A GoFundMe page has been established ( by others ) and can be found on this link: gofund.me/774e84e0b
My name is David Vea and I represent the players, coaches and volunteers of Randwick Rugby Club and we are distraught at the loss of one of our most loyal clubmen ever in Peter Meagher or ‘Marzo’ as everyone universally called him.
Marzo was a much loved figure and absolute legend in our club, with over 40 years of voluntary involvement, he was one of the heart and soul figures of Randwick Rugby. He was also a highly respected long term referee who was well known in Sydney Rugby circles. In his professional life, Peter served for almost 4 decades in the NSW Police Force and retired as a Detective Sergeant, where he was hugely respected by his Police colleagues.
Tragically, Peter was one of the 15 victims of the Bondi Beach shooting and he was sadly lost while performing yet another voluntary role as a photographer to support the ill-fated Chanukah by the Sea event. Peter developed a close affinity with the Jewish Community and supported them for many years voluntarily photographing events and the like, as a result of his wife Virginia Wynne-Markham working at Kesser Torah College in Dover Heights. They both had a strong connection with Rabbi Schlanger, who was also tragically killed at Bondi.
While we are one of the best known clubs in rugby, at our roots Randwick Rugby is simply an amateur community club. Since this awful tragedy unfolded, we have had so many people reach out to see how they could support Marzo, so our player leadership group unanimously decided to it would seek to raise funds in his honour to help financially support his devastated wife, Virginia. Therefore, we have set up this GoFundMe Page to give people the most tangible way to do so.
Virginia is dealing with unimaginable grief and huge uncertainty with the loss of her much loved husband. While they were an uncle and aunt to many nieces and nephews, Peter and Virginia had no children of their own, so he is an irreplaceable hole in her life day to day.
The tragic irony is that Peter spent so long working in the dangerous front line as a Police Officer, but was struck down in retirement while voluntarily taking photos at what was supposed to be a joyful community event in his hobby. It is really difficult to comprehend.
How Your Donation Will Help
All funds raised will go directly to support Virginia who still works fulltime and will greatly help her long-term financial security and assist with many expenses that now confront her in the short term. She is the beneficiary and will receive the funds directly.
Please Give What You Can
No amount is too small and every donation will honour Peter’s legacy and will help support Virginia which we know would have been his greatest concern. If you are unable to give any money, then you can still help by sharing this page or promoting it to your family, friends colleagues and other networks.
Peter ‘Marzo’ Meagher has loyally served all parts of his community in both his professional life and voluntarily in so many areas and for so long. He has helped countless people and community groups, so selflessly over so many years and, in his family’s, darkest hour, it’s our turn to reciprocate and support them so please be generous. We also send our love to all the victims, their families and the Jewish Community at this tragic time.
Yours Sincerely
David Vea
On behalf of the Randwick Rugby Players Leadership Group
Peter Ronald MEAGHER Randwick Rugby Club Monday 15 December 2025 Sydney · 💔💔💔💔💚💚💚💚🐎🐎🐎🐎 — at Coogee Oval.
Peter MEAGHER at his Academy Class 211 – 40th Anniversary at the Goulburn Police Academy in April 2025
Tragically the events at Bondi yesterday have hit close to home. It is with an extremely heavy heart that Randwick DRUFC confirm the passing of the much loved First Grade Manager and loyal club volunteer Peter Meagher.
Our deepest condolences go to his wife Virginia, his brothers Greg, David, Andrew and Paul their extended families, friends across Randwick Rugby, NSW Police (where he served for 4 decades), Sydney Rugby Referees and our local community.
Our heart goes out the Jewish community and all those impacted by this terrible tragedy.
The Rugby community is mourning the passing of Peter Meagher after the Bondi terror attacks. Photo Supplied
The entire Rugby community is mourning the passing of Randwick Rugby stalwart Peter Meagher as part of the Bondi terror attacks
Meagher served as the club’s first grade team manager, taking up the role in 2018.
