THE Kidds were planning to live in Mount Isa for two years. But not long after moving from Brisbane they froze in amazement as the barramundi they caught danced above the water and flicked its head.
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They had bought a few fishing rods on a trip to the Northern Territory, and when they returned they started riding their bikes near the lake. They passed the junction where they thought it would be a quiet place to practice their casting.
“So we took these rods and reels we’d hardly used, thinking we would flick these out, not expecting to catch anything," Inspector Trevor Kidd recalled the moment 10 years ago.
His wife Lyn said; “It was a big deal, the pinnacle of the fish you want to catch. We all just went into panic mode after that.”
Trevor Kidd had been offered a rise in rank to Inspector if he moved from Brisbane. He accepted the position which would require him to wear a uniform for the first time in many years. Inspector Kidd had worked in investigation and witness protection during the Fitzgerald Inquiry, and in surveillance work, which did not require a uniform.
“We flew into here thinking we were going to see sand dunes and tumble weeds and things like that,” Inspector Kidd said. “We stayed over at the Red Earth and I put the uniform on. And I still remember walking across to the station for the first time thinking we would only be here two years.”
The extended stay may have been partly motivated by their unexpected barra catch at the junction. They bought a boat, and visited fishing spots in places such as Karumba, Adels Grove, and Lake Julius. “It was a very exciting intro to life in Mount Isa, that one,” Inspector Kidd said.
Then they found a sign outside Atlas Outdoor advertising the next meeting of the Mount Isa Fish Stocking Group, Mrs Kidd said. They decided to attend. Their active work for the community group over the years ensured their life membership and it’s been a major part of their social time.
“We’ve always had, both of us, a fairly strong engagement outside of our work, outside of the police, and the vast majority of our personal friends are outside of the police. It’s good to have a separation, and that was certainly a good avenue, " Inspector Kidd said.
His last day working for the Mount Isa Police District was on Friday. He has worked for QPS for more than 40 years and in January received the prestigious Australian Police Medal. He is 58-years-old but due to take long service leave before the QPS’s mandatory retirement age of 60. Mrs Kidd has worked for Sonic HealthPlus for 10 years.
They retire to the Cassowary Coast. "We won’t be towing a caravan, I want to make that clear,” Inspector Kidd said.
Mount Isa Fish Stocking Group committee member and city councillor, George Fortune, said the Kidds will be missed among the group for their “work ethic, work rate, and enthusiasm”.
Mrs Kidd had been treasurer of the group for six years. “In many ways she has gone above and beyond what is required of her. She has put in a lot of time and effort,” Cr Fortune said.
He described Inspector Kidd as “Lyn’s right hand man.”
Their work was vital to support the development of the fish stocking group’s hatchery, and had contributed to the group’s best community float in the rodeo mardi gras for three years.
