'In the early 1970s, Queensland was a haven for crooks from both sides of the law. It was into this hothouse that Ray Whitrod was controversially appointed as police commissioner in 1970. Just six years later he resigned from the head role of the Queensland Police Force, no longer willing to tolerate the interference of the Bjelke-Petersen government. It was a decision that the Fitzgerald Inquiry would later vindicate.
'Ray Whitrod rose through the ranks from police cadets in Adelaide to command not only the Queensland police but the Commonwealth and Papua New Guinea forces as well. In wartime, he had trained and flown as a navigator with the RAF in Europe and the Middle East. After the war, he helped to found ASIO, operating both in the field and from behind a desk.' (Publication summary)
Epigraph:
But I have promises to keep,
and miles to go before I sleep.
–Robert Frost
'Stopping in the Woods on a Snowy Evening'
'This is an encompassing and evocative memoir by former Queensland Police Force (QPF) Commissioner Ray Whitrod, who wore many hats in his lifetime. However, heading Queensland’s police force between 1970 and 1976 had the most impact on his future career, social life and health. The Fitzgerald Inquiry into police corruption following the term of his successor Terry Lewis had a watershed effect on the QPF and the organisation was overhauled. Given the scarcity of insights into the political dimensions of QPF management during this time, Whitrod’s memoir will be invaluable for scholars of Australian policing and politics and its Queensland dimensions. Before I Sleep affords the reader a glimpse into the personal life of a person responsible for the formation of key national and state organisations: the Commonwealth Police, the Australian Institute of Criminology and Victims of Crime Service in his home state of South Australia, to name a few.' (Introduction)
'This is an encompassing and evocative memoir by former Queensland Police Force (QPF) Commissioner Ray Whitrod, who wore many hats in his lifetime. However, heading Queensland’s police force between 1970 and 1976 had the most impact on his future career, social life and health. The Fitzgerald Inquiry into police corruption following the term of his successor Terry Lewis had a watershed effect on the QPF and the organisation was overhauled. Given the scarcity of insights into the political dimensions of QPF management during this time, Whitrod’s memoir will be invaluable for scholars of Australian policing and politics and its Queensland dimensions. Before I Sleep affords the reader a glimpse into the personal life of a person responsible for the formation of key national and state organisations: the Commonwealth Police, the Australian Institute of Criminology and Victims of Crime Service in his home state of South Australia, to name a few.' (Introduction)
