The chief commissioner of the Victoria Police is the highest-ranking police officer in the Australian state of Victoria. The chief commissioner serves as the primary liaison between Victoria Police, government agencies, and relevant government ministers,[1] and is appointed by the governor of Victoria.[2]

The 1853 Police Regulation Act established the role of chief commissioner, which was first held by Sir William Mitchell.[3] The chief commissioner acts as the chief executive officer and chief constable of Victoria Police, and reports to the minister for police. Under the Victoria Police Act 2013, the chief commissioner has to implement relevant policy and law of the government within the police force, advising and informing the police minister on the operations of the police force, and is responsible for general conduct, performance and operations of Victoria Police.[4] The role is supported by a number of departments, each led by a deputy commissioner responsible for the following areas: regional operations, specialist operations, public safety and security, and capability.[1] The candidate for the role is typically chosen on the advice of the sitting premier of Victoria. The chief commissioner can be appointed for a maximum term of five years and may be reappointed after their five year term expires.[5]

Victoria Police may, in some circumstances, have an acting chief commissioner in place when a chief commissioner has retired and a permanent replacement is being sought.[6] The longest-serving chief commissioner was Frederick Standish, who served from 3 September 1858 to 1 October 1880 for a total term of 22 years and 28 days.[7][8] The shortest-serving chief commissioner was the inaugural holder of the office, Sir William Mitchell, who served from 3 January 1853 to 24 January 1854 for a total term of 1 year and 21 days in office.[9][10] The only woman to hold the office was Christine Nixon. She was also Australia's first female police commissioner.[11] The current chief commissioner, Mike Bush will start in the role on 27 June 2025.[12]

List of chief commissioners

No.PortraitNameTerm beganTerm endedTime in officeNotes
Sir William Mitchell3 January 185324 January 18541[9][10]
Sir Charles MacMahon15 February 185417 July 18584[13][14]
Frederick Standish3 September 18581 October 188022[7][8]
Hussey Chomley6 March 188227 March 190220[15][16]
Thomas O'Callaghan1 April 190231 March 191310[17][18]
Alfred Sainsbury
1 April 191328 February 19195[19][20]
Sir George Steward
1 March 191911 May 19201[21][22]
Sir John Gellibrand
1 September 19207 February 19221[23][24]
Alexander Nicholson8 February 192210 August 19253[25][26]
Sir Thomas Blamey
1 September 19259 July 193610[27][28]
Alexander Duncan
14 February 193730 December 195417[29][30]
Selwyn Porter
1 January 19559 October 19638[31][32]
Rupert Arnold
15 October 19631 February 19695[33][34]
—Noel Wilby
1 February 19695 October 19712[35][36]
—Reginald Jackson
12 October 197112 June 19775[37][38]
—Mick Miller
13 June 197728 November 198710[39]
—Kel Glare
29 November 198728 November 19924[40]
—Neil Comrie
4 January 19939 March 20018[41][42]
Christine Nixon
23 April 200127 February 20097[43][44]
Simon Overland
2 March 200916 June 20112[45][46]
—Ken Lay
14 November 201131 January 20153[6]
—Graham Ashton
1 July 201526 June 20204[47]
Shane Patton
27 June 202016 February 20254[48][49]
Mike Bush
27 June 2025Incumbent1[50][12]

