Police from across the region gathered at the Armidale Uniting Church on Friday morning to honour colleagues who died on duty, or through illness or other circumstances.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
National Police Remembrance Day has been held on September 29, feast day of Michael, patron saint of police, since 1989, across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific.
The Armidale ceremony began with a police parade in front of the church, followed by a church service.
"Today we reflect on those who have gone, and celebrate the legacy that lives on in each and every man and woman who wears the blue uniform," Detective Inspector Chris McKinnon said, giving the occasional address.
"Their work for a safer New South Wales, their courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten."
READ ALSO:
More than 270 NSW police officers have fallen in the line of duty, and through injury and illness since 1862, 13 of them since September 28 last year.
Incidents close to home were reminders of the dangers police face while serving the public and keeping the community safe, Inspector McKinnon said.
Three Glen Innes police officers were involved in a shooting in January; Leading Senior Constable Helen McMurtie and Sergeant Mark Johnston were seriously wounded Recently, during the Tenterfield fires, police officers placed their lives at risk to ensure community members were safely evacuated.
"When a person becomes a a sworn police officer, they commit to placing the security and welfare of others before themselves," Inspector McKinnon said. "It is why we remember these fallen officers today. They died in the pursuit of a better, more peaceful, and safer New South Wales...
"We look to them with respect and gratitude; we understand the immense debt we owe them. We hold them in our memories as representing what is fundamentally decent in our society: respect, integrity, humanity, and upholding the rule of law."
Detective Sergeant Mark Garvey read the valedictory list, while Probationary Constable Tegan Smith lit a candle.
Police officers laid wreaths; so did community members, including Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall, Armidale Regional Council mayor Simon Murray and deputy mayor Libby Martin, and Uralla mayor Michael Pearce.
Police chaplain Rev. Will Pearson and Uniting Church minister Rev. Jo-anne Smalbil led the service.
"On behalf of this church and our wider community, we honour you for your willingness to serve us with such courage and conviction," Ms Smalbil said.
Nicholas Fuller
The exciting thing about journalism is the variety; one can explore the world, meet interesting people and write about it. I've sat in the caravan of an African circus ringmaster; I've squatted on my haunches in a plastic-sorting factory in the Mumbai slums, talking to the workers and drinking hot chai in plastic cups the size of thimbles; and I've interviewed Chinese cultural attachés, Danish football stars and Japanese drummers. Now I’ve come to the Northern Tablelands as a group journalist working across six of Fairfax’s mastheads. Living in New England is a return to country. My father’s side of the family lived here since the 19th century. My great-great-grandparents are buried in Ben Lomond. My great-grandmother and grandmother spent most of their lives in and around Glencoe and Glen Innes, and are both buried in Tamworth. My grandfather isn’t; his ashes are in a cupboard until we throw them in the Macdonald, near Bendemeer, where he used to fish. And my father cut his teeth as a cadet journalist on the Northern Daily Leader, before moving to Canberra, and studied history at UNE. Moving here is following in the family footsteps. Armidale seems charming: up here, in Australia’s highest city, one feels close to the sky. And the mixture of 1830s historic buildings; green, rain-washed hills, crowned with conifers; and one of the country’s leading universities give it a unique appeal. I completed my journalism qualifications last year, while freelancing for newspapers and magazines, and holding down a full-time job. I spent the end of last year in Sri Lanka, where I reported on visiting Buddhist dignitaries (from exotic Perth), UN development programs, Italian food weeks, and hotels in former war-zones. Previously, I worked as a writer and editor for the Australian Government in Canberra for a decade. In my day job, I briefed members of parliament about international relations, and wrote about agricultural aid programs to developing countries. Journalism, though, is where my heart lies. I want to experience life, rather than sit behind a desk. And, having grown up in Belgium, I want to be Tintin. I hope to get to know and love the region where my ancestors lived, while reporting on issues important to the Tablelands.
The exciting thing about journalism is the variety; one can explore the world, meet interesting people and write about it. I've sat in the caravan of an African circus ringmaster; I've squatted on my haunches in a plastic-sorting factory in the Mumbai slums, talking to the workers and drinking hot chai in plastic cups the size of thimbles; and I've interviewed Chinese cultural attachés, Danish football stars and Japanese drummers. Now I’ve come to the Northern Tablelands as a group journalist working across six of Fairfax’s mastheads. Living in New England is a return to country. My father’s side of the family lived here since the 19th century. My great-great-grandparents are buried in Ben Lomond. My great-grandmother and grandmother spent most of their lives in and around Glencoe and Glen Innes, and are both buried in Tamworth. My grandfather isn’t; his ashes are in a cupboard until we throw them in the Macdonald, near Bendemeer, where he used to fish. And my father cut his teeth as a cadet journalist on the Northern Daily Leader, before moving to Canberra, and studied history at UNE. Moving here is following in the family footsteps. Armidale seems charming: up here, in Australia’s highest city, one feels close to the sky. And the mixture of 1830s historic buildings; green, rain-washed hills, crowned with conifers; and one of the country’s leading universities give it a unique appeal. I completed my journalism qualifications last year, while freelancing for newspapers and magazines, and holding down a full-time job. I spent the end of last year in Sri Lanka, where I reported on visiting Buddhist dignitaries (from exotic Perth), UN development programs, Italian food weeks, and hotels in former war-zones. Previously, I worked as a writer and editor for the Australian Government in Canberra for a decade. In my day job, I briefed members of parliament about international relations, and wrote about agricultural aid programs to developing countries. Journalism, though, is where my heart lies. I want to experience life, rather than sit behind a desk. And, having grown up in Belgium, I want to be Tintin. I hope to get to know and love the region where my ancestors lived, while reporting on issues important to the Tablelands.
