Cornelis Gerardus ‘ Kees ‘ VERHAGEN
Cornelis Gerardus ‘ Kees ‘ VERHAGEN
“possible” family in ‘the job’: Alexander VERHAGEN, NSWPF # 16603
New South Wales Police Force
Inspector
Uniform # 5658
Regd. # 14986
Commenced Training at Redfern Police Academy with Class 129 on Monday 1 November 1971 ( aged 23 years, 9 months, 16 days )
Probationary Constable – appointed Monday 13 December 1971 ( aged 23 years, 10 months, 27 days )
Constable – appointed appointed 13 December 1972
Constable 1st Class – appointed 13 December 1976
Senior Constable – appointed 13 December 1980
Sergeant 3rd Class – appointed 29 June 1987
Sergeant 2nd Class – appointed ? ? ?
Sergeant 1st Class – appointed ? ? ?
Inspector – appointed ? ? ?
Final Rank: Inspector
Stations: Penrith ( 23 Division ), Zetland
Awards: National Medal – granted 2 November 1988 ( Sgt )
1st Clasp to the National Medal – granted on 4 September 2001 ( former Insp. )
Born: Friday 16 January 1948 The Hague, Holland
Died Tuesday 10 February 2004
56 years, 0 months, 25 days old
Illness – Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder
and Mastic Prostate Cancer.
Funeral: ?
Buried / Cremated: ?
Memorial – Richmond RSL. Location: panel 4, row 4 column 1
Memorial – Richmond RSL
ii. KEES (CORNELIS) VERHAGEN
Inspector Verhagen was attached to the Radio Communications Branch. He had amongst other duties been involved in technical issues related to specifications and tendering for changes to the police radio system. The contract for this tender was awarded to Motorola.
The circumstances of the tender process became the subject of an Internal Affairs investigation and later a Police Integrity Commission hearing, no action was taken against him.
Verhagen became ill and was diagnosed and discharged from the NSW Police with Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder and Metastic Prostate Cancer. He died in February 2004.
http://unionsafe.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/NileInquirySubmission.doc
Kees is NOT mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance
By Kim Newman-Fitt: He was in charge of NSW communications and a long time ago was a senior constable at Penrith, repairing radios etc. After that he was promoted (directly, because of his special electronic skills) to Inspector to run a division in Waterloo. Inspector Verhagen was also a brilliant artist and sold many of his paintings around the world mostly to other Police (Possibly had a gallery in the Blue Mountains).
Family and friends can view the original post and condolences via: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=559976544040269&set=a.496969483674309.74757109.167692389935355&type=3&theater
First published on 24 November 2014.
Updated 23 May 2026.
Kees was always available for any radio problems when I knew him at the Penrith Workshop.
As somebody already stated, ‘nature’s gentleman’.
RIP Kees.
I worked with Kees in the Penrith radio workshop in the mid 80’s for a short time. Kees was one of those people you wished you could work with all the time. Natures gentleman. Rest in peace mate. Kev Turner.
Kev, I totally agree with you. I used to call in to see kees and go for a run with him or play squash against him. I still have one of his paintings proudly hanging in my home. RIP old friend.