For more than 35 years, Cameron Hardiman protected the streets in his role as a police officer for the Victoria Police Force. Drawn into the career by an exciting advert that featured car chases and many other scenes that thrilled his young, 19-year old self, Cameron served as the frontline against crime while barely realizing he was following in his father’s footsteps, who was also a police officer.
Cameron shares some of the pivotal experiences that have shaped his career, tracing a remarkable story that goes from being a uniformed police officer to patrolling the skies as an air observer before finally serving his nation as a federal officer. From drunk drivers to drug smugglers and counterfeiters, Cameron has been face to face with all kinds of people and faced some of the most stressful, life-or-death situations imaginable. Cameron shares how his career only came to an end after his work had worn into him and he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Cameron also opens up about some of the most traumatic experiences in his career. Somse of these events stretch back as far as 1985, but the one that really stands out is the tragic story of a lost sailor in the “Shipwreck Coast”, the notorious stretch of ocean between Victoria and Tasmania.
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