William Francis JOHNS, known to many as Mulga Bill, was born on the 23/3/1885. In 1906 he joined the SA Police as a Foot Constable, and in fact later became South Australian Police Commissioner.

Meanwhile, Mr Johns was transferred to the NT Police on 15/10/1909. In this new environment, he developed and exhibited all manner of resourceful characteristics, and this six years remained in his memory as one of the richest experiences of his long life.

Mounted Constable W. F. Johns had arrested Neighbour and two other Aborigines in the Roper River area for cattle stealing. Heavily chained at arms and legs, the prisoners were being brought back to Darwin for trial. Crossing the flooded Wilton River, Johns's horse slipped and rolled over. In struggling to regain itsfeet, the horse kicked Johns in the head and knocked him out. Neighbour, in chains, dived for the drowning trooper and risking his own life, brought him back to consciousness, and rode sixty miles to get help from the nearest white man.

For this act of gallantry, Neighbour was doublely rewarded. No action was brought against him for the cattle stealing, and he was awarded the Albert Medal for gallantry in saving M.C. Johns. From that time Neighbour abandoned his lawless pursuits and became a model tracker.

Mr Johns was a gifted public speaker; he was also a writer of absorbing stories, many of which which were based on his experiences in the Territory. The yarn to the right "A Bush Fight" was published in the December 1967 issue of Citation.

WWI Service

William rejoined the South Australian Police after his discharge from the AIF. His career as a police officer in the Northern Territory and South Australia culminated in his being appointed in 1944, as the Commissioner of the South Australian Police Force. The King also recognised his long and successful policing career by bestowing upon him The Order of the British Empire – Commander (Civil) on 1st January 1946.

William was born at Hambly Bridge South Australia on the 23rd March 1885. He joined the South Australian Police and he arrived in Darwin on the 15th October 1909. He served in the Territory, as did his brother John until his five-year secondment to the Northern Territory was completed in 1915. Whilst in the Northern Territory he served from November 1909 to July 1911 at the Roper River. From July to August 1911, he was stationed at Stirling Creek. From March 1912 until July 1913, he was stationed in Darwin.

William was appointed as the Goldfields Warden for District D in November 1911. He was at Boomoondoon (Bulita) in January 1914 and at Victoria River in March 1914, but these appear to have only been visits.

William was involved in a life threatening incident when he was thrown from his horse into the flooded Wilton River and was saved from drowning by his prisoner. His brother Robert (Jack) who was also, an NT Police Officer recorded the incident in his book, 'Patrolling the Big Up ‘Neighbour had been a prisoner some three or so years before on a charge of stealing when my brother was second in charge under Trooper Kelly at Leichhardt’s Bar. They had reached the Wilton River when it was in flood. They attempted to cross and my brother became unseated from his horse and thrown into the river.

Neighbour, though in chains went to my bothers aid and succeeded in bringing him to the shore, He was liberated from the charge because of his action and afterwards awarded the Royal Albert Medal.

He enlisted on the 18th February 1918 as No. 64886 of the Ninth Australian Light Horse Regiment. [7th Company S E.Egypt]. He embarked from Sydney on HMAT Malta on 10th October 1918. He arrived in Suez on 22nd November 1918. He joined the Ninth Australian Light Horse Regiment, which at that time was on active operations, which involved armed actions aimed at suppressing the Egyptian uprising. He returned to Australia on the Oxfordshire on the 10th August 1919. He was discharged on the 26th August 1919.

It appears that William had been required to wait for permission to enlist and had almost missed the war. The enlistment of forty-five South Australian Police into the Australian Imperial Force by 1917 had placing a strain on the resources of the South Australian Police.

Commissioner Edwards decided in 1917, that in order for the Force to remain functional, he had to restrict police enlistments. It appears that William may have been given a late dispensation from that rule, which allowed him to arrive at the war at its climax.