He was a beloved member of the famous club, named WT (Bill) Outterside Club Volunteer of the Year in 2020.
Meagher’s comes from Rugby royalty, with multiple generations involved in the game of Rugby Union.
He is the grandson of legendary Wallaby Wally, who was inducted into the Wallabies Hall of Fame in 2012 and also proved an integral part of the club’s early years and identity.
“’Marzo’ as he was universally known, was a much loved figure and absolute legend in our club, with decades of voluntary involvement, he was one of the heart and soul figures of Randwick Rugby,” the club said in a statement.
“For much of the last decade Marzo has been our trusted First Grade Manager and this news has already hit our players, coaches, managers, volunteers and supporters extremely hard. Prior to that he was also a highly respected long term referee who was well known and respected in Sydney Rugby circles.
“Our deepest condolences go to his wife Virginia, his brothers Greg, David, Andrew and Paul, their extended families and mountain of friends across Randwick Rugby, NSW Police, Sydney Rugby Referees and our local community.
“We obviously extend our deepest sympathy to all the other victims, their families and loved ones and those people traumatised by this barbaric act. We also sincerely thank and are in awe of all the first responders for their bravery and professionalism in dealing with such a dangerous and challenging situation to care for those in need.
“Rest in Peace ‘Marzo’ – we all love you and will miss you greatly. We are devastated.”
“Rugby Australia, NSW Rugby Union and the Waratahs join Randwick and the entire rugby community in mourning Peter Meagher, who lost his life during Sunday’s Bondi terror attack,” a joint statement said.
“Peter was a beloved member of the Galloping Greens, dedicating countless hours as first grade team manager and a volunteer referee, and followed in the footsteps of his father Ron and grandfather Wally, a Wallabies Hall of Famer, in serving the club.
“We extend our sincere condolences to Peter’s family, friends and clubmates as well as all the victims of Sunday’s tragedy.
“We also thank our first responders, emergency services and everyday citizens for their selfless heroism in the face of terror.
After Retiring from his 40 year employ with NSWPF, Pete ( a non Jew ) was a photographer with Marzo Photography ( his own business ) doing Corporate, Event & Architectural photography from Botany, NSW.
He was performing this task in Archer Park ( 25 Campbell Pde ), at Bondi Beach, NSW, for the Chanukah ( Hanukkah ) celebrating the first day of the Jewish holiday when he was gunned down and murdered, together with 15 others murdered and near 30 additional people shot, by two Terrorists who were father and son.
He was also the current Manager at Randwick Rugby Club.
Further details to follow.
* Story behind any Nickname:
Nothing further, than what is recorded above, is known about this person at the time of publication and further information and photos would be appreciated.
Front Inscription In memory of Constable Angela Rose Taylor 24274, aged 21 years, City Watch-house, who died on 20th April 1986, as a result of injuries received when a car bomb exploded outside the Russell Street Police Complex on the 27th March, 1986.
The 1986 Russell Street bombing which tragically killed Constable Angela Rose Taylor and seriously injured 21 others.
The explosion was caused by a car bomb hidden in a stolen 1979 Holden Commodore, parked deliberately on the busy city street.
Twenty-one-year-old Const Taylor was crossing the road on a staff lunch run and only a metre away from the car bomb when it exploded. She died in hospital a month later. Const Taylor was the first policewoman to die in the line of duty.
This was Victoria’s first encounter with terrorism. Three men were convicted and two sentenced to life imprisonment.
May you forever Rest In Peace.
On March 27 1986, shortly before midday, Constable Taylor left the Russell Street Police Complex to collect lunches for her colleagues. As she stepped on to Russell Street, she passed within 1 metre of a car packed with gelignite. At this time, the gelignite was detonated and the car exploded, showering the area with shrapnel. Angela suffered severe burns to 70% of her body and was hospitalised as a result. However, she died on 20 April 1986.
Stanley Taylor and Craig Minogue were convicted and imprisoned over the bombing which was motivated by an intense hatred of police.
