Police Honour Roll

30 Dec 1837

Constable Matthew Tomkin (Melbourne Police)

Shot in the Western District by an escaped convict

5  Jun 1842

Corporal William Harvey (Gold Fields Police)

Shot at Buninyong police camp by another Trooper who objected to his personal boxes being searched

26 Feb 1854

Constable William Hogan

Accidentally drowned whilst on the lookout for smugglers

2 Jan 1856

Constable Robert Brunton

Thrown from horse

7 Jul 1856

Constable David Anderson

Drowned (unknown circumstances)

2 Aug 1856

Constable Stephen Bates

Drowned whilst crossing a river with his horse

16 Oct 1856

Sergeant John McNally

Shot whilst attempting to effect arrest

21 Oct 1856

Constable Edward Fallon

Drowned crossing a creek whilst on patrol

4 Dec 1856

Cadet Mounted Constable Edward Thompson

Shot by Bushrangers (Bradley and O’Connor)

1 Feb 1858

Constable Edward Barnett

Shot whilst attempting to effect arrest

30 Aug 1858

Constable Robert Logan

Thrown from horse whilst on patrol

30 Sep 1858

Constable Philip Cabot

Drowned (unknown circumstances)

26 Apr 1859

Constable Walter Rendell

Drowned when he fell from Australia Wharf whilst investigating a charge of pilfering from a vessel that was moored there

18 Aug 1859

Sergeant George Dodds

Stabbed whilst attempting to effect arrest

12 Nov 1859

Senior Constable Patrick Henry Moylette

Disappeared in the bush whilst returning from Britannia Goldfield

29 Jun 1860

Constable Edward Reilly

Thrown from horse whilst on patrol

17 Aug 1860

Constable William Campbell

Thrown from his horse whilst on patrol

27 May 1862

Constable Patrick Conarty

Fatally injured by a falling tree whilst speaking to a potential witness in a forthcoming trial

4 Apr 1863

Constable Robert Strahan

Drowned whilst fording a river after recapturing an escaped prisoner

5 Aug 1863

Constable Daniel O’Boyle

Struck with a hammer by a prisoner on remand

25 Sep 1863

Superintendent 2^nd Class Robert Crofton Taylor

Accidentally shot himself whilst cleaning his revolver at home

7 Jun 1864

Constable William Hanson

Died as a result of assisting at a postmortem whilst having a cut on his skin; Inquest vedict: “absorption of matter into his skin”

5 Oct 1864

Constable John McElveen

Drowned whilst crossing a flooded creek on horseback

19 Mar 1867

Constable Justin McCarthy

Thrown from his horse whilst escorting a prisoner

20 Nov 1868

Sergeant Thomas Wood Hull

Shot by a disgruntled constable who had been dismissed that day for persistent drunkenness and blamed his colleagues for the loss of his job

8 Sep 1870

Constable William Kennedy

Fell from his horse and drowned on a flooded road

27 Oct 1870

Constable John Joseph McNamara

Drowned in a flooded creek

6 Jun 1871

Constable James Deacon

Died when his horse, which was pulling a dray load of wood, bolted, causing a dray wheel to pass over his back

11 Nov 1871

Constable John Alexander Duff

Thrown from his horse whilst on patrol

28 May 1872

Constable Patrick Francis Curtin

Thrown from a wagonette and suffered fatal internal injuries whilst on his way to obtain a warrant for the arrest of a felon

31 July 1876

Constable James Herlihy

Thrown from his horse

23 Mar 1877

Constable Thomas Collins

Fell from his horse whilst on patrol; an unlit obstruction left on the roadway contributed to the accident

26 Oct 1878

Sergeant Michael Kennedy

Shot by bushrangers (Kelly Gang – Stringybark Creek)

26 Oct 1878

Constable Thomas Lonigan

Shot by bushrangers (Kelly Gang – Stringybark Creek)

26 Oct 1878

Constable Michael

Scanlan

Shot by bushrangers (Kelly Gang – Stringybark Creek)

12 Jun 1880

Sergeant 1^st Class Leonard Fawssett

Broke his leg as a result of a stagecoach accident and eventually required an amputation; gangrene later set in

7 Jun 1880

Constable Patrick Mallavey

Drowned whilst performing wharf patrol along Yarra Bank, Melbourne; it was later deduced he tripped in a hole in the wharf planking and fell into the water

