Mervyn Henry Stevenson

Mervyn Henry Stevenson (1926-2001) served as a Queensland police officer from 1947 until 1982. He started as a bush cop and ended up as the superintendent in charge of the Townsville Police District, though his retirement years were tainted with the spectre of corruption.

Renowned bushman Described as "the last of the corned beef and damper coppers", Stevenson made a name for himself as a horseman, cattleman and bushman. In 1965 he was promoted to detective sergeant and named officer-in-charge of the CIB stock squad based in Charters Towers. He referred to it as ‘the crooked creek cattle company’. He told parliament he had given evidence about it when he was a senior minister of the Queensland government. He also acknowledged the very courageous actions of ABC journalist Steve Austin, who exposed the situation.

Disappearance of Tony Jones In 1992 Townsville police published an identikit sketch of a person wanted for questioning in relation to the suspected murder of a young West Australian hitchhiker, Tony Jones, who disappeared without trace in 1982. On the night of the disappearance, the suspect, believed to be involved in the cattle industry, was allegedly dining with Jones at the Rising Sun Hotel and planning to give him a lift to Charters Towers. whose identity was subsequently confirmed during the 2002 coronial inquest into Jones's disappearance as being none other than Mervyn Henry Stevenson.

Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame Stevenson avoided prosecution and was eventually inducted into the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame in 2001. He died of cancer on 16 December 2001 and was farewelled by a police guard of honour at his funeral in Townsville.