Victoria Police Association Journal March 2006 p 10 & 11
It is 20 years since a car bomb exploded outside the Russell Street Police Complex – two decades since Constable Angela Taylor was mortally wounded as she crossed over Russell Street from the City Watchhouse. The Police Association Journal editor Shirley Hardy-Rix spoke to Angela’s parents, Marilyn and Arthur Taylor to mark the anniversary of Angela’s death.
Arthur & Marilyn Taylor
“It can seem like yesterday or it can seem like 20 years. But missing Angie is still as strong today as it was then; it’s just not accompanied with the pain.”
These are the words of a mother talking about a loved daughter 20 years after the criminal act that shocked the country and changed the Taylor family forever. Marilyn and Arthur Taylor admit that not a day goes by when they don’t think of their only daughter “not in a morbid way but in a joyful way”.
“We’ve made it a pleasant experience. Ange was always so full of joy and life it would be wrong of us to have a negative attitude. She has left us with so many lovely, lovely memories. It was so lovely to have had her for those 21 years – I’ve got to be glad about that,” says Marilyn.
“Something will trigger a memory and you think of some of the things that Angela did,” adds Arthur. “She fitted so much into those 21 years. She didn’t leave any gaping holes, she filled them all in.”
Sitting in their comfortable suburban home , Marilyn and Arthur remember their Ange, the protector of her brothers Michael and Byron. Arthur is usually a man of few words but when it comes to talking about his daughter the stories flow.
“From an early age she had a sense of what was right and what was wrong,” recalls Arthur. “When Mike was young he was knock-kneed and wore leg callipers. One day some of the boys pushed him over and started to laugh because he couldn’t get up. Angela was about four. She went inside and got the broom and chased them up the street, laying into them. When I asked her why she did that, Angie said what they did wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair. From an early age she had a sense of fair play and right and wrong.”
Marilyn remembers the good student who was a keen participant in school plays, was on the school debating team and the school council. But Angela left school at the end of Year 10 which was a disappointment to her parents. Then when the family moved to Melbourne from Canberra in 1982 Angela decided she wanted to join the police force. She didn’t want to join in Canberra because she didn’t want to spend her life guarding parliament house.
Angela wanted to do police work. Her determination saw her finish years 11 and 12 in one year. Angela Taylor went on to be the dux of her squad at the Police Academy in November 1984.
“That made me very proud. Her graduation day was the part in my life when I was at the pinnacle, the top of the mountain. I’ve never been right up there since. I was so proud that she had helped others in her squad get through. She didn’t just do it for herself,” says Marilyn. She and Arthur were the proud parents on graduation day and happy participants in the celebrations that marked the beginning of what should have been a long and successful career.
In March 1986, Angela Taylor had just finished her probation and was working at the City Watchhouse. On March 27 – Easter Thursday – just on one o’clock, an explosion rocked Russell Street. A car bomb was detonated by a team of criminals. Angela was walking across Russell Street at that instant. Her injuries were horrendous and she would never recover. On April 20, after a long and courageous battle, Angela Taylor died.
“It is almost like we lost Angie twice. From the time of the bombing she never spoke to us again. Each of those dates is intermixed,” says Marilyn.
That day Marilyn Taylor was working at a small shop in South Melbourne. She heard on the radio that a bomb had exploded and a woman had been injured.
“I thought, ‘thank God it’s not my Ange’. I didn’t think of her as a woman, just as my Ange, my girl.”
When Marilyn Taylor walked down to the bank she saw a police car and just knew. It might have been a mother’s intuition. Marilyn wasn’t surprised to see the two police who came to tell her the news.
Arthur was also working that day and was later than usual getting home because he’d stopped to get some hot cross buns on the way. He was listening to the radio and heard the news that a policewoman was injured. He thought his daughter was safe because she was in the watchhouse.
“There was a car in the driveway and a couple of senior police. The penny dropped. I’m not a talkative person but I couldn’t shut up. I didn’t want to hear what they had to say so I just kept on talking. My worst fear was that she was dead – that’s what I didn’t want to hear.”
