National Police Memorial

On this day

Senior Constable

William CONROY

YEAR OF DEATH

02 July 1895

JURISDICTION

Queensland

DETAILS OF DEATH

At about 8:00pm on the 2 July 1895 Senior Constable Conroy of Thursday Island arrested a man called “Tinyana” for stabbing his wife. During the arrest Conroy struggled with Tinyana to the roadway at the front of the house. Constable Clines arrived and Conroy collapsed on the roadway exhausted and saturated with blood saying “My God is that you take this fellow I must lie down he has killed me”. Conroy was carried to the Torres Straits Hospital by stretcher. Two Doctors examined him before he died and found seven incised wounds on different parts of his body one such wound was to the femoral artery which was severed causing fatal loss of blood. Tinyana was convicted of murder and executed on 4 November 1895 in Brisbane Bogga Road jail. Senior Constable Conroy’s conduct was heroic though bleeding and disabled from seven wounds he stuck to his prisoner. Senior Constable Conroy’s grave and a monument is situated in the Thursday Island cemetery. Local police officers today still maintain his grave and the monument and ensure that it remains in pristine condition.

On this day

Probationary Constable

James HAWKINS

YEAR OF DEATH

02 July 1881

JURISDICTION

New South Wales

DETAILS OF DEATH

On 2 July 1881, Probationary Constable Hawkins was performing duties in the CBD. He attempted to stop a runaway horse and cart in Clarence Street. He has fallen under the cart, causing serious head injuries.He died of injuries sustained in the incident.

On this day

Constable

James McCULLOGH

YEAR OF DEATH

02 July 1851

JURISDICTION

Tasmania

DETAILS OF DEATH

James McCullogh arrived in Van Diemen’s Land on the Blenheim in 1847 at the age of 19 to serve out a sentence for breaking into a store and stealing meal in the town of Donigal/Donegal, Ireland. (Convict Record; Con33-1-93). In March 1850, The Hobart Town Gazette published a notice, under the heading Police Department, and listed a number of recently recruited police officers; James McCullogh Blenheim2 (Ticket of Leave) was one of the newly recruited officers. Constable McCullogh eas stationed at Sorell. According to several newspaper reports, Constable James McCullogh was murdered while attempting to stop a robbery on a property near Buckland, Tasmania. One newspaper details how ‘he has been severely stabbed in the right side, [his] hands fastened behind him with [his] handcuffs and that subsequently a large stake was drawn from a fence in the vicinity and driven into [his] head. (Examiner Newspaper, July 1851). The inquest certificate details the severity of his death and notes the date of his death as the 2nd July 1851. The Police Magistrate offered a reward of 50 pounds and the Police Force and local residents contributed an extra 20 pounds for information on the murdered. (The Colonial Times 1851 p.3)