References

  1. ^ "Structure". Victoria Police. 21 February 2022. Archived 4 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Victoria Police Act 2013". Legislation Victoria. 6 April 2020. p. section 17. Archived 4 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  3. ^ "Victoria Police (including Office of the Chief Commissioner of Police)". Public Record Office Victoria. Archived 30 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  4. ^ Victoria Police Act 2013, section 16.
  5. ^ Victoria Police Act 2013, Part 1 of Schedule 1.
  6. ^ Lay, Kenneth (15 December 2019). "Statement of Kenneth Douglas Lay AO". Royal Commission into the Management of Police lnformants. p. 1. Archived 25 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  7. ^ O'Shanassy, John (10 December 1858). "Chief Commissioner of Police". p. 2488. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Colonial Telegrams". Adelaide Observer. Vol. XXXVII, no. 2032. 11 September 1880. p. 28. Archived 31 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 23 October 2023. – via National Library of Australia
  9. ^ Swanton, Bruce & Hannigan, Garry (1985). "Police Source Book 2". Australian Institute of Criminology. p. 398. Archived 22 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  10. ^ O'Callaghan, Thomas (1907). List of Chief Constables, District Constables, Police Cadets, and Police Officers in Victoria : 1836–1907. Melbourne: J. Kemp. p. 20. Archived 29 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 October 2023. – via State Library Victoria
  11. ^ "History of Women in the NSW Police Force". New South Wales Police Force. Archived 19 August 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  12. ^ Ortolan, Mikaela. "Victoria's new chief police commissioner Mike Bush described as 'tough' but 'fair'". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  13. ^ Foster, John (15 February 1854). "Colonial Secretary's Office". p. 513. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  14. ^ Mellor, Suzanne G (1974). "Sir Charles MacMahon (1824–1891)". Vol. 5. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
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  16. ^ "Retirement of Mr. H. M. Chomley". Argus. 29 March 1902. p. 13. Archived 25 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 October 2022. – via National Library of Australia
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  18. ^ Haldane, Robert. "O'Callaghan, Thomas (1845–1931)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Archived 25 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  19. ^ "The Police Force. – New Chief Commissioner Assumes Control.". The Age. 1 April 1913. p. 9. Archived 25 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 October 2022. – via National Library of Australia
  20. ^ "Personal". Warwick Daily News. 2 March 1920. p. 2. Archived 25 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 October 2022. – via National Library of Australia
  21. ^ "About People". The Age. 3 March 1919. p. 6. Archived 21 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 October 2022. – via newspapers.com
  22. ^ "Death of Sir Geo. Steward". The Age. 12 May 1920. p. 9. Archived 25 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 October 2022. – via newspapers.com
  23. ^ "New Police Commissioner". The Age. 11 August 1920. p. 9. Archived 25 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 October 2022. – via newspapers.com
  24. ^ "Police Commissioner. – Sir John Gellibrand Retires on Tuesday". The Age. 4 February 1922. p. 12. Archived 25 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 October 2022. – via newspapers.com
  25. ^ Haldane, Robert (2 April 1982). "The Victoria Police Strike – 1923". The Australian Police Journal. Archived 24 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  26. ^ "Police Control – Mr. Nicholson Resigns". The Age. 11 August 1925. p. 9. Archived 21 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 October 2022. – via newspapers.com
  27. ^ "Brigadier-General Blamey". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2 September 1925. p. 11. Archived 21 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 October 2022. – via newspapers.com
  28. ^ "Sir T. A. Blamey Resigns". The Age. 10 July 1936. p. 9. Archived 21 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 October 2022. – via newspapers.com
  29. ^ "New Police Chief Assumes Control Next Sunday". The Age. 3 February 1937. p. 12. Archived 21 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 October 2022. – via newspapers.com
  30. ^ "Front Page". The Age. 31 December 1954. p. 1. Archived 21 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 October 2022. – via newspapers.com
  31. ^ "Police Chief Plans for Trainees to Build Force". The Age. 31 December 1954. p. 4. Archived 19 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 October 2022. – via newspapers.com
  32. ^ "Many Pay Tribute to Mr Porter". The Age. 10 October 1963. p. 7. Archived 19 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 October 2022. – via newspapers.com
  33. ^ "New Police Chief Rose from Ranks". The Age. 15 October 1963. p. 3. Archived 19 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 October 2022. – via newspapers.com
  34. ^ Wilby, Noel (11 June 1969). Annual Report of the Police Department Victoria, Australia for the Year 1968. A. C. Brooks, Government Printer, Melbourne. p. 5. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  35. ^ Hopper, Ken (15 January 1969). "Recruit's Rise to Top Job in Police". The Age. p. 3. Archived 19 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 October 2022. – via newspapers.com
  36. ^ "Police Regulation (Chief Commissioner) Act 1971". AustLii. Victorian Parliament. 5 October 1971. s. 2 (1). Archived 19 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  37. ^ Miller, Sinclair (17 November 2015). "Statement". Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. p. 1. Archived 21 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  38. ^ "Birching advocated". The Canberra Times. Vol. 50, no. 14,798. 9 June 1977. p. 12. Archived 31 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 October 2023. – via National Library of Australia
  39. ^ Victoria Police. "A policing legend farewelled". issuu. Archived 19 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  40. ^ Glare, Kelvin (4 May 2021). "Submission to LSIC Inquiry Into Justice System". Community Advocacy Alliance. p. 1. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022. – via Parliament of Victoria
  41. ^ Haldane, Robert (1995). The people's force : a history of the Victoria police. 2nd ed. Carlton South, Vic., Australia: Melbourne University Press. p. 384. ISBN 978-0-522-84674-4. Archived 15 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  42. ^ The people's force : a history of the Victoria police, p. 567.
  43. ^ "Nixon OAM". State Government of Victoria. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  44. ^ Moor, Keith (27 February 2009). "Christine Nixon fires one more shot before retiring". Herald Sun. Archived 13 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  45. ^ "Overland appointed head of Victoria Police". ABC News. 2 March 2009. Archived 5 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  46. ^ Levy, Megan (16 June 2011). "'I wasn't pushed,' says Overland of resignation". The Age. Archived 5 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  47. ^ Ashton, Graham (7 September 2020). "Witness Statement of Graham Leonard Ashton AM APM". COVID-19 Hotel Quarantine Inquiry. p. 1. Archived 18 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  48. ^ "Victoria's Next Police Chief Commissioner Appointed". Premier of Victoria. 1 June 2020. Archived 23 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  49. ^ "Statement From The Premier". Premier of Victoria. 16 February 2025. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  50. ^ "New Chief Commissioner Of Police Appointed". Premier of Victoria. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 20 May 2025.