Former Queensland police commissioner Steve Gollschewski has died aged 67, just months after retiring from the state’s top policing job to focus on treatment for advanced cancer.
Gollschewski died in Brisbane on Friday morning, acting commissioner Brett Pointing said, paying tribute to a leader whose 45-year career spanned policing, disaster management and national security.
“Throughout his distinguished career, Steve was a remarkable strategist and contemporary leader, disciplined in his thinking, measured in his decisions and guided by deeply held personal values,” Pointing said.
He added that Gollschewski had been admired for his judgment, foresight and understanding of policing, with his influence expected to endure across Queensland and beyond.
Gollschewski spent more than a decade as a deputy commissioner before becoming Queensland’s 21st police commissioner in April 2024, following the sudden resignation of Katarina Carroll.
He was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer early in 2025, despite being a non-smoker, and took extended leave while undergoing treatment. He returned to work in September after doctors reported that the treatment appeared to be highly effective.
In a message to Queensland Police Service staff, Gollschewski said he was determined to complete the reform programme he had begun and to continue improving community safety.
His return lasted about five months. In February, he announced that he would step down to concentrate on further treatment and recovery after the cancer spread from his lungs to his bones and other organs.
“The time has come for me to hand over the reins and concentrate on my health and family,” he said as he brought his policing career to an end.
Steve Gollschewski’s policing career
Gollschewski became a familiar figure to Queenslanders during the Covid-19 pandemic, when he helped oversee the state’s police response, including border and quarantine operations.
He later served as Queensland’s disaster co-ordinator through major floods and cyclones, led the security operation for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and was a key security commander during the 2014 G20 summit in Brisbane.
A career detective and disaster management specialist, he was regarded as one of the Queensland Police Service’s most experienced senior officers.
As commissioner, he launched a wide-ranging review of the service after warning that rising demand, limited resources and organisational instability were placing pressure on frontline policing and public confidence.
Reflecting on his tenure at his final media conference, Gollschewski pointed to falls in crime victim numbers, misconduct complaints and officer attrition. He also identified the growing number of deaths and serious injuries involving e-scooters and e-bikes as a major public safety concern.
“We have already achieved much and I have confidence that the organisation is going in the right direction,” he said.
Gollschewski was awarded the Australian Police Medal in 2010 and was named in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours for distinguished service to law enforcement, counter-terrorism and disaster management.
Last week, Queensland Governor Jeannette Young presented him with the insignia of an Officer of the Order of Australia during a private ceremony at Mater Private Hospital.
He is survived by his wife, Rebecca, six children and four grandchildren.
