Remembering the fallen

Editorial: Grant Condon

Photography: Sergeant Colleen Sheridan

It was around 4.20pm on 11 November, 1871 when a horse belonging to Mounted Constable John Alexander Duff was spotted “furiously” galloping past the police camp at Greta, a broken bridle entangled in its legs.

It had been just over two hours since Const Duff had set off on patrol to the Greta Post Office, but now his horse had returned without him.

Fellow Mounted Constable Ernest Flood sensed an emergency after witnessing the distressed horse galloping past and ran on foot in the direction of the post office.

Just 400 metres into Const Flood’s urgent dash, his search ended.

On the road lay Const Duff’s lifeless body.

Marks on the ground indicated Const Duff had been dragged by the stirrup for 10-15 metres, with the impact enough to tear his clothing.

A medical practitioner, Dr Hetherington, declared the cause of Const Duff’s death to be a broken neck when he arrived on scene about five hours later.

An inquest conducted before Coroner Walter Butler two days later concluded Const Duff had been accidentally killed by a fall from his horse.

Const Flood had previously noted the horse was a nervous creature, but “not vicious”.

Const Duff was laid to rest at the Greta cemetery, but his grave was never marked.

It would remain that way for 147 years.

In that time, the only memorial that existed to Const Duff’s life was an unattributed entry to his personnel file that was made after his death.

It said Const Duff was “an efficient and well conducted constable whose death was a great loss to the Department”.

That loss was finally acknowledged by Victoria Police in February this year when a grave dedication for Const Duff was held at the Greta Cemetery with Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton, Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent, descendants of Const Duff, police members, dignitaries and community members in attendance.

The ceremony marked Const Duff’s untimely demise, but also celebrated his life.

Having worked as self-employed miner at Daylesford, Const Duff joined Victoria Police on 15 October, 1869 at 24 years of age.

On his Oath Sheet, he was described as being 5 foot 10 inches (180cm), with blue eyes, sandy hair and a sandy complexion and came recommended by parliamentarian Mr Henry Miller.

The Duff bloodline carries on into Victoria Police today, with Const Duff’s great-greatgreat-niece Tamara Fitzpatrick currently serving as a Laboratory Information Management System Manager at the Victoria Police Forensic Science Centre.

Her husband, Jeremy Fitzpatrick, is a senior constable at Lilydale.

Tamara’s mother and Const Duff’s great-great niece, Heather Wood, said the newly-dedicated grave gave her family a place to come together and reflect on a life that, for more than a century, had been lost in time.

“My daughter Tamara has been researching our family tree for a long time and it was through her efforts that we have been able to find out more about my great-great uncle,” Ms Wood said.

“Many years ago, in an effort to put together more of the pieces, Tamara and I came to this cemetery hoping to find his grave because we knew that he was a policeman in this area and that he had died here.

“Although we looked, we couldn’t find it because, as we now know, it was unmarked.

Const Duff’s relatives had previously been presented with a Victoria Police Star in his name.

It is estimated 20 graves of police members who have lost their life in service remain unmarked in Victoria.

Superintendent Peter O’Neill, who leads the Victoria Police Memorial Committee, said Const Duff’s grave dedication was part of a much larger process.

“In 2017 two recently retired members, Superintendent Tony Biggin and Senior Sergeant Ian Fidler, volunteered to locate and conduct an audit of all the graves of those named on the honour roll,” Supt O’Neill said.

“Within a period of six months they had personally visited every known grave across the state.

“In cases such as Const Duff’s they worked with local cemetery authorities and scoured old records to identify the sites of unmarked graves.

“The committee would have been unable to achieve what it has without their efforts.”

More work is planned, with five currently unmarked police graves in the Melbourne Cemetery set to be restored and dedicated by the end of 2020.

Supt O’Neill said it was imperative Victoria Police ensured those who lost their life in service were always remembered, no matter how far back in history their sacrifice may have occurred.