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
2. "Commissioners - Western Australia". Australian Federal Police. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
3. Honniball, J.H.M. (1969). "Barlee, Sir Frederick Palgrave (1827–1884)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 3. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
4. Mennell, Philip (1892). "Barlee, Sir Frederick Palgrave". The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
5. Rica Erickson (1987). The Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians: pre-1829 – 1888. Vol. 1 A–C. University of Western Australia Press. ISBN 0 85564 270 X. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
6. Rica Erickson (1988). The Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians: pre-1829 – 1888. Vol. 2 D–J. University of Western Australia Press. ISBN 0 85564 273 4. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
7. Rica Erickson (1988). The Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians: pre-1829 – 1888. Vol. 4 R–Z. University of Western Australia Press. ISBN 0 85564 277 7. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
8. Kimberley, Warren Bert (1897). "Chapter 17". History of West Australia – via Wikisource.
9. Erickson, Rica (1976). "Timperley, William Henry (1833–1909)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 6. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
10. Conole, Peter (2005). "Smith, Matthew Skinner (1836–1887)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. Supplementary Volume. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
11. Mennell, Philip (1892). "Smith, Captain M. S.". The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
12. Mennell, Philip (1892). "Phillips, Major George B.". The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
13. Kimberley, Warren Bert (1897). "George Braithwaite Phillips". History of West Australia – via Wikisource.
14. Rica Erickson (1988). The Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians: pre-1829 – 1888. Vol. 3 K–Q. University of Western Australia Press. ISBN 0 85564 276 9. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
15. McArthur, T.J. (1993). "Connell, Robert (1867–1956)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 13. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
16. "William Archibald Douglas". Northern Times. Carnarvon, Western Australia. 26 November 1934. p. 3. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
17. "Police Commissioner : Inspector D. Hunter Chosen". The West Australian. Perth, Western Australia. 6 December 1934. p. 18. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
18. "New W.A. Police Chief Known Here". The News. Adelaide, South Australia. 20 January 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
19. "Mr. T.H. Andersen chosen as Police Commissioner". The West Australian. Perth, Western Australia. 28 February 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
20. Police, Western Australia. "Our History". Western Australia Police. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
21. Thompson, Holly (14 June 2022). "'A cop through and through': Meet the new WA Police Commissioner". WAtoday. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
22. Bourke, Keane (14 June 2022). "WA Police deputy Col Blanch named new commissioner, replacing Chris Dawson". ABC News. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
23. "New Commissioner of Police announced". Western Australia Police Force. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.

External links

• WA Police Commissioners