In an informal but moving ceremony on Police Remembrance Day, three councillors, a superintendent and a police inspector visited the Parkes Cemetery.
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There they stopped to salute and commemorate a Tottenham police officer named George Duncan, who was murdered 100 years ago while on duty.
Lachlan Local Area Command Superintendent Chris Taylor said he and his command had been researching the officer’s death for the last 12 months following a conversation with the Tottenham Historical Society.
From there Superintendent Taylor pushed the idea to arrange something special to mark the centenary in 2016.
Four weeks ago a memorial was built outside the Tottenham Police Station in George’s honour with plans to host an unveiling of the plaque.
“But we’ve had to postpone it because of the weather, we’re looking at early November now,” Superintendent Taylor said.
And so on a day where the community pauses to remember its fallen police officers, Superintendent Taylor was accompanied by Chief Inspector Dave Cooper, Parkes mayor Ken Keith, Cr Bill Jayet and Lachlan Shire mayor John Medcalf to pay their respects.
“His grave site had been given a coat of paint and Parkes Shire Council cleaned the area especially,” Superintendent Taylor said.
“Ironically the weather was the same as this – floods and heavy rain.”
It was September 26, 1916, 25-year-old Mounted Constable George Duncan was sitting at the Tottenham Police Station typing when three men, believed to be miners in the area, walked in with rifles.
George was felled by a volley of rifle fire.
It was a time when World War I raged and with it came the emergence of anti-war and anti-conscription groups.
Three members of the Industrial Workers of the World were tried for his murder, two being convicted and hanged at Bathurst Jail in December 1916.
With floodwaters around Tottenham, George’s body was brought to Parkes for the post-mortem and buriel.
George had only been in Tottenham for six days and was believed to be engaged to be married in November that year.
Superintendent Taylor said the townspeople had held a number of events, one being a dance, to raise money to pay for his grave stone.
“It’s now considered the first terrorism murder of a police officer in Australia,” Superintendent Taylor said.
“Unfortunately we don’t have a photo of him.”
Superintendent Taylor said learning of George’s life and his death, and being involved with its centenary had been very moving.
“I’m proud we’re doing this for an officer who was killed on duty and on his centenary, bringing his story back to life,” he said.
