Gunnedah residents have gathered this week to honour a man who had a significant part to play in the town's history.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A ceremony was held at Gunnedah Police Station on Tuesday for the late Sergeant Charles Gilbert Moodie on the 60th anniversary of his death.
Oxley Police District Commander Superintendent Kylie Endemi, Gunnedah mayor Jamie Chaffey, Gunnedah Police Inspector Michael Wurth and family members of Sergeant Moodie attended the ceremony to acknowledge his service and life.
READ ALSO:
Sgt Moodie was born in Mungindi in 1877 and commenced work for the NSW Police Force (NSWPF) as an Aboriginal tracker in 1905 before moving to Garah and then onto Gunnedah before resigning from the NSWPF in 1916.
In August 1928, he re-joined the NSWPF and commenced work as a tracker in Yetman then moved to Gunnedah in December 1929.
He lived with his wife and seven children in a hut behind the old Gunnedah Police Station that also incorporated the Gunnedah jail and police paddock.
In recognition of his skills as a tracker, he was promoted to Tracker 1st Class in July 1943 then to sergeant in March 1946.
Sgt Moodie continued in his role until his retirement in July 1951. Sgt Moodie provided 34 years service to the NSWPF as a tracker.
A plaque honouring his contribution to the NSW Police hangs in the waiting room of the Gunnedah station. In 2014, a memorial garden was established on the site of the tracker's hut, land now occupied by the Gunnedah Public School.
The skills of trackers were drawn from bush and hunting knowledge held by Aboriginal groups throughout NSW.
A good tracker could pick up the smallest change in the landscape and quickly work out in which direction a person or animal was moving. Although trackers are no longer employed by the police, the skills and knowledge are still retained by many Aboriginal people throughout NSW.
