In 2001, it was resolved to establish a National Police Memorial in Canberra.
The Memorial pays tribute to Australian Police Officers who have been killed on duty or have died as a result of their duties since the advent of policing in Australia and to recognise the unique nature of police service and the dangers that police face in their daily pursuits.
The $2.4million memorial was jointly funded by the Australian Government (through the Australian Federal Police), State and Territory Police Services and Police Federation of Australia.
The Memorial was completed and dedicated on 29 September 2006 (National Police Remembrance Day). Following the dedication ceremony, a criteria for future inclusion of names on the National Police Memorial was agreed upon together with a National Police Memorial Co-ordination Committee.
On this day
21 November 1918
Queensland
Driver John Paterson Taylor A.I.F. number 14921 38th Coy Australian Army Services Corp. Died on Thursday 21 November 1918 after suffering with a severe bout of dysentery he was hospitalised for nearly three weeks prior to his death. He is buried in the Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery Egypt.
On this day
21 November 1896
Tasmania
An account of the drowning of Superintendent McCluskey was reported in a Tasmanian newspaper, The Mercury, on Saturday November 28 1896. ‘A terrible boating catastrophe on the East Coast has resulted in the drowning of Superintendent McCluskey of Spring Bay … the wind was blowing strongly from the N.E. when the boat left Maria Island for the mainland … but has never since been heard of, though the steer oar, row locks, paddle and other parts of the boat must have been found on the beach near Cotton’s Point. So it is feared she must have foundered, and that all hands were lost.’ (The Mercury 28 November 1896) Unfortunately for McCluskey’s family, Joseph was one of six who drowned; some of the bodies were later washed up on the shore but McCluskey’s body was never found. An entry on Dec 8th 1896, in the Register of Deaths for Spring Bay notes under the column Cause of Death – Superintendent Joseph McCluskey ‘accidentally drowned body not recovered’. Mr A Ward, Acting Superintendent of Police, Spring Bay is listed as the ‘signature, description and residence of informant’. A death notice in the Mercury newspaper, Saturday 12 December 1986, also confirmed the death of Joseph McCluskey, aged 56 years, as ‘an accidental drowning’. McCluskey was travelling with another police officer to attend to ‘a sale of seized property’.
On this day
21 November 1896
Tasmania
In Triabunna, a small coastal town in Tasmania, there is a seafarers’ memorial plaque for six men who drowned at sea on 21st November 1896. Sub-Inspector George Eppingstall from the Spring Bay District is one of the six men who drowned when returning to Triabunna from Maria Island. George Arthur Eppingstall was born in Campbell Town, a farming town in the midlands area of Tasmania. In 1827, his father, William Hippenstall arrived in Van Diemen’s Land on the ship Asia3 to serve out his sentence. George’s mother, Mary Ann also a convict arrived a few years after William. Researching George Eppingstall’s history revealed variations in the spelling of the name ‘Eppingstall’. His date of appointment to the Municipal Police at Spring Bay as a constable was recorded (and spelt Eppingstall) in the Mercury newspaper when the Council met to consider the applications for the office of constable on 26th May 1880. (Mercury June 9th 1880). He served for 16 years obtaining the rank of Sergeant and then Sub-Inspector. In 1884, the Tasmanian News declared in theior Spring Bay news that “the vacant sergeant’s appointment was conferred on Constable Eppingstall.” (Tasmanian News, 1884, p.3). He went on to advance through the ranks to an inspector; the first source referring to this rank appears in a newspaper article of 1889, reporting on a search party looking for a lost child in the bush, reference is made to George Eppingstall as Sub-Inspector Eppingstall who led the search party. (Mercury, 1889, p.3). On Friday 20th November 1896, a boat carrying six men hit a severe storm in Spring Bay; all the men drowned and parts of the boat were found on the rocks in the vicinity of a small island known as Lachlan Island. The men were returning from Maria Island where they had supervised the sale of seized property. (Mercury, 1896, p.2) Two police officers were on the boat with a blacksmith, a publican, a shoemaker and the boatman. All men were declared to have drowned and their deaths are recorded in the Deaths in the District of Spring Bay December 1896. George Arthur Eppingstall’s death is registered (No.318) as a 44 year old police officer who accidentally drowned. In December 1896, a Buckland correspondent writing for the Mercury remarked, “much sympathy is felt here for the bereaved ones in the late terrible boating disaster at Spring Bay, as all of the deceased were well known. Sub-Inspector Eppingstall was stationed here for many years, and had only recently been moved to Spring Bay.”
On this day
21 November 1845
New South Wales
On 12 November, 1845 mounted troopers Corporal Stephen Kirk and Trooper Luke Dunn were riding along the new Wollongong Road through Bottle Forest (now Heathcote). Bushfires were raging in the area and the two troopers were advised by local landowner Mr Nicholson, not to go on due to the danger the fires presented. Ignoring that advice both troopers and an Illawarra publican Mr McCaulay, set out toward the fires. The Sydney Morning Herald of 21 November, 1845 described the events which followed. About an hour after their departure Mr McAulay’s horse came up to the door of Mr Nicholson’s house; McCaulay’s hat was off, he was not holding the reins, and he was much burnt and confused, so that he was only able to request to be lifted off his horse; he said that one of the policemen was burnt. Mr Nicholson most promptly and considerately despatched five or six men to search for, and, if possible, to aid the policemen. After going about three miles they met Luke Dunn crawling along, dreadfully burnt, on his hands and knees, and scarcely able to move. The men carried him back to the house, while others went on to the place where Dunn said he had left the remains of Kirk, burnt and quite dead. His hands were extended upwards as if in the act of praying; both horses were dead. Dunn said that seeing his comrade’s firearms go off, he returned to go after him, and in doing so got to much burnt, otherwise his injuries would have been comparatively trifling. Stephen Kirk was burned to death in the fire, while the gallant and courageous Luke Dunn who, in the greatest of Australian traditions “went back for his mate”, lingered for nine days before he finally succumbed, no doubt in extreme agony. The scene of the incident was present-day Heathcote. At the times of their deaths both troopers were seconded soldiers attached to the Mounted Police Force and were stationed at Campbelltown. Stephen Kirk was aged 32 years and Luke Dunn was aged 33 years.
Remembering mates – Wall to Wall Ride is held in September each year.
Click here for more information.
National Police Remembrance Day is an annually recognised on 29th September.
Please note for 2024, services will be held on Friday 27th September.
Check with your State/Territory police organisation for local information of services to be held on 27 September, or click here for more information.
The National Police Memorial is located in Kings Park on the northern shore of Lake Burley Griffin adjacent to Queen Elizabeth II Island and the National Carrillion. View in Google maps