True Blue
"Sergeant Rogerson looked as if his head had been plunged into a bucket of blood."
That is how a doctor described the injuries to the first Victoria Police Valour Award winner in 1899, Sergeant William Rogerson.
The policeman had been brutally bashed with a brick while arresting two burglars in a quiet Melbourne suburb, in broad daylight. The doctor informed the police officer that only "his thick skull" saved him from more serious injury.
The bravery shown by the sergeant captured the imagination of his fellow officers and the public alike. The police of the day were so impressed by their colleague's actions that they had a whip around and purchased a medal which was duly presented at a special ceremony by Chief Commissioner Chomley. The government then introduced an official award for valour.
True Blue is the story of some of Victoria's bravest police officers, people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to protect the citizens of the state.
Awards have been presented after violent arrests and natural disasters. Some men were recognised after stopping bolting horses in the heart of the city. Others pursued villains in high speed car chases.
Working together with journalist and author Shirley Hardy-Rix, True Blue is the result of hundreds of hours of painstaking research by Chief Inspector Ralph Stavely.