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His career path was a little different from most other policemen of the day. Except for a year stationed at Yam
Creek in 1883, he spent his whole career in Palmerston. In October 1887, Waters was included in a party preparing
to explore Melville Island, one of two policemen, but his lack of ‘bush’ experience gave rise to some comment
in the press. He rose steadily up the ranks and in a promotion described as ‘popular’ was made Sub-Inspector
on 1 February 1904. On 1 July 1910, he succeeded Paul Foelsche with the rank of Inspector, as the head of the
Northern Territory police force.
Waters was one of the few South Australian public servants who kept their positions when the Commonwealth
took over in 1911. He did have the choice of returning to Adelaide but stayed on in charge of 18 police officers,
the gaol keeper and three warders.
The years following could not have been particularly happy ones in policing terms. The police force was very
inadequate and the five men stationed in Darwin were certainly not equipped to deal with civil disobedience on the
scale of the demonstrations that erupted against Administrator Gilruth. In 1918, Waters permitted a march led by
Harold Nelson provided it was peaceful. Gilruth, however, refused to recognise the townsmen, and a fracas broke
out. There was some shoving, Gilruth was manhandled and Waters was punched and kicked while he attempted to
restore order. Waters was, according to Alfred Searcy, a ‘big, powerful man’, very capable in a fight, which may
be the reason the riot did not get out of hand. Nelson was then prosecuted but the charge was dismissed leaving
him, in the words of Frank Alcorta, ‘free to continue his quest for total control in Darwin’. Other charges of assault
were quashed on appeal.
Waters could not then have been happy with Royal Commissioner Ewing’s analysis of events. The Royal
Commissioner was not particularly complimentary about the way Waters managed the police force. He described
him as an ‘old gentleman who is very highly respected but does not exercise his powers over the men with a
firm enough hand’. He recommended that an officer of wide experience be placed in charge, though in evidence
Waters claimed that the population was pretty law abiding and that the main problems were gambling and sly grog
selling.
Along with his contemporaries, Waters wore many hats during the course of his career. From about 1902 when
he was first appointed Crown Prosecutor, he was Inspector of Stock and Brands, assistant returning officer and he
sat for over a decade as a member of the Tender Board. In 1912 he was given the powers to act as a customs officer
should the need arise. By 1919, he was acting Government Secretary, Registrar Births, Deaths and Marriages and
Registrar of Companies and was the senior officer in regards to length of service. From 1915 to 1920, he was
government nominee on the reconstituted and restructured Darwin Town Council.
He was a meticulous record-keeper. The only copies of the Northern Territory censuses that have been found
for 1881, 1991 and 1901 are in his handwriting and they seem to include Territorians who were absent at the time.
Among the Anglican Church records is a ledger, apparently based on the 1901 census, which has been annotated
to record births, marriages and deaths.
He was involved with the Rifle Club, being a good shot, and was Secretary and Treasurer in 1900. For many
years, he was elected to the committee of the Palmerston Institute of which he was President in 1915.
Although he was born in the south of Ireland, he appears to have been a Protestant as his activities paralleled
those of the Lutheran, Paul Foelsche. Waters was one of the trustees of lot 639 at the corner of Knuckey and
Mitchell Streets on which the Wesleyan church stood. He was a staunch member of the Church of England in
Palmerston, as was his wife, and was a member of the Parochial Council when planning for the new church built
in 1902, and destroyed in Cyclone Tracy, was in progress. Like Foelsche, he was also active in Masonic affairs and
was a Past Grand Deacon of the Grand Masonic Lodge of South Australia, Darwin Branch.
Between 1896 and 1920, Waters speculated in land in Darwin. During those years, he bought a total of 30 lots
of which he still owned three, lots 497, 501 and 504 in Smith Street, at the date of his death.
He was still serving as Police Inspector when he died suddenly at his home in Smith Street on 8 March 1924
at the age of 69, survived by his wife, Anna Maria Woide Waters, whom he had married on a visit to Adelaide
in 1892. A masonic funeral was conducted at his residence and he was buried in the Goyder Road cemetery
according to the rites of the Church of England. The funeral was very large, all motor vehicles in the town were
requisitioned and those who could not ride walked with ‘profound respect’. It was said of him that he ‘leaves
behind an unblemished record of integrity, good citizenship and work well done’ and that under ‘a somewhat
stern official exterior... hid a big generous heart and there are scores of old hands who will miss his advice and
assistance’.
His Will was made soon after his marriage and dated 13 December 1892. He left his very large estate of
22 349 Pounds solely to his wife, there being no children. She continued to live alone in their home in Smith Street,
next to Christ Church, until she died at the age of 86 on 8 July 1939.
Administrator’s Report, year ended 30 June 1924; Advertiser 17 February 1904; F X Alcorta, Darwin Rebellion, 1984; Commonwealth
Parliamentary Papers, 28/1920 (Ewing report); Land Titles Office records; D Lockwood, The Front Door, 1969; North Australian,
8 October 1887; Northern Standard 11 March 1924; 11 July 1939; Northern Territory Archives Service, E96/147, E103/26/1940; Northern
Territory Times and Gazette, 20 April 1900, 8 June 1900, 18 April 1902, 3 October 1902, 19 July 1903, 6 November 1903, 19 February 1904,
5 January 1906, 22 November 1907, 1 July 1910, 26 April 1912, 30 July 1914, 10 June 1920, 11 March 1924; Register, 2 January 1911;
A Searcy, In Australian Tropics, facsimile, 1984.
HELEN J WILSON, Vol 3.WATI YURITJA: see SMITH, WALTER