Alan Leek

In the turbulent years from 1922 to 1952, Australia witnessed a chilling toll as twenty-two dedicated police officers sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. Others fell with them. Emerging from the shadows of World War I, the nation, newly minted and resilient, navigated through The Great Depression's pall, only to confront the re-emergence of war. During World War...

Australia was a grim place during the Great Depression with little or no money for leisure. Small bets on horse racing were a common diversion, but illegal thanks to the pious with political sway. Outlawing the practice simply created opportunities for murderous thugs, criminal activity and corruption. Police were required to enforce the hated gaming laws, pitting themselves against the...

The harrowing true stories of fallen police officers and how they met their end in a rendezvous with death on the path of duty. A new century and a new nation forged by the will of the people seemed to turn a new page and raised hope for a better future. In this there was abundant truth, but there still...

Gunfights, stabbings, and unspeakable violence — these are the true stories of the officers who stood between chaos and order. Early 20th-century criminals were among the most ruthless in Australia’s history. Their violent excesses left communities reeling. In an era when handguns, explosives, and Tommy guns were the weapons of choice, police officers faced down dangerous offenders without modern tactics,...