After arriving in the colony, Charles worked in agriculture for a short time before joining the police force. Although he moved around the state like most police officers of the time, he also spent many years in Northam and York, as the settlers petitioned for him to remain despite it being against policy. It was a complex area to police, often involving long journeys into the bush, spending many days and nights in the open while tracking criminals (reference).
Charles was transferred to Fremantle in 1872, where he was put in charge of the police force (reference). In September 1875, the Western Australian Times wrote a scathing report on the Fremantle court and police, hinting at corruption. A reporter had attended a court session and reported on two particular cases. In one case, in which a ticket-of-leave man was applying to the court to take up a position with Mr Woollams, a local sawyer, the paper reported: "A respectable-looking man applied to the magistrate to allow him, being a ticket man, to have an engagement (produced) with a Mr. Woollams, both sawyers. The learned sergeant (Wisbey) here rose and addressed the bench, that he "would not allow him to take the engagement, that he could get him an engagement at the Vasse." The man said he had no wish to go so far as he could get plenty of work here. The learned sergeant then called out, "stop your jaw, will you!" I thought this a novelty and allowed by the bench too. The same bumptious individual told Mr. Slade that he would give the man a 7 days pass for Fremantle, but not an engagement. Why? Echo answers because it appears Mr. Simpson at the Vasse wants several pairs of sawyers, and requested an official of this court to send some down. Does Mr. Simpson also want Fiddlers? The sequel will show."
That morning, the other significant case concerned Pat Kelly, an elderly man who worked for local publican Mr Harwood. The police had arrested him for being in a bar when he was on the list of those prohibited from buying alcohol. The verdict, in this case, was that "the police
acted wrong in entering the Hotel and arresting Pat, unless called upon by the landlord to do so. At the same time Kelly must leave Mr. Harwood's house" which, the paper noted, would have left Mr Kelly homeless. The report concluded "Why not promote the learned Sergt. to Perth? He is (as Mrs. George Case observes) "so remarkably clever," and Mr. Landor would soon put him through his facings, and take the "jaw" out of him" (reference).
The newspaper then published a letter supporting Mr Wisbey but adding the comment: "Sergeant Wisbey has woke up one morning and found himself famous. We have received a number of contradictory letters on the subject, and we are tired of it. So we hope in Sergeant Wisbey's alleged parlance that everyone will "hold their jaw" about it for the future" (reference).
The "hold your Jaw" reference was also used by the newspaper in an October episode of the satirical column "The Owl and the Magpie" on the justice system in the colony (reference).
The Inquirer and Commercial News, another paper in the colony, condemned the reporting and defended Mr Wisbey, stating: "These remarks were quite uncalled for, if not utterly false. The sergeant is a very kind and popular man, both with his officers and all who come in contact with him officially, and quite unworthy of the slanderous effusion which appeared in your contemporary" (reference).
Bunbury
Sergeant Wisbey was transferred to Bunbury in January 1876 and promoted to Sub-Inspector (reference). By the end of his first year in the district, Wisbey was accused of corruption by the Anglican minister, Reverend Withers. However, given his recent treatment in Fremantle, Mr Wisbey sued the Reverend for defamation of character and won. The court case is described in full in Joseph Withers’ biography (reference).
In August 1878, Mr Charles Howard was appointed Inspector of Police for the Southern Regions and The Western Australian Times questioned why Mr Wisbey, among others, had been overlooked in preference to a young man with little experience (reference). In the same month, Mr Wisbey announced he would retire at the end of the year (reference).
Publican
In November 1878, Mr Wisbey applied for a liquor license "for the sale of fermented and spirituous liquors, in the house and appurtenances thereunto belonging, situated at Bunbury, in Victoria Street, containing three sitting rooms and seven bedrooms, rented from Mr. William Spencer, at present occupied by Mr. Thomas E. Spencer, now licensed under the sign of the Wellington Hotel, and which I intend to keep as an Inn or Public House" (reference). At the time, the Wellington Hotel was the centre of social life in Bunbury, and the Agricultural Society's annual dinner and ball was held in the dining room (reference; reference).
Life as a publican must have suited Mr Wisbey as he stayed in that profession until he retired. In 1886, when his lease expired on the Wellington Hotel, he purchased it along with the Prince of Wales Hotel in Stephen Street and leased the Wellington Hotel to Mr John Fielder (reference; reference).
On his retirement in 1891, Mr Wisbey leased the Prince of Wales Hotel to Mr Edward Maxted, and in 1892 he began extensive renovations and additions to the hotel, which included a new free-standing building which was eventually connected to the existing hotel (reference; reference).
Community Involvement
Mr Wisbey was involved in the Bunbury community in many areas. In sporting, he was a keen cricketer and captained the Bunbury team for several seasons in his early days in the town (reference). He also helped organise the Athletics Carnival in 1892 and petitioned with others for bathing facilities (reference; reference).
Charles was also a passionate Freemason and was the founder of the Masonic Lodge in Bunbury. Before he died, he was given the prestigious title of "District Senior Grand Warden" (reference).
Charles was also a committed member of the Wesleyan Church in Bunbury and served as the Chief Steward (reference).
Civic Roles
Once Charles left the police force, it wasn't long before he actively became involved in the town Council. He ran successfully for councillor in 1880 and in 1882 became the Chairman of Town Trust - the equivalent of a mayor before Bunbury became a mayoralty (reference; reference). He held the position of Chairman again in 1885 and was in that position when Bunbury became a mayoralty in June 1887. As the current Chairman of the Town Trust, Mr Wisbey automatically became the first Mayor of Bunbury. Overall, Mr Wisbey served in the chair as both Chairman of the Town Trust and Mayor nine times and served as Mayor in 1894 until a week before his death in September that year (reference).
Charles Wisbey was 61 years old when he died on Thursday 5 September 1894. He had an apoplectic fit on the previous Sunday morning while getting ready for church and became unconscious. Charles briefly regained consciousness on Tuesday and appeared to be recovering but died two days later surrounded by friends and family, including his elderly mother, Amelia (reference; reference). The bells of St Paul's rang to let the town know he had passed away, and the Banks and Public offices of the town were closed at 1:00 pm on the day of his death as a mark of respect (reference; reference). John Forrest, then Premier of the State, sent his condolences adding "Mr. Wisbey's death will not only be deplored by those among whom his useful life was spent but also by all those who were acquainted with his character and his sterling worth." (reference).
Family
Charles married Ellen Andrews before coming to Western Australia. Together, they had nine children - Charles (b.1852 in Cambridgeshire, England), Fanny, (b. 1855), Amelia (b. 1857), Martha (b. 1859), Sarah (b.1861), Mary Ann (b. 1863), Emily (b. 1865) Eleanor (b. 1868), Elizabeth (b. 1870) and Janet (b. 1879) (reference; reference)
Ellen died in 1891, and Charles married Annie Fletcher in 1892. They had one son - John Edward (b.1895) (reference; reference).
Michelle Roberts M.L.A, the current Speaker of the House in Western Australia and up until recently the Minister of Police is Charles Wisbey's great, great, great-granddaughter (reference).
Wisbey Street in Carey Park is named in honour of Charles Wisbey (reference).
This article was researched and written by Gaye Englund for the Streets of Bunbury project.