Senior Constable James Gibson MURDOCH

Sergeant John WALSH Horse Accident Araluen 29 May, 1865   The sergeant died as a result of injuries sustained when he was thrown from his horse at Araluen. The Sydney Morning Herald dated 31 May, 1865 announced that “Sergeant Walsh, in charge of the police at Araluen, was found dead about 6 o’clock last night,…

Constable John CONNELL Assault – Baton Sydney 23 November, 1841   On the day of his death Constable Connell attended a street brawl outside the Bee Hive Public House in Sydney. The brawl involved (and was probably started by) one Patrick O’Neill (alias Neale or Kelly), described by the Sydney Morning Herald at the time…

Constable Michael QUINLIVAN Drowned Sofala 3 September, 1863   On the morning of 3 September, 1863 the constable was drowned while attempting to cross the Turon River at Sofala, north of Bathurst. He had been assisting Sergeant Hardy in pursuit of offenders who had earlier committed an armed holdup on Smith’s Public House. The two…

Sergeant Joseph WIRRELL Drowned Maitland 18 September, 1899   It is thought that while on foot patrol in the Maitland township in the early hours of 18 September, 1899 the sergeant stumbled and fell, or slipped, into the Hunter River and drowned. When he failed to return home at the completion of his 10pm to…

Constable Thomas WRIGHT Assault – Cutlass Windsor 2 September, 1816   Constable Wright is thought to have been killed on duty, almost certainly in the Windsor area. The Sydney Gazette of 26 October, 1816 reported that Patrick Callaghan, Thos. Davis and William Kirby were indicted for the wilful murder of Thomas Wright, a constable of…

Detective Sergeant 2nd Class William ROBERTSON Horse Accident Braidwood 24 October, 1918   On 19 October, 1918 the sergeant was in the Braidwood area on special assignment. On the day prior to his death, he had left Braidwood with Sergeant Face and an Army Intelligence Officer with the intention of executing a search warrant in…