Soldier Convicts and the New South Wales Border Police, 1839-1846

<p>Historians have considered the circumstances of convicts who were formerly solders in the British army, noticing how their service, and their tendency to be taller than other convicts, saw them placed in positions of responsibility and power in the colonies, often put to work as overseers, watchmen or policemen.¹ In New South Wales, one of the greatest opportunities for convict soldiers to use their military skills came with creation of the colony's Border Police Force in 1839. In the 1830s settlers were pushing their flocks and herds beyond the 'limits of location' doing so with indifference to government regulations or directives regarding their obligations to Aboriginal populations. Indigenous resistance to dispossession was leading to widespread and violent confrontations which are now collectively and commonly known as 'frontier wars'. The government had passed previous regulatory legislation but the Crown Lands Unauthorised Occupation Act which became effective on 1 July 1839 provided for the creation of a law enforcement body to be called the New South Wales Border Police. This force, which existed until 1846 was initially composed entirely of convicts with a military background.</p>