Sergeant Ken Coussens & FamilyPrint Page 
The monument commemorates local policeman Sergeant Ken Coussens and his family who were murdered in 1957. It was unveiled on the 50th anniversary of the tragedy.
Senior Constable Ken Coussens, his wife and seven-month-old son were blown up by 240 sticks of gelignite. It was discovered that local man Myron Kelly had held a well-known grudge against the constable and in the absence of other leads this seemed worth following up. The offender had become incensed at being spoken to by the Constable regarding traffic offences and placed a metal dairy container loaded with the stolen gelignite outside the front door of the Constable's home.
When Kelly's house was searched, four and half sticks of gelignite, 20 feet of safety fuse and 58 detonators were discovered. The offender was arrested after a major police investigation and later sentenced to life imprisonment. Myron Kelly was released from jail in 1980 and returned to the district. He died in Cooma in July 2007 aged 83.
Location
| Address: | 167 Auckland Street, Bega Police Station, Bega, 2550 |
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| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -36.676777 Long: 149.840071 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
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| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Crime |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 29-July-1957 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 29-July-1957 |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Sunday 29th July, 2007 |
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This memorial is dedicated to the memory of :
Senior Constable (NSW Police Force) : Kenneth Desmond Coussens.
Wife : Elizabeth Mary Hamilton Coussens.
Baby son : Bruce James John Coussens.
At 2am on 29th July 1957, in Bega NSW, Senior Constable Kenneth Coussens and his family were murdered in their sleep by a bomb blast, which completely destroyed their home. Their eldest son Roger McCampbell survived the blast. This tragedy is the only recorded murder of a police officer & his family by a bomb blast in Australia.
And now, beyond the cares and worries of this world, In calm and quiet they rest in peace.
This memorial was erected by the New South Wales Police Force at Bega Police Station on the 50th anniversary of this tragedy.
The memorial was commissioned by Ken Moroney AO, APM Commissioner of Police 29th July, 2007.
