Corporal
Henry Kemp Brown NIXON
YEAR OF DEATH
1861
JURISDICTION
South Australia
DETAILS OF DEATH
Corporal Nixon was the first police officer in South Australia to die as a result of being viciously assaulted in the execution of his duty.
On 15 October 1861, Corporal Nixon tragically died from horrendous injuries received in September 1855, when he was brutally attacked by a prisoner that he was escorting. Left by the roadside to die by the fleeing felon, Corporal Nixon was miraculously found by a passerby and transported to Adelaide for treatment. After an extended time, Corporal Nixon partially recovered from the injuries and returned to police duty.
The offender was later apprehended and found guilty of the attempted murder of Corporal Nixon and sentenced to death. The sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment.
Although Corporal Nixon never fully recovered from the injuries, in May 1861, he was appointed the Officer in Charge of the Port Elliot police station, where sadly , five months later he died. His death was fully attributed to the injuries sustained during the 1855 brutal attack.
Corporal Nixon was highly regarded and respected, his death came as a great shock and was felt deeply within the community. Aged 27 years and survived by his wife, he was buried at the Currency Creek Cemetery. His funeral was said to be the largest ever seen in the district.
