Bev Lawson was the first female superintendent, the first female chief superintendent, first district commander and in 1996 she became the first female deputy commissioner of NSW.

Not only did she pave the way for women in policing, but she gave birth to a tradition that has raised thousands of dollars and helped thousands of people across the Illawarra.

In 1985, Sergeant Lawson, of the Wollongong patrol, wanted to find a way to bring police and the community together in a social setting.

But her main purpose was to help people in need.

A survivor of breast cancer, then Sgt Lawson was all too familiar with the struggles that people in the region had accessing treatment in Sydney.

The emotional and physical burden of distance was something that concerned her.

So she set about organising a charity ball to raise funds that could help patients get to Sydney.

The first charity ball became a reality on Friday, August 1, 1986 at The Fraternity Club in Fairy Meadow. 

There were 200 guests.

Raffle prizes included a $1000 travel voucher from Ansett, a microwave oven and $200 worth of house paint. 

Money raised was donated to Bulli Hospital’s palliative care ward and the Wollongong Cancer Awareness Support Group.

Both causes were close to Bev's heart. She had been in remission for nearly five years.

''When we were considering these options, I thought about people having to travel to Sydney daily for their treatment,” she said at the time.

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“I really don't know how some of them get up there, or more specifically how they cope.”

​The ball then became a vehicle to reach out to the community – a way of encouraging charities to speak up and a way for the police to show they were about more than locking up crooks.

A partnership was born that has so far netted $320,000.

At the time of her death from a stroke in January 1998, Ms Lawson was Australia's highest-ranking female police officer and even as she rose through the ranks, she and her family remained strong supporters of the ball.

“Her vision of a community working together to benefit those in need still remains strong and has been adopted by the current committee,” said Inspector John Klepczarek.

“It’s always been the criteria that the ball has to has to help the local community.

“We tend to shy away from the big charities that get lots of donations and we pick those that struggle or are less heard of,” he said.

“One year we raised money for an entire kitchen to feed the homeless … another time it was ipads for pallative care patients at Port Kembla hospital.”

“We had a year where a couple went through bad trots with young babies so we put money towards Wollongong Hospital’s children’s ward.”

One of the committee’s proudest associations is with the University of Wollongong’s graduate school of medicine and clinical skills. Each year the top-placed student who dedicates their services to regional nursing receives the Illawarra Police Charity Ball medal.

Inspector Klepczarek, who was committee president for 15 years and current vice-president, said the most well-attended ball to date was the year police officers farewelled then Assistant Commissioner Christine Nixon.

Some 450 people attended the ball to pay tribute to the Wollongong commander who went on to become Victoria’s police commissioner.

She’s one of many of the top brass who graced the dance floor over the years.

Commissioners Peter Ryan, Tony Lauer, Ken Moroney and Andrew Scipioni are just a few. Plain clothes notables who’ve made an appearance include Governor-General Peter Cosgrove, former NSW Governor Maria Bashir and even reality TV personality for a time, Big Brother winner Peter Corbett.  

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller will attend this year’s ball on July 27 at the Wollongong University Hall. The venue is testimony to the growth and popularity of the event since those early days at the Frat. 

Children with autism will benefit. Aspect South Coast School caters for more than 130 students across the Illawarra, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven local council areas. 

The ball committee meets in January every year to decide which charity will next benefit.

“It’s not a police event, it’s a community event. We get more people attending who aren’t police officers. We are extremely proud we’ve been able to carry on the work of Bev Lawson and keep her vision alive.”