23 Feb 1881

Sergeant 1^st Class James Porter

Fell down a flight of steps at the Richmond Depot and was fatally injured

28 Dec 1881

Senior Constable Irwin William

Thrown from his horse whilst fetching a dray to recover a dead body

15 Jun 1882

Patrick Barrett

Hit by a train on his way to serve a summons

6 Jan 1886

Constable Thomas Ryan

Disappeared whilst checking the local Chinese camp in White Hills

15 Oct 1888

Constable Daniel James Courtney

Hit by a train whilst on patrol

13 Mar 1892

Constable Arthur William Brown

Struck unexpectedly in the mouth by another man, causing him to fracture his skull when he fell

24 Mar 1893

Constable James Paul Slattery

Hit by a train as he went to see a Magistrate to get some documents signed

25 Sep 1893

Senior Constable Thomas Holt

Thrown from his horse whilst conducting investigations in the Nagambie region; his internal injuries compelled him to resign and he died later that year

14 Feb 1894

Constable John Joseph Glynn

Thrown or fell from his horse

10 Aug 1895

Constable Olaf Henry Hoyem

Fractured his skull when his horse shied as he attempted to mount it

28 Dec 1897

Constable Josiah Rowley

Driven down and drowned under the weight of his horse when his mount fell as they attempted to cross a makeshift bridge over a flooded billabong

1 Jan 1902

Constable Timothy John Murphy

Contracted typhoid fever, possibly by drinking from a billabong whilst on patrol

18 May 1902

Constable Charles Elwood Hornibrook

Fell from horse

12 Oct 1902

Constable Richard Johnston

Shot by an offender

5 Jan 1906

Constable Henry Charles Blair

Died from meningitis, which had supervened on typoid fever contracted from drinking contaminated water from a billabong whilst on patrol

15 Mar 1907

Constable Hugh Lennox

Sustained severe internal injuries when his horse bucked after returning from patrol; he suffered a fractured pelvis and developed peritonitis

19 Jun 1908

Constable Hugh Kennedy

Rode into the back of an unlit plough whilst on patrol and later developed peritonitis

17 Jul 1909

Constable Francis Bruckner

Hit by a train whilst walking to a job

4 Jan 1911

Constable Charles Hothem Jones

Struck on the head whilst escorting a prisoner to the local watch house as a rescue attempt of the prisoner was made

10 Jan 1911

Constable John Sanford Collins

Died from ulceration of the bowels – the result of having been kicked in the stomach whilst attempting an arrest four and a half years prior to his death

8 Dec 1911

Constable James Ogilvie

Sustained serious injuries on the way to a Police Band picnic when the front wheels of their motor vehicle collapsed; he died within days of the accident

8 Dec 1911

Constable Harold Riddle

Killed in same incident

6 April 1912

Constable Edmund Crimmin

Fell from his horse whilst pursuing a cyclist

1 Oct 1915

Constable David Edward McGrath

Shot by an offender whilst investigating a burglary

24 Oct 1916

Senior Constable John Tennant

Motor vehicle accident on return from conducting enquiries in another township

25 Nov 1916

Constable Angus McInnes

Fell from his horse whilst returning from mounted patrol at Flemington Races

20 Mar 1920

Constable George Henry Taylor

Shot whilst attempting to effect arrest

9 Jan 1921

Constable William Michael Sharrock

Drowned when a motor launch sank in a river near Warnambool; posthumously awarded the Valor Badge for helping to save the lives of others as the vessel sank

3 May 1922

Constable Edward O’Neill

Died of septic meningitis caused by a fracture to his skull after falling from his horse

3 Sep 1923

Constable Joseph Delaney

Shot by a burglary suspect he had gone to interview

12 Jul 1925

24 Dec 1925

Constable James Clare

Stabbed in a fracas involving two young men whilst accompanying two colleagues on a plain clothes patrol of North Melbourne

1 Oct 1926

Constable Arthur Roy Currie

Motor vehicle accident caused by his patrol car running into a tramway excavation

9 Jun 1928

Constable Owen Harrison Maggs

Died as a result of a collision with a motor car whilst travelling as a passenger in a police motorcycle outfit

27 Jun 1929

Constable Donald Gordon Duncan

Killed when his motorcycle collided with a truck whilst on patrol

14 Feb 1931

Constable William John Vincent Roberts

Motor vehicle collision whilst on patrol

5 Jan 1935

Constable Clyde James Smith

Fatally injured when a colleague’s gun accidentally discharged

30 Apr 1935

Constable John Henry Robins

Fatally injured in a motor car collision whilst travelling as a passenger in a police motorcycle outfit

1 Feb 1937

Constable Leonard Cardell Rymer

Died from complications when his police motorcycle outfit, which had broken down and was being towed back to Russell Street, overturned

12 Jan 1938

Constable Bertram Clifford Robinson

Fell to the pavement whilst cleaning a third floor window; he was performing fatigue duties at the Gaming Squad offices at the time

