Australia’s oldest law enforcement agency, the NSW Sheriff’s Office, has been helping keep the state’s justice system running smoothly for 200 years.
To mark its bicentenary, a range of activities will take place throughout May, including a public exhibition at the Downing Centre in Sydney and a mini documentary to be launched in late May.
Sharon Dykes is the Inspector at Gosford Courthouse, spearheading a staff of 15.
After 28 years of working as a hairdresser, Dykes decided on a change of profession nine years ago and hasn’t looked back since.
“I had always wanted to join the police but was too short back in the day,” she said.
“There are no height restrictions now and when I moved to Dubbo with my new partner I was keen for a change.
“He was working in the justice system and suggested the Sheriff’s Office as a new career path for me.
“I wasn’t really sure just what a Sheriff did, but I have been a volunteer with the Rural Fire Service for 15 years and was familiar with how a rank-structured organisation worked so I applied and started my career in the Central West, working at Broken Hill, Bourke, Lightning Ridge and Walgett and eventually being promoted to sergeant.
“I then relieved all over the Central West when people were on leave etc.”
When Dykes decided to move to the Central Coast a couple of years ago to be closer to her aged father she put in for a transfer and worked for more than two years at Newcastle court, rising to the rank of Chief Inspector, before the opportunity came up to transfer to Gosford.
When the sheriff’s office was first established in NSW in 1824, it served the then colony of NSW which covered the whole of eastern Australia and Van Dieman’s Land (now Tasmania), with its responsibilities including carrying out orders of the Supreme Court, running prisons and executions.
These days the brief has changed.
Modern-day sheriffs are chiefly responsible for civil enforcement, court security and managing the jury system.
“In a way we are the police of the courthouse,” Dykes said.
“We wear uniforms similar to the police and carry everything they do except firearms.
“At the courthouses, we scan people as they come in and attend courtrooms if a judge or magistrate needs us.
“We are there if there is any trouble.
“We serve field warrants such as divorce papers and any examination orders from the courts.
“We also perform evictions on court orders and debt recovery and manage the jury system, covering all the courts in NSW.”
Dykes said communication skills were key to the job.
“I have some people skills, probably from my background in hairdressing, which comes in handy when there is a need to de-escalate people who are angry or drug-affected,” she said.
“I also enjoy managing the staff and attending to their needs.”
Dykes said she had never feared for her safety but had gone “hands on” twice during her career in restraining people.
“You do have to be situationally aware,” she said.
“When you’re doing evictions, for example, you don’t know how many people will be in the house or what you might find.
“We can ask police to assist if we need to; you have to be on your toes.
“But if you are kind to people I find they will respond.”
Dykes said she also enjoyed working with the jury system.
“People can be very nervous when summonsed to be on a jury and we explain the process to them,” she said.
“You meet lots of interesting people along the way and I love working with court and judicial staff and registrars.
“Without us there would probably be a lot of incidents at courthouses.”
Dykes said the Sheriff’s office was always looking for new recruits.
“We do, get some ex-police and ex-military people joining but also everyone from chefs to fast food workers,” she said.
The exhibition at the Downing Centre will run for the whole month of May and will feature historical accounts and stories from the Sheriff’s Office, along with artefacts from courthouses around the state.
The mini documentary demonstrates the important relationship between the Sheriff’s Office and the NSW justice system over the past two centuries, told through stories of people behind the badge.
It includes exclusive historical footage and reflections from several retired NSW Sheriffs as well as current and former staff.
Attorney General Michael Daley said the NSW Sheriff’s Office was a pillar of the state’s justice system.
“It has been protecting our courthouses and working with our communities for generations, to ensure the safe, efficient and effective administration of justice across NSW,” he said.
“(There are) more than 400 specially trained Sheriff’s officers, court officers and clerical staff employed at 58 offices across the state.”
Sheriff of NSW Tracey Hall said the Sheriff’s Office continued to grow and evolve alongside the community and the justice system.
“The Sheriff’s Office has a rich history and we have continuously evolved as a law enforcement and security body during our 200 years serving the people of NSW,” she said.
“Thank you to all our current and former staff as we celebrate our bicentenary.”