Alexander Tolmer (1815 – 7 March 1890) was a

South Australian South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

police The police are a Law enforcement organization, constituted body of Law enforcement officer, persons empowered by a State (polity), state, with the aim to law enforcement, enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citize ...

officer and Police Commissioner. He was educated at

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to ...

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the region of Normandy and the department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, the population ...

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, linking it wi ...

and

Hawkhurst Hawkhurst is village and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The village is located close to the border with East Sussex, around south-east of Royal Tunbridge Wells and within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Na ...

. He migrated to South Australia in 1840 where he was made sub-inspector by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

George Gawler Lieutenant-Colonel George Gawler, KH, (21 July 1795 – 7 May 1869) was the second Governor of South Australia, at the same time serving as Resident Commissioner, from 17 October 1838 until 15 May 1841. Biography Early life Gawler, born on 21 ...

. In August 1840, Tolmer was part of the

punitive expedition A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a political entity or any group of people outside the borders of the punishing state or union. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong beh ...

to the Coorong after Aborigines massacred 25 shipwreck survivors from the ship ''Maria'', which had been travelling from Port Adelaide to Hobart. He was involved in the 1842 search for

Charles Christian Dutton Charles Christian Dutton (presumed died 1842) was a pastoralist in the Colony of South Australia who disappeared, believed murdered by Aboriginal people, while driving cattle from Port Lincoln to Adelaide in July 1842. Origins Dutton was born i ...

and droving party, believed to have been similarly attacked on their way from

Port Lincoln Port Lincoln is a town on the Lower Eyre Peninsula in the Australian state of South Australia. It is situated on the shore of Boston Bay, which opens eastward into Spencer Gulf. It is the largest city in the West Coast region, and is located a ...

to Adelaide, but no trace of the party was ever found. Police Inspector Alexander Tolmer was among the original residents of the newly established village of

Norwood, South Australia Norwood is a suburb of Adelaide, about east of the Adelaide city centre. The suburb is in the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters, whose predecessor was the oldest South Australian local government municipality. History Before British colonis ...

, in 1847. After several stints of acting in the position, Tolmer was appointed Commissioner of Police on 3 January 1852 25 years later Tolmer was still bitter. replacing George Dashwood. He was instrumental in creating the

Gold Escort Gold Escorts were common across Australian goldfields, transporting mined and processed material from mines to banks and mints across the country. They were important in safely transporting gold, and were in most cases carried out by police ass ...

route between

Mount Alexander Mount Alexander is a mountain located approximately 125 km north-west of Melbourne, near the town of Harcourt. It rises 350 metres above the surrounding area to a level of 744 metres above sea level. Being a prominent local landmark, ...

near

Castlemaine, Victoria Castlemaine ( , non-locally also ) is a small city in Victoria, Australia, in the Goldfields region about 120 kilometres (75 miles) northwest by road from Melbourne and about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the major provincial centre of Be ...

, and

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

in the 1850s (the first arrived in Adelaide on 20 March 1852 with around 600 lb (270 kg) of gold, the second, with 1,620 lb (735 kg) on 4 May 1852; it also carried mail between diggers and their Adelaide families) and also helped to establish the town of Bordertown. He began acting erratically, as though jealous of his position, and determined to show up his subordinates. A case in point was that of Corporal Balls, whom Tolmer accused of not having, as ordered, posted a certain General Order in the messroom. Balls remonstrated that he had indeed done as he was told, and Inspector Alford (for whom

J. W. Bull John Wrathall Bull (23 June 1804 – 21 September 1886) was a settler, inventor and author in the early days of colonial South Australia.H. J. Finnis (1966)''Bull, John Wrathall (1804-1886)''/ref> History Early life and emigration Born in ...

had the greatest respect) backed him up. Tolmer gave Balls five minutes to back down, which he refused to do for sake of falsifying himself and making a liar of Alford. Balls was summarily dismissed and Alford promptly resigned. Senior Inspector C. W. Stuart (c. 1811–1891) was suspended in September 1853. In November 1853, following an inquiry into police morale and efficiency, Tolmer was demoted to Chief Inspector (he ascribed the blame to Stuart, his temporary replacement while on Gold Escort duty), and six months later was sidelined to the Public Service. In December 1853 a board of enquiry ratified Stuart's suspension, and furthermore relieved Tolmer of command of the force, offering it to T. S. O'Halloran and, surprisingly, reinstated Tolmer as Chief Inspector. These moves followed the confessions of W. B. Orde, Tolmer's chief clerk, that he had been complicit in Tolmer's machinations against his subordinates. Superintendent Tolmer was sacked by Police Commissioner Warburton in 1856. A well-attended meeting at

Green's Exchange Green's Exchange, also known as Green's Auction Mart, was a business on King William Street, Adelaide, in the early colonial days of South Australia. It was not the first, and by no means the only stock exchange in Adelaide, but was notable in its a ...

in March 1856 sent a letter of protest to Governor MacDonnell. In 1882 he published his book ''Reminiscences of an Adventurous and Chequered Career at Home and at the Antipodes''. The book is in two volumes (both available at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

). It has been described, by the ''

Australian Dictionary of Biography The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...

'', as "an engaging and egotistical work".Tolmer, Alexander (1815–1890)
, ''

''. Despite Alexander Tolmer's alleged character flaws and involvement in various disputes, there cannot be much doubt that his initiative and determination in relation to the implementation of the overland

helped save South Australia from an economic crisis at a most vulnerable time in the colony's development. This feat alone earned him the respect and appreciation of many South Australians. He was energetic in his pursuit of law and order in the young colony over a long period and as Police Commissioner implemented significant reform and innovation to the service. He has been recognised with a plaque in the

Jubilee 150 Walkway The Jubilee 150 Walkway, also variously known as the Jubilee 150 Commemorative Walk, the Jubilee 150 Walk, Jubilee 150 Plaques, the Jubilee Walk, or simply J150, is a series of (initially) 150 bronze plaques set into the pavement of North ...

on the footpath of North Terrace,

. Tolmer died in 1890 and was buried at the

Mitcham Mitcham is an area within the London Borough of Merton in South London, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross. Originally a village in the county of Surrey, today it is mainly a residential suburb, and includes Mitcham Common. It h ...

Cemetery in an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

service. A son, Alexander H. D. Tolmer, was a drover, explorer, and manager of

Arkaba Station Arkaba or Arkaba Station is a part-perpetual lease, part-freehold property located about north east of Hawker and south of Blinman in the Flinders Ranges in the state of South Australia, The station occupies an area of and was formerly used ...

References

Sources

* *
Tolmer, Alexander (1815–1890)
, ''

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Tolmer, Alexander 1815 births 1890 deaths 16th The Queen's Lancers officers Australian Anglicans Commissioners of the South Australia Police Settlers of South Australia Australian people of French descent 19th-century Australian public servants