We were deeply saddened to hear the news that our good friend and former colleague, Colin “Dusty” Hind, passed away here in Bermuda on 24th February 2025. Born in Lincolnshire, England, Dusty, had attended Portsmouth Art College, and prior to coming here he’d been involved in professional repertory theatre as an actor.
Dusty joined the Bermuda Police in September 1962, and attended our second Basic Training Course at Prospect from October – December 1962 together with fellow recruits from both the UK and here in Bermuda.
Basic Training Course #2 - October - December 1962
Top Row (l-r) Alistair Garden, John Cooney, Edward "Boxhead" Foggo, Phillip Smith, Following completion of the training course, Dusty was first posted to Central Division (Hamilton), and it was there that he met a fellow P.C. Ron Shelley, who had joined the Police in 1960 having served in the Royal Air Force from 1955-1959. The two discovered they shared something in common - an interest in theatre although Dusty later explained that “Ron had zero experience but he had an incredible entrepreneurial spirit and was intrigued by, and wanted to do something in theatre.”
These two young men were responsible for creating the Police Drama Group which performed a series of plays at City Hall theatre during the 1960’s involving dozens of police officers and their wives and girlfriends as actors and backstage crew. CLICK HERE to read about the history of the Police Drama Group.
Dusty was posted to Special Branch in July 1964 and was one of the 18 police officers injured on the day of the BELCO riot when he was assaulted in the vicinity of Devonshire Recreation Club where members of the large crowd that had gathered on Serpentine Road marched to the Rec after the rioting.
He also worked briefly in Eastern Division before resigning in February 1966.
Dusty went on to a successful career in advertising, first with Advertising Associates, and later forming his own company Aardvark Advertising (always the first entry in the telephone directory). In the early 1990’s he started the Jabulani Repertory Company producing popular shows at the Hamilton Princess, and then went on to create the superb Crisson and Hind African Gallery on Front Street which specialized in the sale of fine African Art.
Dusty will be fondly remembered by his former colleagues who worked with him in the BPS, and especially by those of us who were involved in the Police Drama Group, some of whom gathered together at the Officers Mess in 2017 for a Drama Group Reunion.
We offer our sincere condolences to Dusty’s wife, Barbara, his sons Peter and Mike, and their families.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Bermuda National Gallery, 2nd Floor, City Hall, Hamilton on Saturday March 29th, 2025 from 4.00 to 6.30pm. Bright colors are welcomed.