Everyday encounters inspired Commissioner Katarina Carroll to break the mould in the police force.
As she was growing up on a tobacco farm in the small town of Innot Hot Springs, land on Jirrbal Country, Katarina Carroll (Executive Masters of Public Administration ’13; B Criminology and Criminal Justice ’96) was fascinated by the role local police officers played in their tiny community. “They knew everyone and everyone respected each other,” she says. “It goes back to those first principles of policing: the police are the community and the community are the police.”
But she also knew – as the daughter of Croatian immigrants who came to Australia via a refugee camp in Germany – that in post-war Eastern Europe, the role of the police was very different. They were not trusted but feared. Understandably, her family were uncertain about Katarina’s decision to join the police. But she knew that she could do things differently.
Making it happen
When she entered the Queensland Police Service (QPS) in the early 1980s, she gave it her all. “I remember one of my senior sergeants telling me: ‘Katarina, you’ve got the highest arrest rate and the least amount of overtime of anyone.’ Well, overtime was never important for me. I just loved doing what I did.”
And she was driven to go further. In the early days of her career, it was rare for the police to go to university. Determined to be part of a new generation that valued professionalism and education, she transferred to Griffith to complete her degree. It gave her not only knowledge but perspective.
“Griffith transformed how I worked, thought and led,” she says. “The course was relevant to the real world, made me question my assumptions and always made me want to learn more.” Later, her Master of Public Administration continued her understanding of leadership, policy and public accountability.
Taking a deep dive into these skills helped her to rise through the ranks of the QPS, leading major investigations and commanding Australia’s largest peacetime security operation at the G20 Summit in 2012. In 2019, the girl from Innot Hot Springs became the first woman appointed Commissioner of the QPS.
Leading with impact
What’s her leadership style? Decisiveness with humanity, she says – a balance she attributes, in part, to her time at Griffith. “Even subjects I didn’t expect to enjoy – like economics – became fascinating, thanks to passionate lecturers who made complex ideas come alive,” she says.
In 2018, she won the Overall Outstanding Alumnus Award. “To be recognised among such an extraordinary group of people… I was honestly shocked,” she admits. “It was humbling, but also a powerful reminder that what I do matters.”
It’s not her first award, of course. But it made a difference to her life. “It made me think: this means something, so you need to continue. It reminded me of why I was doing what I was doing. The award doesn’t just sit there. It has a purpose and a meaning – and if anything, it gets a bit more out of you.”
Katarina admits she struggled with semi-retirement. A number of board positions have helped fill that gap; however, when the opportunity came up to work at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), she couldn’t get there quickly enough. As the Deputy Co-ordinator General, she is heavily involved with disasters around the nation, co-ordinating resources from a national perspective when requested by the States. A role in her ' wheelhouse’ that she is passionate about has put off retirement for a long time yet. Her other passion is her role as Patron for the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. Bruce and Denise Morcombe have ensured that Daniel’s legacy contributes to a safer world for our children.
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Image captions (top to bottom):
- Katarina with Ross Barnett at G20 in front of Brisbane sign in 2014.
- Katarina with 2023 police recruits.
- Katarina with Terri Irwin AM, Robert Irwin and Bindi Irwin, who are long-term supporters and friends of the Morcombe family.
Published 26 March 2026
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