Pat Roache bailiff to Toowoomba’s courts for 27 years adjourns the court for retirement

For the past 27 years he has been the voice to open and close thousands of Supreme and District Court sittings, and has helped welcome countless jurors, but now Pat Roache has called his own adjournment.

Bailiff Pat Roache is retiring after being on the job in Toowoomba courts for 27 years, Thursday, December 8, 2022. Picture: Kevin Farmer

He’s the man behind the smiling face who has welcomed thousands of jurors to Toowoomba’s Supreme and District Courts over the past 27 years.

Pat Roache, the cheery bailiff, has been a staple and one of the most recognisable faces of Toowoomba’s courts.

He is respected and appreciated by the city’s legal fraternity, court staff, visiting judges and associates and all those who regularly attend the Hume Street Courthouse.

However, on Friday Mr Roache decided it was time to hang up the oath and affirmation cards – not that he’s used the cards for years, having memorised every utterance of the court bailiff from “all rise” to “so help me God”.

Bailiff Pat Roache has sworn in thousands of jurors to Toowoomba’s Supreme and District Courts. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“I’ve always loved what I do, still do, but I think it’s time,” Mr Roache said.

“I’ve enjoyed great respect and rapport from everyone here from judges, associates, barristers, solicitors, the DPP staff, court staff and the public.

“I’ve been able to mix with the public coming in for jury duty right up to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.”

For what by nature can be such a serious place, Mr Roache has always worn a smile as he moved about the courts.

“Well, it’s a big enough job for jurors to come in here and if I can help them relax a little by showing the humorous side, I think it’s worth it,” he said.

Mr Roache has stood through thousands of trials involving everything from theft to fraud to murder but one case in particular stuck out in his memories.

Bailiff Pat Roache at his desk in Courtroom 5 of Toowoomba Supreme Court. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“We’ve only ever had one kangaroo court,” he said.

“There was a lady sitting in the public gallery in a big coat and I saw it move.

“On closer look, a little head popped out (of her coat).

“She had a (kangaroo) joey in her coat, and I politely asked her to take it out of the courtroom.”

Mr Roache started his association with courts when as a teenager he took a job with the Taroom Courthouse.

Four years later he was transferred to the old Toowoomba Courthouse on the corner of Neil and Margaret streets where he remained for two years before widening his horizons with other occupations including for some time as a physiotherapy assistant with Queensland Health.

Mr Roache was the back-up bailiff from 1995 but in 2010 when the job became permanent he moved into the Toowoomba Courthouse full-time, filling in various capacities at Toowoomba Hospital in between Supreme and District Court sittings.

Bailiff Pat Roache speaks about the years of service to the Toowoomba courts and the thousands of people he has met through the position. Picture: Kevin Farmer

In retirement, Mr Roache planned to spend more time with his wife Trish, their four children and 10 grandchildren – three of whom were born this year – and driving his tractor on the family’s acreage north of Toowoomba.

“My wife Trish calls my time on the tractor as ‘tractor therapy’,” he laughed.

“We will be travelling, we both love skiing, we go on at least one skiing trip a year.

“We’re going to Whistler in Canada in January.”