The Port’s Silent Cop

When I came across the object in the attached picture – an oversized traffic cone in the local football team’s (the Port Adelaide Magpies) colours of black and white – its general shape and demeanour
lead me to suspect that it was some form of traffic control device.

As Port Adelaide developed so too did traffic congestion. This was particularly so between the World Wars and post WWII.

One of the busiest intersections was that of Commercial Road and St Vincents Street – more commonly referred to as Black Diamond Corner, so named because the offices of the Black Diamond Line was located on the corner. Captain Henry Simpson’s Black Diamond Line coal-carrying ships carried a black diamond on their smoke stacks.

In 1939 the installation of this traffic control device, referred to as a “silent cop”, at the centre of the intersection to direct traffic around it was the solution for Port Adelaide. Earlier and simpler versions of the “silent cop” had been in use since 1924 though, for a short time in 1929, it took the form of an advertising hoarding.

Shock horror, one night in 1946 someone had the audacity to repaint the “silent cop” in the opposing colours of a long-time opponent of the Port Adelaide Football Club, the Magpies. Order was quickly restored and the silent cop was repainted black and white again.

This ‘silent policeman’ remained on duty until it was replaced with traffic lights on 4 December 1968 at which point it was moved to its present location at intersection of Commercial Road and North Parade for posterity.

The second photo above showing the “silent cop” at work in 1964 was taken by Port Adelaide Historical Society member, Bob Thorjussen.

Address: Intersection of Commercial Road and North Parade
Directions: Close to the Lighthouse

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