NSW Mounted Police mark 200 years in the saddle

Today the Bicentenary will be marked with a street parade from Hyde Park Barracks to the Sydney Opera House, which will include 100 current and retired officers, including 24 on horseback.

They will be joined by the NSW Police Force Banner Party, the NSW Police Band and the NSW Police Traffic & Highway Patrol.

As part of the Bicentenary, the Unit has also honoured one of its finest. Retired Inspector Don Eyb devoted an extraordinary 64 years of service to the Mounted Police, including 13 years as Officer in Charge.

Beginning as a trainee in 1961, Inspector Eyb remained with the Mounted Police until his retirement in 2005 - and continued serving as a Volunteer in Policing until this year. His career was defined by an insistence on discipline, precision and daily improvement in both riders and horses.

The Unit's training arena at Redfern has now been renamed the Don Eyb manège in his honour. A fitting permanent tribute at the heart of the stables where he influenced generations of officers and Troop Horses alike.

Formed by Governor Brisbane on 7 September 1825, the Mounted Police pre-date the London Metropolitan Mounted Police (1828) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (1863).

In their earliest years, the Unit was tasked with tracking bushrangers and runaway convicts across the expanding colony. By 1830, detachments were based at Bathurst, Goulburn and Maitland as well as Sydney's Belmore Barracks, laying the foundations of modern policing in regional NSW.

The Unit reached its peak strength in the early 1900s with more than 800 officers and 900 horses, before relocating in 1907 to its permanent base in Bourke Street, Redfern where it remains today.

Today, the Mounted Police comprise of over 30 officers and Troop Horses, supported by 10 full-time grooms. Since the first female officer joined in 1982, women now make up 75 per cent of the Unit, including its first female Commander, Inspector Kirsten McFadden.

While ceremonial duties such as the annual Royal Easter Show musical ride remain a cherished tradition, they account for less than 5 per cent of the Unit's more than 1,100 yearly deployments. The vast majority of taskings involve supporting Police Area Commands and Districts across the state with crime prevention patrols, arrests and community engagement.

The Mounted Police continues to play an important role in crowd control at major public events and provides specialist support to interstate jurisdictions. The Unit's work in palliative care visits, children's hospital visits and community engagement highlight its enduring popularity with the public.

Quotes attributable to Member for Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley:

"For 200 years, Mounted Police Officers and their Troop Horses have stood side by side, upholding a proud tradition of service and discipline."

"From bushranger patrols in the 1800s, to crowd management and search operations today, this bond has helped keep the people of NSW safe for two centuries."

"I want to acknowledge all former and current serving Mounted Police Unit officers, and their loyal Troop Horses, who have played an integral role in this state's proud policing history."

NSW Police Force Acting Commissioner, Peter Thurtell APM said:

"There is a lot to admire about the Mounted Police Unit, but the most unique aspect is the demonstrated bond between the officer and the troop horse -a partnership built on trust, discipline, and mutual respect."

"The Mounted Police Unit's reputation has earned international recognition, and its contributions have shaped the very fabric of law enforcement in this country."

"Today, we celebrate a legacy of horsemanship and service to the community - a combination that has served our state for 200 years, which is an outstanding achievement."