Throughout the short history of European settlement in Australia, the role of the police officer has been inexorably intertwined with the events of our nation. Where the moments of our history have unfolded, invariably and inevitably our Police have been there. Where frontiers have been challenged and hardships conquered, along those roads they have travelled. When needed, they have been there.
Their names rank from the very famous to the quite, uncelebrated achievers of lonely police outposts. Their actions have encompassed all that is good in the Australian ethic. Their dedication to serving a sometimes fickle community has continually demonstrated a commitment to service that often exceeds duty, and is often enacted far beyond ordinary courage.
There is an ethos in policing, best known to police themselves and the families who love and support them: families who all too often experience the despairing depths of the sadness and loss that accompanies their sudden passing. There is no other purpose to policing than to serve the community, and our community expects, on its behalf, sacrifices extending to the extreme.
What more can a police officer offer our community than his or her life? And who else so freely enters into such a bond to serve "without fear or favour", even to the extent of that ultimate sacrifice? Our police do this.
We need not search far to find evidence of this. The deaths in 1995 of Senior Constables Robert Spears and Peter Addison at Crescent Head bear articulate testimony to all that is good in policing. At extreme disadvantage, both men set out simply to do their duty: to do their best. The cost to them, to their families, and to us all was in the extreme.
But what makes these men special is not their uniqueness: they are special, but by no means are they unique. In their courage and their gallantry, Robert Spears and Peter Addison represent the inherent nature of the police officer. They can, and should, be seen as the definitive example of what it is that police officers are; of what the police spirit is.
That spirit was present when Joseph Luker was beaten to death on an August night in Sydney two centuries ago. It was there in 1866 when Miles O'Grady, stricken with cholera, arose from his sick bed to be shot to death in a Nerrigundah street. And the Police spirit was there in abundance when we lost Allan Wayne McQueen.
In this country, where the "thin blue line" has eternally been stretched to its thinnest, our police have acquitted themselves with distinction in their service to the community. They have been shot, stabbed, beaten, bombed, axed, crushed and drowned. Many have lost their lives on our modern roads. The diligent and courageous performance of their duties has come at a high cost, though often a low profile.
The following pages seeks to acknowledge and remember our police, their dedication, and particularly their humanity. It is to record their courage for our knowledge and our acknowledgment, and for posterity.
There are no dramatics, no embellishments nor grand assertions in the brief accounts contained in these pages. Facts are presented simply as they have been reported and recorded. Such are the accomplishments of brave people.
These are the stories of those we have lost. To record and acknowledge the bravery of the many more who have survived would be a never ending task. Nevertheless, they are also acknowledged.
And acknowledged, too, is the dignity of the men and women of the New South Wales Police who continue to serve with honour. There have been many adversities to face in recent times, but the Police spirit endures.
Perhaps the poet William Ernest Henley captured a kindred sprit when he penned the following words in his poem 'Invictus'.......
                                            

Click here to go to the New South Wales Police Honour Index.