What followed was a rollercoaster. Marilyn and Arthur say they were carried on by events. They had no control. Their whole motivation was to be at the hospital. Each day they would get up and drive to the hospital. At the end of the day they would drive home and collapse into bed.
In 1986 Marilyn and Arthur weren’t offered any counselling to help cope with their grief. “I thought if I saw a counsellor they would make it better – make me better but that is not what it does.”
Since Angela’s death many of those who knew their daughter have drifted out of their lives. “It is such a painful thing for so many people. Even the ones who loved Angie sometimes find it difficult to talk to Arthur and me. And it is not that they don’t care about us, it is just too painful.”
The Police family haven’t forgotten Angela Taylor and this is a great comfort to her family. The Angela Taylor Memorial Foundation was established and the dux of every graduating squad receives the Angela Taylor Award.
These initiatives have all been part of the healing process.
Every year there is the Angela Taylor Fun Run. Marilyn and Arthur are always there to welcome the winners over the finish line and present trophies. It is an important day for them. Marilyn admits in the early years she only went along because she had to but now she wouldn’t miss it.
“At first I did it because I had to – now I do it because I want to and I don’t know when that page turned. Everyone who comes along – they are all special. It gives us a lot of pleasure.”
Marilyn and Arthur receive great comfort out of the services held on National Police Remembrance Day. It is a special day in their calendar. In recent years they have become close to the Senior Police Chaplain, Jim Pilmer.
“We love Jim. He’s a special man. He is one of God’s chosen. He is a genuine man who gives great comfort to those people in the greatest pain. I love his services and we love going along to the Remembrance Day evening service. I like to hear the list of names read out and pray with the families and then go to the little chapel for private prayer. It is a closure for the day.”
Today Marilyn and Arthur are doting grandparents and spend time with their five grand-daughters. Four of these girls bear Angela’s name – Brooke Angela, Laura Angela, Alyssa Rose and Alex Jasmine Rose.
“They give another dimension, but nothing fills the hole of Angie,” says Marilyn.
In their garden are three Angela Taylor roses. They would love to see the rose named in honour of their daughter at the Police Academy and in each police station garden across the state.
Marilyn & Arthur Taylor with the Angela Taylor Rose
The men responsible for the Russell Street Bombing were brought to justice. Marilyn and Arthur did attend the final day of the committal hearing at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court across the road from the scene of the bombing.
Marilyn refused to look at the faces of the men who killed her daughter. Arthur attended the sentencing at the conclusion of the Supreme Court trial. Marilyn couldn’t face it.
“That’s how we keep a positive attitude. We don’t want these people to have any other part of my life. They’ve taken away more than is almost possible to cope with. They are not going to get in because I am not going to hate them because that would be soul destroying for me and those I love,” says Marilyn.
“We’ve avoided getting angry. Sometimes it is very hard to avoid getting angry and hating. It is such a negative emotion it would take over our lives and that wasn’t going to happen,” adds Arthur.
Marilyn and Arthur Taylor are wonderful people. They are filled with love when they could be torn apart by hate. They look at all that has been done in their daughter’s memory and are filled with pride.
“We are very proud and very humbled by the legacy of having the unit at the Royal Melbourne Hospital dedicated to Angie and all the other memorials they have put up in her name. I know there are a lot of people who do a lot of work and put in a lot of time and effort into not letting Victorians forget these wonderful people who get up in the morning and put on the blue uniform because they love to do it.”
Just like its namesake, the Angela Taylor Rose is vibrant, feminine and distinctive.
Clusters of deep cream and pink buds unfurl slowly to reveal sweetly scented, creamy-white flowers with a distinctive pink edging and prominent golden-yellow stamens.
Named in honour of Constable Angela Rose Taylor, who died as a result of the 1986 Russell Street police complex bombing, this rose is available by special arrangement with rose breeder John Nieuwesteeg.
