This Thursday marks a nationwide day of remembrance for police officers killed in the line of duty. The uniquely dangerous work of police will be acknowledged, and since 1861 141 Queensland police officers have died as a result of their duties. This week’s FROM the VAULT provides the stories of how 10 police officers lost their lives on the job. A full list of Queensland Police Officers commemorated for their service can be found here: www.police.qld.gov.au/aboutUs/commemoration
Constable Matthew Connolly, stationed at Gatton and returning there from Ipswich with urgently needed medication for a resident of the town, came upon the flooded Sandy Creek on the evening of August 29, 1861. Parties on the other side of the rapidly flowing water tried to dissuade him from crossing. Constable Connolly persisted and was immediately swept away with his horse; tragically both drowned.
Constable Abraham Wood was bitten by a snake whilst returning from gold escort duty at Glendhu, west of Cardwell, on August 28, 1872. He died from the effects of the venom later that same day.
Gravestone of Constable Abraham Wood, Cardwell Cemetery. It reads “To the memory of Abraham Wood who died from the bite of a snake at Glendu April 28 1872 Aged 31 years” (remainder of writing is illegible and incorrect month is chiselled – death occurred in August).
Image No. 2088a courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
On January 24, 1883, Cadet Sub Inspector Mark Beresford, while leading a patrol to capture offenders responsible for spearing a stockman at Chatsworth Station, was speared and clubbed to death in the McKinlay Range near Cloncurry. The 36 year old police officer had served in the NSW Mounted Police before joining the Queensland Police Force in 1881.
During a sweltering summer in 1888, Constable Thomas J Callaghan was making his way on foot from Windorah to Whitula. It appears from tracks made that he has become disorientated and died due to extreme heat and lack of water, on November 30.
When Constable Robert Orme failed to return to Clermont Police Station after investigating the discovering of a deceased man at the side of a road, a search party was organised to find him. The party located a grave, most likely dug by Orme to bury the corpse, and then tracks leaving the road and heading into scrubland as a shortcut to the station. The Constable’s horse was also located, suffering severe wounds to the neck, and shortly after the lifeless body of Constable Orme with severe cuts to his face. It appeared the horse had tripped and reared, striking a tree branch with force to cause the injuries to itself and the police officer, pronounced deceased on Christmas Eve, 1905.
With 29 other police officers on leave from their duties during World War 1, Constable John Warfield was killed in action during military service on March 28, 1918. Sergeant Warfield, aged 24, A.I.F. number 4267, 47th Australian Infantry Battalion died in France. He has no known grave; a commemorative plaque is placed in his honour at Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Somme, France.
Whilst attempting to escort a drunken prisoner to the lockup at Bowen, Constable Robert Kyle fell over when the prisoner tried to escape. Constable Kyle hit the ground hard, striking his head on a concrete curb. He was transported by ambulance to the Government medical officer, but died a few days later, on April 9, 1933.
Constable Robert Kyle with his wife Clarice and daughter Mary-Ann, c1931.
Image No. PM0284 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
At the age of 23, Constable Brian Gabriel was on motorcycle patrol duty in Cairns when he was involved in a traffic crash with a utility at the intersection of Spence and Abbott Streets. Constable Gabriel did not survive the severe injuries sustained and died on the same day, November 24, 1956.
A hearse with police guard of honour carrying the coffin of Constable Brian Gabriel, Cairns Traffic, who died 24 November 1956.
Image No. PM0530 donated by Inspector 1/C, D. French.
Senior Constable Colin Brown was mortally wounded on April 9, 1969, when a gunman fired his rifle at the police man from the window of a cottage at a Dayboro dairy farm. The thirty eight year old Constable was transported to the Royal Brisbane Hospital but failed to respond to emergency treatment and died the same day, on his daughter’s birthday.
Portrait of Senior Constable Colin W. Brown, c1960.
Image PM 1706a courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
Constable Mark Goodwin was returning to the police station after a night shift in search of eight dangerous escapees, when his patrol car hit a tree on the Centenary Highway at Jindalee. The twenty nine year old officer was sworn in four years prior, with honours.
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This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available, including the 2013 publication “IN THE LINE OF DUTY” by Allan L. Peters. The article was compiled by Police Museum Assistant Georgia Grier. The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au
“FROM the VAULT- National Police Remembrance Day 2016” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode