VISITORS to Moree Police Station will soon be greeted by a remarkable memorial recognising local Aboriginal trackers employed by the New South Wales Police Force between the years 1862 and 1973.
The Moree Aboriginal Tracker Wall at the police station’s main entrance aims to build greater recognition of the important role trackers played in policing the community of Moree and surrounding districts.
The Moree project, the third of its type in New South Wales, recognises the Aboriginal trackers who were local to Moree – and there is arguably none more well-known than Fred Pegus.
Fred will feature alongside fellow trackers dating back to the mid-1800s to the early 1970s.
Accompanying Fred on the wall of honour will be William Bowden, Billy Bowers, Albert Brady, Jackey Bundah, Ben Fraser, Percy Green, Jem Moree, Thomas Pitt, William Ryan, Alfred Roberts, Archibald Walford and Jack Woods.
Fred passed away in 2012 and is buried at Moree Cemetery.
Moree Police Sergeant Jack Mitchell said Fred Pegus was a well-known local, admired and respected by many.
“We know Fred was born on Palm Island, Queensland, in about 1936 and after working as a cabinet maker, he came to Moree where he married Alma (Blondie) Newman, a local Aboriginal woman, in October, 1962,” Sgt Mitchell said.
Sergeant Jack Mitchell with Fred Pegus’ grandson Mark Pegus and Mark’s son, Kyro.
Fred, well-known for his impeccable dress sense and kindly, polite manner, was employed by the New South Wales Police Force as an Aboriginal tracker and, with Norm Walford, completed the last official case for trackers in New South Wales when searching for a man near Brewarrina.
The man was delirious when found, and Fred and Norm are credited with saving his life.
“The number of Aboriginal trackers in New South Wales decreased to six in 1960 and by the end of 1973 there were no trackers at all following the retirement of Fred and Norm,” Sgt Mitchell said.
“This reduction of trackers is said to be largely due to ‘an increasingly urbanised population with fewer cases for trackers to work on’.
“It is assumed Fred was the second-last Aboriginal Tracker employed by New South Wales Police Force.”
Fred’s grandson, Mark Pegus, said his grandfather was well-known and respected across north-western New South Wales.
“I was only about 10 when Pop passed away but I know he was a good bloke and well-mannered,” Mr Pegus said.
“He was always polite and well-dressed, and went to Bible school at Singleton. Pop was a good man.”
To complete the Moree Aboriginal Tracker Wall project, there is one mystery Sgt Mitchell and Aboriginal liaison community officer, Rod Tighe, would dearly like to solve – and it involved Fred.
“We are aware of an incident in which Fred was involved where he located a lost young local non-indigenous girl, but we have been unable to locate any correspondence in relation to the incident,” Sgt Mitchell said.
Police are seeking help from members of the Moree community to help shed light on the incident.
“We would like to include this story as a feature on the new wall,” Sgt Mitchell said.
Mr Tighe said Fred’s last known job was shrouded in mystery.
“We’re after the story that was printed sometime in the 1990s, in the Moree Champion we’re sure, that talks about what we think was his last job for the police, when he located a missing girl,” he said.
Mr Tighe said the Moree tracker wall will be the third of its kind in New South Wales.
“The NSW Police Academy at Goulburn has a tracker wall with more than 500 names and the wall at Walgett was the first,” Mr Tighe said.
“Hopefully, this will start a trend and we might start to see more of them.
“The wall at Moree will showcase Fred’s legacy to the community. He worked for the New South Wales Police and was the second-last tracker in the force.”
If anyone knows any details about Fred’s involvement finding a missing girl, probably in the late 1960s or early 1970s, please contact Moree Police Station and ask to speak with Aboriginal liaison community officer, Rod Tighe, or Sgt Jack Mitchell.
“Someone out there might still have the newspaper clipping from the 1990s that has details about the case,” Mr Tighe said.
Moree Police Station: 6757 0799
Words and Image: Bill Poulos
Bill, my father was the last policeman to use trackers in NSW; I’ll send you the story in the NSW POLICE magazine.