The distributor, Garden Express, donates $2 from each rose sold to the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation. The foundation perpetuates the memory of police killed in the line of duty through the support of community projects across the state.
Shortly after 1.00 pm Thursday, 27 March 1986, a massive explosion occurred near the southern entrance to the Russell Street Police Complex when a car bomb was detonated. As a result of this act three people were injured, damage was caused to the façade of the police building and the central business district was thrown into confusion for hours as emergency workers struggled to cope with the disaster. Later Forensic tests showed the bomb had consisted of 50 sticks of gelignite packed into a motor car and surrounded by small pieces of metal which were meant to act as “shrapnel”. The investigation into the setting of the bomb began at once and continued for months. During that time two of the injured – Magistrate Ian West and Constable Carl Donadio recovered from their wounds. However Constable Angela Taylor who had suffered extensive burns to her body died at the Royal Melbourne Hospital 20 April 1986.
The Russell Street Bombing refers to the 27 March 1986 bombing of the Russell Street Police Headquarters complex in Russell Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The explosion was caused by a car bomb hidden in a stolen 1979 Holden Commodore.
The blast seriously injured 21-year-old Constable Angela Taylor, who died on 20 April, becoming the first Australian policewoman to be killed in the line of duty. A further 22 people were injured. The explosion caused massive amounts of damage to the police HQ and surrounding buildings, estimated at more than A$1 million.
The Age newspaper reported that the blast had such an impact because of the open-floor design of the offices acted like a claymore mine, sending more shrapnel as the blast ripped through the floors, seemingly adding more pressure to the blast as it followed its path. The station has closed down and been converted into apartments.
In the course of the investigation, a group of people including Stan Taylor, Peter Reed, Craig Minogue and Rodney Minogue were apprehended. The motive for the bombing seems to have been revenge against the police, as the bombers had previously been arrested and still resented their jail terms. In court, Taylor, Reed and Craig Minogue were convicted; Rodney Minogue was eventually acquitted on appeal.
On 7 October 1985, gelignite and detonators were stolen from the Tryconnel Mine at Blackwood. On 25 March 1986, a Holden Commodore was stolen. Both crimes were later found to provide equipment needed for the construction of the bomb.
On 25 April 1986, ten Victoria Police officers raided the Kallista home of Peter Michael Reed at 5.45 am. It was alleged that upon attempting to enforce the arrest by forcing entry to the premises, Reed produced a .455 Smith and Wesson revolver and fired at police, seriously injuring Det Sgt Wylie. Reed was then fired upon by Det Sgt Quinsee and arrested. Reed was charged with attempted murder, recklessly causing serious injury, using a firearm to prevent apprehension and possessing explosives in suspicious circumstances in addition to charges related to the Russell Street bombing. Reed later stated at his trial in unsworn evidence that:
“the police started the shooting and I only used his firearm in self defence.”
On 30 May 1986, police arrested Stanley Brian Taylor during a 2 am raid on his Birchip home. Brothers Craig and Rodney Minogue were arrested in a Swan Hill motel at 5.15 am later that day.
The crown did not allege that any person played any particular role in the bombing, but that each of them were members of a team which planned the bombing and caused the bomb to explode. Evidence against the accused was as follows:
Gelignite and detonators used in the construction of the bomb were of the same type as those stolen from Tryconnel Mine.
Gelignite was found at Reed’s house wrapped in newspaper containing fingerprints belonging to Rodney Minogue.
Craig Minogue owned a pair of side cutters which produced cuts similar to those found on detonator wires.
A file with traces of brass deposits matched with brass deposits found at the bomb site.
a block of wood from which a wooden part of the bomb had been sawn was found at Craig Minogue’s premises.
tinned copper wire, similar to that used with detonators found at the bomb site, was found at Craig Minogue’s premises.
residue of gelignite matched residue found at a previous address of Craig Minogue in Lower Templestowe.
evidence from a witness that Craig Minogue called around Easter 1986, to ask about the use of detonators.
a witness testified that Craig Minogue was seen driving a 1979 Holden Commodore around the CBD prior to the explosion.
