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On this day 35 years ago Northern Territory policewomen were allowed to wear slacks for the first time as part of their standard uniform. Women were first inducted into the force in 1961 but it wasn't until 1982 that they were allowed to dress the same. Pictured here is well-known policewoman Kate Vanderlaan, who joined the force in 1979. She was the first policewoman motorcyclist in Australia and last year she became the first female deputy police commissioner in the Territory’s history.


Published 6 August 2017

Picture: NT Police Museum

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Forgotten Territory was a weekly photo column of historic images in the Northern Territory News which I curated from 2016 until 2019 supported by the collections of the Northern Territory Library and other cultural institutions around Australia, as well as local history Facebook groups. 

Click on the images to read the story behind the image.

Warning: May contain images of people who have died.

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