Mary DUNNE

29/03/2015

Mary DUNNE

New South Wales Police Force

the first NSW Police Matron

Husband to Constable Peter Michael DUNNE, Regd # Q 5161

Rank:  Police Matron

Stations:  Prince Henry Hospital, Little Bay, NSW

Service:  From  ? ? 1898  to  ? pre 1937 = 42 years

Awards:  Imperial Service Medal – granted on 16 October 1936

Imperial Service Medal
Imperial Service Medal

Citation:  NSW Police – Matron

Born:  ? ? 1866

Died on:  3 April 1949

Cause:  ?

Age:  83

Funeral date:  5 April 1949

Funeral location:  ?

Buried at:  Rookwood Catholic Cemetery

Portion Mortuary 1 area: Area S, Row 15, Plot 671

Interred in this same site is:

Dunne, Peter M     Buried 18 Feb 1898    Aged 38

& their son – Arthur James – died aged 1 in 1896

app. GPS:  -33.864959,  151.052129

Location of Grave:  [codepeople-post-map]

MARY is NOT mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance * NOT JOB RELATED

  

 

My Dear Mother Mary DUNNE Died 3rd April 1949 aged 83 years The First N.S.W. Police Matron 42 years Service
My Dear Mother
Mary DUNNE
Died 3rd April 1949
aged 83 years
The First N.S.W. Police Matron
42 years Service

[codepeople-post-map]

1938  ( Second Session )

Legislative Assembly

NEW SOUTH WALES

Annual Report of the Police Department for the year 1937.

Page 31:

XVI.- KING’S POLICE MEDAL AND IMPERIAL SERVICE MEDAL.

His Excellency the State Governor presented the King’s Police Medal and Imperial Service Medal to several Police Officers and retired members of the Force on the 3rd June, 1937.  The presentation ceremony was carried out on the lawn in the precincts of Government House grounds.  The medals were distributed as indicated hereunder: –

 

 

 

 

 

 

King’s Police Medal.

…..

…..

Imperial Service Medal

For long Service marked by merit.-

…..

…..

….. and Ex-Matron Mary Dunne, to whom the Imperial Service Medal was awarded, were unable to attend at Government House on this occasion, and other arrangements were made to hand their medals over to them.

…….

Your faithfully,

W. J. MACKAY,

Commissioner of Police.

 

 

In 1962, the NSW Police Force comprised of 6139 members – 5336 Policemen, 58 Policewomen, 175 Police Cadets, 5 Police Trackers, 4 Police Matrons, 109 Special Parking Police, 30 Special Constables and 422 Administrative Officers.

http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/about_us/history

 

 

 

Prince Henry Hospital had close relationships with Long Bay Gaol, with the prisoners growing various vegetables and making the bread for the patients and nursing staff. It also was the hospital for Long Bay Gaol prisoners.
Ironically, it was the designated police hospital used by many of the NSW police members who at times of limited bed capacity and 99per cent patient occupancy, found themselves sharing bathroom space with prisoners.