The Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation perpetuates the memory of members of the Victoria Police killed in the line of duty through the support of worthwhile community projects within Victoria. In total, 150 Victoria Police members have been killed in the line of duty.
Of these, 30 have been murdered, which highlights the dangers police members face on a daily basis. We can do nothing to bring them back, however as a grateful community, we can take steps to honor their memory and ensure their sacrifice is acknowledged through a range of projects that benefit the wider community.
The Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation Inc. is an incorporated, not for profit association which is GST exempt and has Deductible Gift Recipient Status.
The Echuca/Moama Branch supports the Emergency Department of Echuca Regional Health, and in recognition of this partnership the Emergency Department will be named in memory of a local police officer who was killed in the line of duty.
Constable George Henry Taylor was shot in the stomach by Timothy Bennett during an arrest attempt on the 15th March 1920 and died in hospital on the 20th March 1920 aged 35 years.
Constable George Henry Taylor
He left behind a widow and three children under the age of four years.
Constable Taylor joined the police force in 1911, and was stationed in Swan Hill until 1914, where he was moved to Rochester.
He stayed in Rochester for a further three years before being appointed in charge of the Pyramid Hill station. He was there for 12 months before he was killed.
Timothy Bennett, a returned soldier, was tried in the Supreme Court, and found not guilty on the grounds of insanity on April 23 1920.
A plaque and memorial will be erected in the waiting room of the Emergency Department, and funds raised by the Echuca Branch will be used to improve patient care in that area.