William Geoffrey Cahill
William Geoffrey Cahill (born November 7, 1854 in Strokestown , Roscommon , Ireland , † April 15, 1931 in Newmarket near Brisbane , Queensland , Australia ) was an Australian soldier , civil servant and senior police officer in Queensland.
Early life
William Cahill was educated at Strokestown National School and served in the Royal Irish Constabulary . He emigrated with his wife Lavinia, nee Bernie, to Maryborough in Queensland , which they reached on December 2, 1878.
Professional career
After arriving in Australia, he worked in the Queensland public service in various positions before he was named the highest-ranking police officer in Queensland on April 1, 1905, and Protector of Aborigines on September 7 of the same year . After five years, on December 19, 1917, he was confirmed in this position.
Cahill also served in the military, the Brisbane Volunteer Rifle Corps of the Queensland Volunteer Rifles , from 1885 , where he was made captain in 1887 and major in 1891. In the police force, Cahill campaigned for state-paid uniforms and better pensions for staff. He wrote a handbook for police officers, attached great importance to the efficiency of the service, weapons and ammunition, modernized training and devoted himself to improved investigation of criminal crimes. In the police department, he was also responsible for public road traffic, licensing of spirits, monitoring competitions and child protection.
The general strike in Brisbane in 1912 was a critical moment in his career as the strike leaders ignored his ban on assembly on February 2, 1912 and he ordered the use of armed police forces and horsemen. There was a dispute with 15,000 demonstrators, whom he had bludgeoned. When he was attacking the demonstrators with his horse and baton , the 73-year-old suffragette Emma Miller stabbed his horse with a hatpin, which threw him off, injuring him in the fall and limping him severely. After this mission gave him the Municipality of Brisbane, by the Australian Labor Party was dominated four minutes to Demissionierung its duties in the city, although it support for his action against the strikers by the Conservative government of Queensland the then Prime Minister Digby Denham enjoyed .
The riding down and bludgeoning of peaceful people, many of them older women and children, was condemned not only in union newspapers such as the Worker , but also in other newspapers, such as the conservative Trust . The day of events, a Friday, was initially referred to as Baton Friday and later Black Friday .
In the 1915 election, the Conservative government was voted out and Labor Party's Thomas Joseph Ryan came to power, with Cahill remaining in office with one of his Brisbane opponents, a 1912 strike leader who had been appointed minister. Cahill was dismissed from office in December 1915 for health reasons.
medal
Cahill received numerous honors, such as the Volunteer Officers' Decoration in 1911, the Order of CMG in December 1912 and twice with the Aide-de-camp from 1912 to 1916.
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Cahill, William Geoffrey |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Soldier, senior police officer in Queensland |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 7, 1854 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Strokestown , Roscommon , UK |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 15, 1931 |
| Place of death | Newmarket near Brisbane |