The 22-year-old from Liverpool arrived for his first day of a 12 month general duties probation last Monday after the Academy's passing out parade a week ago.

Initially reserved and quietly spoken but with a ready sense of humour, constable Hillery is looking forward to the challenge.

Sergeant Paul Batista was overseeing his first days and intimated it could be the deep end.

"He'll be involved in first response jobs - domestic disputes, motor vehicle accidents, people needing help, lost kids, fires, shoplifters," sergeant Batista said.

They both laughed at a flashback to the duty sergeant briefing his officers before shift on the old US TV police drama Hill Street Blues: “Hey, hey, hey… be careful out there”.

A few days earlier during the Goulburn parade constable Hillery had reflected as Commissioner Andrew Scipione awarded senior constable Michael Bobako a Valour Award for conspicuous merit and exceptional bravery in the line of duty.

Senior constable Bobako was among a group of officers pursuing a man who wielded a knife at friends, then eluded capture.

Later confronted, the man attacked Bobako with a tyre iron, causing significant injuries and fearing for his and his colleagues' safety, the constable shot him.

Probationary constable Hillery's moment of thought about the commitment he has made acknowledged "what [Michael Bobako] went through to protect the people he worked with", credited by Mr Scipione as "incredible courage and selflessness ... under extraordinary circumstances".

Grandfather, senior sergeant Keith Hillery was his inspiration to join the force.

"He served all over NSW," constable Hillery said. "Growing up I did not want to do anything else."

He is not sure which specialty in the line of policing he might aim for after his rites of passage and with an adequate kitbag of experience - he says the immediate appeal is mainly that it is "an active job, involved with the community and presents a variety of opportunities".

Many of his companions from the Academy have been posted back to Sydney, so it will also be a solo start socially for the new man, who has no family in Queanbeyan but is keen to make friends.

After the beat he likes fishing and the outdoors, camping and bushwalking.