As the hefty, leather-clad man approached, the expletives became more audible. 

“You’re nothing but an (expletive), baby,” the bikie said, to which Ms Beaman countered: “Don’t call me baby.” 

“Everybody just started laughing – it completely diffused the situation,” Ms Beaman said, recalling the incident at Rosalind Park in the mid 1980s, where a group of bikies were “on for a fight”.

Having only been in the force a few years, Ms Beaman was already well versed in confrontation management. 

In 1979, the officer was called in to help during the infamous riot at Frankston police station, where, after months of simmering tension between police and youths, hundreds of youngsters charged the station. 

“I was given a dolphin torch to defend myself with – we weren’t given batons back then,” Ms Beaman said. 

A handbag with a pistol, a skirt, and no belt loops or handcuffs was what Ms Beaman and her female colleagues had to contend with in the 1980s. 

A police requirement for female officers to be single was abolished in 1972, while female police were permitted to apply for batons and handcuffs in 1980.

Part of the first female cohort to come through after the Equal Opportunities Act of 1978, which made it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the basis of sex and marital status, Ms Beaman encountered an array of challenges. 

“There was a level of resentment from the men towards women,” she said. 

“If you go to a certain situation with a policeman and there’s a fight, he’s worried about protecting you which makes him vulnerable – some of the men resented that.”

However, the attitude of the public toward female officers countered those difficulties. 

“Women were treated with a bit more respect than today, you were much less likely to get assaulted by a member of public back then than today,” she said. 

Women brought a vital skill set to the force, according to Ms Beaman. 

“I think women can sometimes diffuse a situation,” she said.

“We don’t have all the testosterone going on.”

Her 14 years in the force, eight of which were at Bendigo, brought Ms Beaman fond memories and a husband.

“I cried when I left, it broke my heart. I still miss it to this day,” she said. 

Ms Beauman was one of three or four female officers in Bendigo during the 1980s, and in the ensuing 20-odd years that number has jumped to 47. 

Currently about 33 per cent – 47 of 140 – of uniform officers, including Police Custody Officers, at Bendigo police station are female.

The plan is to get closer to 50 per cent, according to Inspector Shane Brundell, who said Bendigo had a large pool of people from which to choose.

“We are a progressive organisation that has a lot of diversity and we encourage people to apply to become policemen or policewomen,” Inspector Brundell said.

Bendigo police Senior Sergeant Leesa Johnson said having females in managerial positions helped the force to become more inclusive. 

“We have to represent the community and in doing that we want our work force to have the diversity our community has. We have a diverse management team which includes women, and people from diverse cultures and backgrounds,” she said.

Ms Johnson admitted an independent report released in 2015, which detailed the entrenched nature of sexual harassment in Victoria Police, had implications for recruitment.

According to the The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission report, about 40 per cent of female officers had been sexually harassed or abused. 

About 5000 people took part in the review.

“I think initially the report could have put a lot of people off, but progressing from the report and what Victoria Police has done to address what was identified in the report will encourage women to apply.”

A zero tolerance approach to sexual harassment and actioned reporting of any incidents were two of the many measures Victoria Police had introduced, according to Ms Johnson. 

Other changes introduced after the damning review included; an external, independent service known as "Safe Space" which provides 24/7 advice, support and advocacy for current and former staff and their families, a review of the Police Academy curriculum for new recruits, and more leadership training for managers, funding a "continuous disclosure" position at the equal opportunity commission to act as a liaison for police.

Coming through the ranks in 1993, Ms Johnson said her opportunities were endless.

“There was no difference in training between males and females and there was no job I could not apply for,” she said.

“Earlier on, a personal challenge for a lot of policewoman is staying true to yourself and not conforming to predominantly male traits and having the self confidence to strive for what you want.”

Ms Johnson’s 23-year career, including working in intelligence, operations and the corporate section of Victoria Police, proves anything is possible.

https://www.policecareer.vic.gov.au/