4 Apr 1938

Constable Victor Ernest Bateman

Struck a tramway pole whilst driving a police motorcycle outfit in pursuit of a speeding motorist; the latter had already crashed into another car and Bateman swerved to avoid the collision

30 Jun 1939

First Constable William Frederick Cawthorn

Struck by a passing car whilst attending the scene of a motor vehicle accident

1 Mar 1943

Senior Constable Frederick Edward Jones

Shot in Richmond by a passenger in a passing taxi cab

2 Jan 1948

Constable Maxwell Herbert Coop

Died from injuries sustained when his motorcycle ran off the road whilst on patrol

21 Oct 1948

Constable Garth Elvin Atkin

Collided with the rear of a truck whilst riding a police motor cycle outfit

1 Feb 1952

Constable George Howell

Shot by an offender whilst investigating a series of car thefts

6 Apr 1952

Constable Ronald Albert Creusot

Collided with a motor car whilst riding a police motor cycle

17 May 1954

Constable Charles Marcus Reeve

Collided with a motor car whilst riding a police motor cycle

16 May 1956

Constable William Joseph Harnetty

Swept away in flood waters and drowned when his boat capsized during an attempt to rescue sheep

9 Aug 1956

Constable John Thomas Glen

Collided with a motor car whilst riding a police motor cycle

4 Dec 1956

Constable Leonard William Rees

Collided with a motor car whilst riding a police motor cycle

13 Nov 1957

First Constable John Aloysius Brennan

Collided with a truck after transporting a prisoner to the Bendigo watch house

24 Dec 1957

First Constable Edward Keith Simmons

Ran off the road and struck a fence whilst on motor cycle patrol

17 May 1959

Constable Horace Maxwell Carey

Collided with a taxi whilst driving a motorcycle outfit

5 Jul 1963

First Constable Graham Stow

Thrown off his motor cycle, hitting a concrete post, whilst pursuing a speeding motorist

3 May 1964

First Constable Ray Denman

Shot when called to the scene of an altercation; perpetrator claimed his shot gun had accidentally discharged and was acquitted of manslaughter

29 Jan 1966

Constable Malroy John McDonald

Hit by a car whilst directing traffic around an injured dog

9 Dec 1966

First Constable Brian Coleman

Died from cervical injuries resulting from a gymnastic workout at the police depot

3 Nov 1968

First Constable Darrel Blythe

Died in a head-on collision when his police car was hit by a vehicle travelling on the wrong side of a divided highway

19 Feb 1971

Constable Phillip Gordon Fleming

Died when his police divisional van ran off the road and plunged down an embankment

17 Apr 1971

Constable William George Benbow

Killed when the wall of a partly demolished building collapsed upon him whilst attempting to move bystanders out of the danger zone

9 Oct 1971

Constable Robert Lindon Worland

Lost control of his car and crashed whilst on an outing with the Richmond Police that was organized for the widow of the late Constable Benbow; (she was also killed in the crash)

25 Apr 1972

Senior Constable John William Creber

Shot by a fellow officer whilst pursuing a burglary suspect on foot; the other policeman mistook him for the offender, called on him to stop, then fired a warning shot which instead hit him in the skull

8 Jan 1974

Senior Constable Charles Norman Curson

Had his throat cut whilst standing on the main entrance to Flinders Street railway station; his murderer was unknown to him but had a lengthy history of mental disorder

16 Apr 1974

Senior Constable Alan Michael Large

Killed when his police motor cycle collided with a motor vehicle

2 Feb 1975

Senior Constable John Howard Wilson

Killed whilst driving a police vehicle as he swerved to avoid another car

1 Jun 1975

Sergeant Lionel Stanley Baum

Killed when his own shot gun accidentally discharged whilst attempting to set up a road block

25 Feb 1976

Detective Sergeant John Henry Hodge

Killed when his car ran off the road after performing “observation” duty in the Drouin area

3 Mar 1976

Senior Constable Kevin John Laube

Collided with a motor car whilst performing a motor cycle patrol

13 Dec 1977

Detective Senior Constable Lyndon Waring

Killed in a collision with another vehicle whilst a passenger in a police car

11 Jul 1978

Senior Constable John Kenneth Atkins

Lost control and fell from his motor cycle during training exercises

13 Jul 1979

Detective Senior Constable Robert John Lane

Shot by a car theft suspect

7 Sep 1979

Senior Constable Michael John Mitchell

Collided with a car whilst escorting a wide-load on his motor cycle

11 Aug 1980

Senior Constable Barry Joseph O’Donoghue

Collided with a motor vehicle whilst on motor cycle patrol

9 Sep 1980

Senior Constable Leslie George Townsend

Killed when he lost control of his motor cycle whilst performing patrol duty

29 Oct 1981

Constable John Vincs

Collided with a motor vehicle whilst on motor cycle patrol

27 Nov 1981

Constable Walter Richard Hewitt

Killed when his vehicle collided with a police divisional van whilst pursuing speeding motor cyclists; the van had come to their assistance

