Barrow Creek police station opened on the 16th February 1873. Located 1211 km south of Darwin and 286 km north of Alice Springs. It was part of the Overland Telegraph station. A Police Station was established to provide protection for those operating the line due to hostilities between European settlers and the Aboriginies in the far north of South Australia and Central Australia. The station was closed on the 30th June 1902 as it was deemed that the local Aboriginals no longer posed a threat.

Initially Commissioner George Hamilton had difficulty securing mounted constables who were willing to be stationed in such remote areas. There were no extra insentives being offered. Finally, Police Trooper Samuel Gason was sent to Barrow Creek. A police station was established and housed within the Telegraph station building. The station was subsequently attached to the South Australia Police Far Northern Police Division with its headquarters based at Melrose police station. The building was built of sandstone with a corrugated iron roof. It is still standing today and is now a tourist attraction.

From February 1926 police were again stationed at Barrow Creek. The constables occupied a room at the Telegraph Station until 10th September 1930 when the telegraph station was handed over to the Police Department. Thus permitting a married constable to be stationed there. It was staffed by one constable and two native constables.

As the policing and other functions increased, subsequent police camps (stations) were opened at Tennant Creek (1935) Hatches Creek and Wauchope (1937/38). Barrow Creek Police Station closed on 6th December 1945 due to it not being in a satisfactory location for police activities and the district being policed from Alice Springs.

Other functions other than policing carried out by Constables:

Inspectors of stock

Deputy registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages

Protector of Aboriginals, 1927 - 1945 : Prior to 1927 the Postmaster was the protector

Collector of Census 1933

Health officers - Constables Graham, McKinnon, Kennett, Lynch and Muldoon from 1936

Commissioner for Declarations - Constable Kennett from 1941

Assistant Bailiff of the Local Court at Alice Springs - Constable Kennett from 1942

All constables were appointed Mining Wardens until 1938 when new mining legislation was proposed

After 1938, constables were appointed Deputy Mining Registrars responsible to the Mining Registrar, Tennant Creek, who took over all lease registers etc from Barrow Creek in 1939