Burnside Council unveils new memorial to Constable William Hyde, murdered by bushrangers in Leabrook in 1909

A new memorial has been unveiled to remember Constable William Hyde, whose murder in 1909 led to all foot patrol police officers being issued with a firearm.

Artist Karl Meyer and his memorial to Constable William Hyde. Picture: Mark Brake

It was a stinking hot summer’s day in 1909, and three men wearing overcoats loitering in Marryatville raised the suspicions of Constable William Hyde.

The 34-year-old officer had been on his nightly foot patrol of the suburb when he noticed the bushrangers near the Marryatville Hotel, in a paddock used to agist horses.

Realising they had been spotted, the trio ran off and Constable Hyde gave chase.

He managed to catch one of the men, but soon after the man’s accomplices returned and fired three shots at the unarmed officer, the final one aimed at his face.

It was this bullet that killed him.

Police Historical Society president Bill Prior said Constable Hyde was taken to the Marryatville Police Station and then transferred by a horse-drawn ambulance to hospital.

Thirteen hours after being shot, Constable Hyde was dead.

Constable William Hyde. Picture: SA Police Historical Society

Eight months earlier, Constable Albert Ring too had been killed on duty in Glenelg.

Like Constable Hyde, Constable Ring had a nightly routine where he would go to the railway station at Glenelg and wait for the last train to arrive, to make sure everyone got home safely.

One night in March 1908, Constable Ring had arrested a fisherman for being drunk in public and placed him in a cell at the Glenelg Police Station.

Fuming, the fisherman demanded he be released so he could go and earn a living to support his family.

Feeling compassionate, Constable Ring did him a favour and he was sent home.

Little did he know that within days, that favour would be repaid with a bullet.

Constable Ring’s death was the first time in many years that an officer had been killed on duty.

The community was outraged and demanded that foot police, who in those days were not issued with a firearm, be better protected.

The then Police Commissioner, Lewis Madley, refused to bow to the pressure, and instead placed a firearm at each station.

But the rifle was big and cumbersome and most foot officers opted to not take it.

Including Constable Hyde on January 2, 1909, the night he was shot.

Mr Prior said more than 15,000 people attended Constable Hyde's funeral.

This time the commissioner listened to the public backlash, and 110 revolvers were ordered from Harris Scarfe.

“That was the start of every officer being issued with a gun to take with them,” Mr Prior said.

Unveiling of the memorial tree to Constable William Hyde. Picture: SA Police Historical Society

To honour Constable Hyde, Burnside Council on Friday unveiled a new memorial in the garden named after him in Leabrook.

The sculpture is of a policeman’s jacket – featuring Constable Hyde’s police number – and helmet, modelled on the exact items worn by police in 1909.

A newspaper sits nearby and contains words from a story of the day, about the incident.

Mr Prior said police remembered all officers killed on duty.

“But this (memorial) is significant because it remembers the fight trying to get the police properly armed when they were on foot patrols,” he said.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said Constable Hyde made the “ultimate sacrifice” in service to his community.

“Even today, our officers are required to go into volatile, unpredictable and dangerous jobs,” Mr Stevens said.

“No different to the early 1900s when Foot Constable Hyde was tragically killed.

“It’s important for us to recognise and remember those officers killed on duty.”

Unveiling of the memorial tree for Constable William Hyde. Picture: SA Police Historical Society

Burnside Mayor Anne Monceaux said the memorial was part of an upgrade of the Constable Hyde Memorial Gardens, that followed public consultation in 2017.

“Throughout this project, council has worked closely with the SA Police Historical Society, so we could honour the fallen Constable appropriately,” Ms Monceaux said.

“Very few people knew what (the garden) was called or understood anything about its historical relevance to the South Australian Police Force through the story of Constable William Hyde.”

She said an English Oak memorial tree for Constable Hyde that was planted in 1981 and a plaque installed at the time remained in the park.

Karl Meyer, the artist who designed the bronze and sandstone memorial, said the accuracy of the work was important to him.

“I’m very happy with it in terms of, I think it’s a subtle piece that will be discovered and that will bring joy to people,” Meyer said.

Constable Hyde’s murder was never solved, his killers identities remaining a secret.

But thanks to this new memorial, his story no longer is.