by Heather Smith
The Police Station at Riverstone has seen many changes. In 1974 the tiny Police Station was moved to Australiana Village at Wilberforce and the original station from Blacktown took its place following the construction of a new station at Blacktown. This was a much roomier set-up, comprising two rooms allowing space to move.
In 1980 the two room building was demolished and it was decided to utilize the house as a Police Station. However the cells were decommissioned and used only for storage. The wall between the main bedroom and the passageway was removed and a counter built to serve as the front desk. The lounge room became the Constables interview room and the second bedroom became the meal room.
The picket fence was removed and replaced with Cyclone wire fence and a carpark constructed where the old Police Station once stood. High speed Police vehicles replaced the old motor bike and side car. A large section of the land has been fenced in and used as a holding yard for vehicles involved in fatal accidents and waiting to be examined by Police mechanics.
In 1996 Commissioner Peter Ryan decided that Riverstone did not need a full time Police Station and that it could be adequately supervised from the brand new station at Quakers Hill! Now, as the development burgeons in the outer western suburbs, it may be time for the people of Riverstone to begin to agitate for their own Police Station once again.