27 Nov 1981

Constable Shaun Gerard Moynihan

Killed with Hewitt

1 Mar 1982

Senior Constable Stephen Edward Henry

Shot whilst attempting to intercept a motor car being driven recklessly; the offender was an escapee from a psychiatric hospital and had already committed many serious offences

19 Apr 1982

Constable Harry Cygan

Ran through an oil slick on his motor cycle, causing him to slide into an oncoming vehicle, whilst performing wide-load escort duty

16 Mar 1983

Constable Clare Frances Bourke

Accidentally shot dead by a fellow officer in an attempt at a practical joke when the latter discharged what he believed to be a “blank” round

22 Jun 1983

Senior Constable Lindsay James Forsythe

Shot by a fellow officer who had lured him to an unoccupied house with the intention of murdering him; the latter was having an affair with the victim’s wife

17 Aug 1985

Sergeant Arthur John Kokkin

Fatally injured when struck by a car as he was crossing a street whilst on duty

20 April 1986

Constable Angela Rose Taylor

Killed when a car bomb was detonated in front of Russell Street Police complex

27 Sep 1986

Senior Constable Maurice Daniel Moore

Shot by an offender

5 Apr 1987

Constable Neil Francis Clinch

Struck in the head by a bullet as he tackled an offender

14 May 1987

Senior Constable Peter Ross Smith

Ran off the road and hit a tree whilst undergoing motor cycle training

9 Sep 1987

Sergeant Russell James Thompson

Struck and killed by a passing car whilst conducting a routine vehicle check on a highway

12 Oct 1988

Constable Damien Jeffrey Eyre

Ambushed and shot by a number of offenders who had deliberately lured police to an abandoned car for the purpose of murdering them

12 Oct 1988

Constable Steven John Tynan

Murdered in the same incident

17 Nov 1988

Senior Constable Christopher Cameron Malone

Hit by a train at a railway level crossing whilst driving a police vehicle

9 Apr 1989

Senior Constable Richard Noel Dufty

Hit by a motor car when he accidentally stepped backwards into its path whilst directing traffic

5 Aug 1989

Inspector Alan Geoffrey Dickens

Died in a head-on collision between his police car and another vehicle

12 Nov 1989

Constable Trevor John Given

Died in a motor car collision whilst transporting a donor heart and transplant team members for a life saving operation

9 Jun 1991

Constable Andrew Robert McFarlane

Died when his vehicle ran off the road and hit a tree

3 Feb 1994

Sergeant Grant Frederick McPhie

Killed in a motor vehicle accident whilst in pursuit of a motor cyclist

13 Aug 1994

Senior Constable Ian James Crilly

Killed in a motor vehicle accident whilst traveling to set up a speed camera

9 Jan 1995

Detective Senior Constable Douglas Raymond Mathers

Killed in a motor vehicle collision

10 May 1997

Senior Constable Timothy Richard Lewczuk

Killed when a car crashed into his parked police car, after intercepting a vehicle on a bridge, throwing him off the bridge and onto the highway below

16 Aug 1998

Senior Constable Rodney James Miller

Shot by offenders during a stakeout of a restaurant whilst investigating a series of armed robberies of restaurants

16 Aug 1998

Sergeant Gary Michael Silk

Killed in same incident

26 Dec 1998

Senior Constable Simon De Winne

Killed when his patrol vehicle collided with a tree

22 Jun 1999

Detective Senior Constable Edward Leslie Hubbard

Suffered a cardiac arrest in the Police Academy swimming pool whilst participating in pre-selection training for the Special Operations Group

20 May 2000

Senior Constable Mark Anthony Bateman

Killed in a motor vehicle accident whilst responding to a call to attend a burglary

20 May 2000

Senior Constable Fiona Frances Robinson

Killed in the same incident

24 Apr 2005

Senior Constable Anthony Clarke

Executed with his own revolver when he pulled up a motorist – possibly for a random breath test; several hours earlier he had issued a speeding ticket to the same motorist; the offender suicided after the shooting

26 Apr 2005

 Senior Constable Rennie Page

Struck by a passing motorist whilst issuing a speeding fine to the driver of another car