Arabic version: تذكّر ستيف غولشيفسكي لخدمته وعائلته
According to ABC News, former Queensland police commissioner Steve Gollschewski was being farewelled on September 14, after dying this month aged 67. The state’s most experienced officer when he retired in early 2026, he was remembered for a career that included helping steer Queensland through natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Gollschewski joined the Queensland Police Force, as it was then known, in 1980. He was also a former state disaster coordinator and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia last month for nearly five decades of service.
His daughter, Kirsten, said she had considered her father invincible, including after his diagnosis with stage 4 lung cancer. She said his accomplishments in police service were extraordinary, but “pale in comparison” with the love he had for his family.
His wife Rebecca said many people knew him as “Mr Gollschewski, boss, sir, Mr Fix-it, the COVID guy, or the guy who seems to be on TV a lot every time there’s a natural disaster”. To family and friends, she said, he was Steve, Golly, Gorby, Dad, Pa and Opa. She said he never lost sight of joining police to keep the community safe.
Queensland Governor Dr Jeannette Young said the ceremony was an opportunity for Queensland to thank him. Tasmania Police Commissioner Donna Adams described him as a proud husband and father who sought solutions rather than excuses, and as intelligent, confident, driven and results-focused. Mr Gollschewski was a father of five and grandfather to four.
