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Graves Project (on-going)

The Graves Project of the Western Australia Police Historical Society aims to locate the graves of pioneer police officers who gave a lifetime of honourable service to this State.

Pioneer police officers, Police Aides, Aboriginal Assistants and Trackers are included in this project and where identified, dedication appropriate ceremonies are held.

The following photographs were taken during the rededication service conducted at Karrakatta Cemetery on Sunday, October 5, 2003:



October 31, 2004

A ceremony was held at the Water Police Branch in North Fremantle to commemorate the eleven pioneer police officers who, under various circumstances (mostly shipwrecks and/or other storm related accidents), died at sea. Seven of these officers disappeared without further trace and their bodies were never recovered. In three of the cases bodies were recovered and buried, but the graves were never marked and their locations have now long since been lost. Only one officer, Inspector Joseph Farley, has a prior memorial which is in the Broome Cemetery. Inspector Farley died at sea in 1902. His death was due to a rare tropical disease contracted while extraditing (by sea) two alleged offenders from Jakarta to Broome via Singapore.

After the ceremony the police launch Delphinus took a party of descendants of the deceased police officers out to Rouse Head where a wreath was cast out to sea in memory of their pioneer police ancestors.


April 22, 2007

Another Graves Dedication Ceremony was held at Karrakatta on Sunday 22nd April, 2007. Seven previously unmarked graves were dedicated, three at Karrakatta and one each at East Perth, Northam, Kellerberrin and Leonora.

The actual ceremony was conducted at the grave of Sergeant William Matthew Lavery and was attended by seventeen members of this society. Regrettably we were unable to locate any descendants for the four officers buried in metropolitan graves, and the only relative located for a country member now lives in Greenbushes, so no descendants or other relatives of any of the deceased members attended the ceremony.

Reading the Ode - President of the WA Police Historical Society and former Commissioner of Police, 
Mr Brian Bull AO, APM. Also Society Vice President and former Assistant Commissioner, 
Mr Peter Skehan APM and Western Australia Police Chaplain, the Reverend  Michael Mateljan William Lavery's Headstone

This now brings to 80 the number of previously unmarked graves that fall within the ambit of this project.

Those so honoured up to the last dedication ceremony at Greenbushes on October 4, 2014 are:

Surname Christian Names Number Cemetery Dedication Date
         
Allison Robinson 356 Coolgardie 26/11/2000
Bailey Joseph W. 199 Karrakatta 14/10/2000
Bell Archibald 203 Coolgardie 26/11/2000
Bogue Thomas Martin Pre-numbers Lost At Sea 31/10/2004
Bosville Herbert James Theo Pre-numbers Lost At Sea 31/10/2004
Bradley Lionel Pre-numbers Menzies 01/04/2006
Brophy Michael Harvey Inspector Karrakatta 05/10/2003
Brown Percy Frederick 118 Karrakatta 22/04/2007
Buscumb Gordon Escott 1672 Coolgardie 26/11/2000
Buttle Frank Taylor  105 Lost At Sea 31/10/2004
Cunninghame John Patrick Pre-numbers York 22/04/2007
Dodds Arthur William 913 Kalgoorlie 17/10/2098
Donovan John 404 Karrakatta 10/11/2012
Donnelly Francis Joseph Pre-numbers Karrakatta 10/11/2012
Dunne Maurice Joseph 617 Karrakatta 05/10/2003
English Patrick R. Pre-numbers East Perth 22/04/2007
Farley Joseph Inspector Lost At Sea 31/10/2004
Fee John 60 Karrakatta 14/10/2000
Finch Kenneth John 783 Karrakatta 10/11/2012
Foulkes Joseph Searles 137 Karrakatta 10/11/2012
Furlong John Phillip 100 Karrakatta 14/10/2000
Gannon George 232 Karrakatta 14/10/2000
Goad William John 516 Karrakatta 05/10/2003
Griffin Michael Christopher 226 Karrakatta 05/10/2003
Hackett Patrick Pre-numbers York 06/10/2001
Hamley John 532 Lost At Sea 31/10/2004
Harrington Timothy Pre-numbers York 06/10/2001
Hart Ernest 1196 Lost At Sea 31/10/2004
Horne Alexander Thomas 799 Coolgardie 26/11/2000
Hunter David 652 (Commissioner) Karrakatta 10/11/2012
Jones Jeremiah John 674 Merredin 20/06/2005
Kay James Edmund Pre-numbers Kanowna 01/04/2006
Kilkelly Patrick 279 Kalgoorlie 04/10/2014
Knibbs Thomas Pre-numbers Bannister  21/10/1994
Lappin William 39 Karrakatta 05/10/2003
Lavery William Matthew 5 Karrakatta 22/04/2007
Leen John Joseph 590 Karrakatta 14/10/2000
Louttit Malcolm 737 Coolgardie 26/11/2000
McArthur Christopher 373 Karrakatta 05/10/2003
McCaul James 503 Karrakatta 05/10/2003
McClay John 1129 Lost At Sea 31/10/2004
McInnes Alexander Charles 1513 Karrakatta 14/10/2000
McKay Steward Gordon 534 Cue 26/10/1999
McKay Neil 636 Karrakatta 05/10/2003
McKay William 901 Kellerberrin 22/04/2007
McVea David 229 Karrakatta 05/10/2003
Meginnes Henry Patrick 13 Leonora 01/04/2006
Mulkerin Martin 141 Greenbushes 04/10/2014
Mulkerin Thomas 214 Mt.Barker 12/10/2012
Nethercott Robert Pre-numbers Menzies 01/04/2006
Newbold Wilson Percival 207 Karrakatta 14/10/2000
Nicholson John Pre-numbers Broomehill 23/05/1998
Norman Francis Hubert 1073 Greenbushes 04/10/2014
O'Flaherty Michael Joseph 386 Karrakatta 05/10/2003
Parker Henry George 794 Lost At Sea 31/10/2004
Pense William George 3057 Mt.Barker 12/10/2012
Perks Samuel Edwin 518 Leonora 22/04/2007
Pooley Reginald William Price 306 Kalgoorlie 17/10/1998
Rankin Jimmy Tracker Merredin 20/06/2005
Rogers Vincent John Cairo Police York 06/10/2001
Ryan John Joseph 390 Karrakatta 22/04/2007
Sealy Joseph 391 Kalgoorlie 17/10/1998
Sayers James James Kalgoorlie 04/10/2014
Simpson Louis Vincent 51 Karrakatta 05/10/2003
Slattery James 255 Kalgoorlie 17/10/1998
Sloss Albert Ernest 634 Karrakatta 10/11/2012
Smith Michael 460 Lost At Sea 31/10/2004
Smyth James Carroll 44 Karrakatta 14/10/2000
Smyth Joseph 34 York 06/10/2001
Spry Edward James 168 Karrakatta 05/10/2003
Stack Thomas Resigned York 06/10/2001
Stone George Henry Pre-numbers Niagara 01/04/2006
Toovey Septimus Robert Pre-numbers Lost At Sea 31/10/2004
Troy Richard Pre-numbers York 06/10/2001
Turner William Alfred Pre-numbers Yalgoo 04/10/2014
Walker Leslie John PA 28 Kalgoorlie 17/10/1998
Walsh Patrick William Bernard 593 Bridgetown 20/03/1999
Westrope William Averman A. 181 Coolgardie 26/11/2000
Williams Robert Pre-numbers Lost At Sea 31/10/2004
Wood Harold John 1218 Karrakatta 14/10/2000


These projects are supported by the Western Australian Police Union and Police Legacy.
Further information is available from the project co-ordinator  click 'Contact Us' button)