Pam Sowter

Constable Pam Sowter (née Anderson) joined the New Zealand Police in 1956, one of eight women in her intake of 100 trainees at Trentham Military Camp. Trainees lived in army barracks split into three sections, each with its own tutor. While Pam was the first policewoman to graduate at the top of her course, sadly, her certificate reads: ‘Passed out first of HIS course’.

After graduation she was assigned to Auckland, where she patrolled set beats in the CBD, Parnell, Newmarket and Ponsonby, always with another policewoman.

One night on patrol Pam and her colleague Val Keefe decided to walk under Grafton Bridge rather than over it as instructed. Once they realised they were lost they scrambled up a clay bank into a factory yard to get out. On their return to the station they had to think of a story to explain their bedraggled state.

Pam remembers the first public speech she made as a policewoman, when she was guest speaker at the Blockhouse Bay Plunket Mothers Club. Being inexperienced and nervous, she had written out her speech. As she got up to speak, she realised she’d left her entire speech at home. Pam decided to take the bull by the horns, telling the women she’d forgotten her notes and suggesting they ask her questions instead. It turned out to be a success and she never suffered from nerves again when speaking to a crowd.

Pam eventually married fellow police officer Norm Sowter. After their marriage Pam stayed with police for a short time but had to retire when she became pregnant. Her three sons were sworn members of the police and two of them are still serving.