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Never one to overstate her skill, Chief Supt McVeigh attributed her rapid rise through the ranks to luck.
When she retired as chief superintendent of the Traffic Operations Group in 1988, she was still the highest ranking female police officer in Australia.
“I admit freely that I caught the crest of a wave, and that’s been fortunate for me,” she said.
Western Region’s Assistant Commissioner Therese Walsh spoke of the impact Chief Supt McVeigh had on the organisation in her eulogy.
“I’ve been exceedingly lucky. No-one knows that better than me.” Her niece Christine Pertile said this modest nature was reflected in her personal life. “Margaret was very humble about her efforts and didn’t provide much insight about her career,” she said. It was only after her passing that a trove of accolades from her career were unearthed by her family, including a Medal of the Order of Australia. Over her 32-year career Chief Supt McVeigh achieved many milestones, including becoming the first Victorian female police officer to attain the rank of chief inspector and the first in the country to become chief superintendent. In one year, she was the first woman to attend officer training at Airlie and the first in the Commonwealth to receive the Churchill Fellowship to study The Integration of Women in the World Police Forces. The fellowship saw her travel across New Zealand, America, England, Scotland, Israel and Hong Kong to complete a comprehensive paper.
“The vision and courage of Maggie McVeigh has created the path for so many women following behind her to achieve their full potential,” she said. “This being her legacy, Maggie will be warmly remembered forever in Victoria Police.”
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Chief Supt McVeigh’s treasured police possessions will be on display at the Victoria Police Museum’s Agents of Change exhibition, which will shine a light on the first female police officers from 31 July. For more, visit policemuseum.vic.gov.au
Editorial: Ashlee Williams Photography: Andria Cozza Image Trailblazer 01 Chief Supt McVeigh in her early policing days. 02 Documentation from Chief Supt McVeigh’s career. 03 Her nieces uncovered a trove of accolades after Chief Supt McVeigh's death, including a Medal of the Order of Australia.
POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2017
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