New South Wales Police Force Est. 1862

The NSW Police Force is one of the largest police organisations in the English speaking world. It began as the first civilian police force in Australia, known as the Night Watch, and was formed by Governor Arthur Phillip in 1789 to guard Sydney Town. In 1862, all Watch Teams were combined under the Police Regulation Act 1862 to form the NSW Police Force. That Act was later replaced by the Police Regulation Act 1899. In June 1987, the NSW Police Force (which had carriage of operations) and the NSW Police Department (which had carriage of policy and administration) were amalgamated. We operate under the Police Act 1990 and the Police Regulations 2008. Click on the dates below to read about significant events in the history of the NSW Police Force.