Royal Commission report day 43 page 2
The Royal Commission evidence for 4/8/1881
(see also introduction to day 43)
[[../../people/peB/bolam.html|Mr Thomas Bolam]] giving evidence
15059 Was it the Education Department that moved in the matter first, or the police?— I know of no steps being taken until I had this interview with Captain Standish, and I called upon him more in a casual way, to inform him what my opinion was, and to ascertain from him whether he considered there was any ground for my forming the opinion. On my pointing out to Mr. Ramsay that I had very strong suspicions that Wallace was in some way or other assisting the outlaws, and that similar suspicions were also held by Captain Standish, Mr. Ramsay wished me to say whether I was not in a position to make a definite charge against Wallace, and have him removed from the service. He said if those suspicions could be proved to be well founded he was not a deserving man to be kept in the service. I pointed out to him that at present I was not in a position to make any charge against Wallace , and the only way in which I saw we could deal with the case was to remove him to a position which was a little more desirable, and get him away from the Kelly country. He had already applied for promotion, and the reports of the inspector on his work for some time previous to this had been favorable. We then, having obtained the requisite authority from Mr. Ramsay , offered Mr. Wallace the position of this school at Yea. He demurred at first, and intimated his intention to accept the appointment conditionally on our appointing his brother at Hurdle Creek and Bobinawarrah. That I thought to be very undesirable, and I intimated to Wallace that we could only allow him to accept this position unconditionally, and if he were transferred we should consider his brother's application for the Hurdle Creek school. On the receipt of this letter or telegram from me, Wallace informed me by telegram that he accepted the position, and I took steps at once to relieve him.
15060 His brother was not appointed?— No.
15061 Did Captain Standish inform you of the relations that existed between the police and Wallace at this time when you conversed with him?— I learned nothing definitely from Captain Standish, but I left him under the impression that the police were very suspicious of Wallace, that Wallace had offered to give information, and the police were distrustful of him.
15062 He did not lead you to understand that he was in reality in the pay of the police at this time?— I cannot say that.
15063 Was the department applied to at any time by Wallace or any of his friends for permission to act as an agent in the search for the Kellys—was the department at any time a party consenting to his acting in that capacity?— We knew nothing at all about it officially.
15064 Until when?— I have heard within the last few months, privately, that Wallace had received money from the Police Department, but that was since that time.
15065 You have not even now had official intimation?— I have had no intimation whatever.
15066 Your reply to that is that you have only heard of it since?— I did not know of it at the time, and what I have heard since has been of such a character that I could not take any official notice of it.
15067 The department did not at any time think it expedient to give instructions to officers in that district to aid the police by any means they could?— We had no applications before us.
15068 I want to know that to show he had no authority from the department?— He had no authority whatever.
15069 Does the Education Department recognize the ability of any officer in its employment to occupy another position under the Government, receiving pay?— We allow our teachers to hold the position of postmaster, but they are not supposed to accept any position that would in any way interfere with their positions as school teachers.
15070 If application had been made to the department, would they have agreed to Wallace's taking this position of an agent or informer?— We should have demurred certainly, because we should have considered that it would have interfered with his duties.
15071 Had it been made plain to you that this man could have assisted the police without interfering with his school duties, would the department then have sanctioned it?— We should not have interfered with his giving legitimate assistance to the police so long as it did not interfere with his ordinary school duties.
15072 As far as the reports of the inspectors are concerned, was there any falling off in the results of his school during the year 1879?— I cannot say there was any change in the results. I cannot speak without referring to the reports, but the last report submitted on Mr. Wallace 's school at Hurdle Creek was very favorable. The inspector reported to the effect that Wallace appeared to be deserving of promotion, so there was no apparent want of zeal.....
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