By Jem Anshaw
When Guy Guiana joined the NSW Police Force it was typewriters with ribbons and the cars only had a radio in them.
Come November 20, 2025 when he made his final radio call before retirement, the computer systems are complex and many, and the cars are mobile stations.
When reflecting on his 38-year career, almost two decades of which was served at the Hunter Valley Local Area Command, Guy’s fondest memories are of the people.
“I’ve got to know so many people and work with so many people over the years, and I think just working with all the community groups around here, I think that’s probably the highlights for me,” he shared.
“And it may only seem like a little thing, but the troops here nominated me for the local boss of the year awards a few years back, and I won my category, I was pretty happy with that.”
He still has that award proudly displayed at home.
Guy was in his early twenties when he decided it was time to change careers from his trade as an automotive body builder. He had initially looked at becoming a fire fighter but they had a two-year wait list, so he joined class 230 at the Police Academy.
His first posting was to the Sydney CBD where he would be patrolling Central, Kings Cross or Redfern on any given shift.
After a few years there he jumped into the Air Wing as an observer, before going to the detective and anti-theft squad in Manly and North Sydney. It was during his time at the anti-theft squad that he was promoted to Sergeant at which point he went back to the city for another six years.
“When I got promoted to Sergeant, I had a Sergeant who clipped me across the ear and said, apply for a Sergeant’s job, so I did,” Guy recalled with a laugh when discussing what inspired his career path.
“When I’d been a Sergeant for a while, I had a Commander down in Sydney who looked after me very well, and I had been doing a lot of relieving as a duty officer and inspector, and that gave me a really good background to apply for the job of inspector.
“I’ve just had people that helped me along the way and when I got this job, it became home, so we stayed.”
Despite having a Superintendent above him, Guy was afforded a lot of freedom in his role with the Hunter Valley Local Area Command, which has allowed him to build strong and significant relationships with community organisations, residents and his colleagues that have been key to a long and prosperous career.
However the most important relationships that have made everything possible are that of his wife Liesa and son Hamish, who have never known him as anything other than a police officer.
“They have both had to put up with a lot, and they have put up with it with style and grace,” Guy shared at his farewell last week.
Guy and Liesa will be staying based in the Upper Hunter, however they have a lot of plans to travel, as Guy makes the most of a much deserved retirement.
