Senior Constable William ConroyPrint Page

The monument erected over the grave commemorates Senior Constable William Conroy who died in the line of duty in 1895.

On the 2 July 1895 Senior Constable Conroy, while stationed at Thursday Island, was called to attend a domestic disturbance at the home of Frank and Amelia Tinyana in Douglas Street, Thursday Island. As Senior Constable, he commenced to search for Tinyana in the yard of the house Tinyana attacked his wife stabbing her several times. Conroy witnessing the attack placed himself between Tinyana and his wife in an attempt to protect her. Although stabbed a number of times and bleeding profusely from his wounds, Conroy managed to restrain Tinyana until he could be assisted by the arrival of Constable Clines. Conroy died shortly after Tinyana was taken into custody. Following his death the members of the Queensland Police Force took up a collection for a memorial monument that was erected over his grave on Thursday Island.

A monument is to be erected at Thursday Island over the grave of the late Senior-constable Conroy, who was murdered there last year, while arresting a Manilla man, who had stabbed his wife. The cost (says the Telegraph) is being defrayed by the members of the police force, whose subscriptions are being supplemented by a donation made by the Government. The memorial has just been completed and is an upright monument of white Sicilian marble.  

The monument is 10 feet in height. It has a base of white Helidon freestone, above which are crosses of marble supporting the pedestal, the inscription on which is surrounded by a raised moulding, with sprays of flowers. Springing from the pedestal is a square shaft, with a moulded base and an ornamental capping, surmounted by an urn. Around the grave there is to be a heavy cast-iron railing set in a concrete foundation.
Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette (Qld), 
30 June 1896.

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