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Constable William O`Dwyer Print Page 
The monument commemorates Constable William O'Dwyer who was killed in the line of duty in January 1883.
Constable O’Dwyer was stationed at Taroom when a warrant was issued for the arrest of a male suspect for attempted murder. O’Dwyer, Senior Constable Wright and a police tracker, left Taroom on January 24, 1883 to ride to a location on Woleebee Creek via Wandoan where the suspect had been seen.
The group saw smoke and believed it to be the suspect’s camp fire. Tactically, they waited to daylight the next morning to execute the warrant. On approaching the suspect and executing the warrant, the suspect resisted arrest and struck O’Dwyer’s head with a tomahawk. The offender was then shot several times by Senior Constable Wright and killed.
O’Dwyer succumbed to his wounds approximately 30 minutes later, and is buried at Wandoan.
Location
| Address: | Yaldwyn Street (Leichhardt Highway), Taroom Police Station , Taroom, 4420 |
|---|---|
| State: | QLD |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -25.641122 Long: 149.795028 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Crime |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 26-January-1883 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 26-January-1883 |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Thursday 29th September, 2011 |
|---|
This monument is dedicated
to the memory of
Constable
William O`Dwyer
Reg No. 138
Taroom Station
Who was murdered whilst
serving the people of Queensland at Juandah
on 26 January 1883.
Rest in peace
Proudly supported by the
Qld Police Union of Employees
Unveiled Police Remembrance Day
29 September 2011