Published: 18:10 EST, 24 March 2016 | Updated: 19:26 EST, 24 March 2016
The young policewoman killed after a car bomb exploded in front of the force headquarters in Melbourne has been remembered 30 years after the tragedy – and awarded a service medal.
Constable Angela Rose Taylor, 21, died from her injuries 24 days after the bombing of Russell Street police headquarters on Easter Thursday, 27 March 1986.
She was the first policewoman to be murdered in the line of duty in Australia.
Her brother Michael Taylor paid tribute to the young officer at a memorial service on Thursday opposite the old Russell Street station, saying that she always had ‘a disdain for injustice’.
He recalled how as a three-year-old she fended off bullies by swinging a broom because they were teasing him over his leg calipers.
‘She had a strong belief we should all be treated equally,’ Mr Taylor said.
Constable Taylor was posthumously awarded the National Police Service Medal at the memorial which was attended by officers, family and friends wearing pink roses in her memory.
It was given to her parents Marilyn and Arthur by Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton on behalf of Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove.
Two men were convicted of the horrific crime which left Constable Taylor dead and 22 others injured.
One of the bombers, Craig Minogue, could soon apply for bail as his 28-year non-parole period comes to an end this year.
His co-accused, Stanley Brian Taylor, 59, was jailed for life with no minimum set.
An arrangement of pink roses was seen at the memorial service to honour the young policewoman
Constable Taylor was was posthumously awarded the National Police Service Medal and it was given to her parents Marilyn and Arthur by Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton
Former police member Carl Donadio ( centre )who was injured in the blast looks on during a memorial service to honour Constable Taylor
Mr Ashton said while any parole decision is up to the parole board, he hoped Minogue ‘stays behind bars’.
Minogue, who was almost illiterate at the time of his arrest has gone on to complete a bachelor of arts degree, and has also obtained his Masters and PHD behind bars.
He also runs a website, on which he apologises for his behaviour in 1986.
‘I understand the pain and suffering that I have caused. I am very sorry for the crimes of my past, and I regret those actions very much and wish that I had not done them,’ he wrote on the site.
‘Thirty years is a very long time in prison, I was 23 when I came in and I will be 53 when I am eligible for release.
‘I hope to be able to somehow pass on to others the value that I have found in education and learning during that time.
‘That contribution I can make depends to a large extent upon others, and whether or not I am going to be given a chance to make a positive contribution,’ he said.
Lawyer tearfully recalls Russell street bombing 30 years ago
Constable Taylor’s parents unveil a plaque in her honour in the RMIT Alumni Courtyard in Russell Street in Melbourne
A rose could be seen on a poster at the memorial service to honour Constable Angela Taylor
But Detective Inspector Bernie Rankin does not believe Minogue is reformed.
‘I am not convinced that he is the reformed Craig Minogue he is making himself out to be,’ he told 60 Minutes recently.
He went on to explain how Minogue murdered a man not long after being sent to prison for his part in the Russell Street bomb case.
‘Now if Craig Minogue is released tomorrow who’s to say it is not the old Craig Minogue who gets released.
‘What if you take his parking spot, you know, what if you bump into him in a bar?
‘He is trying to get parole and he is trying to demonstrate to a parole board he is no longer a risk,’ he said.
Mr Rankin held back tears when remembering the death of Ms Taylor three weeks after she was injured in the bomb blast.
He helped put out some of the fire on the 21-year-old officer’s clothes and hair.
‘She was thrown across street dreadfully burnt,’ he said.
‘She was a fine young woman that lost her life,’ he said choking back tears after remembering the day, April 20, he found out she had passed away in hospital.
The police officer remembers the bombers had ‘a strong desire to kill as many people and injure as many people as possible’ with their contraption.
In fact the blast could have been a lot worse, a police investigation at the time found not all of the explosives found set into the car went off as was planned because the detonator was used wrong.
At 15 seconds past one on Easter Thursday afternoon in 1986 Russell Street, Melbourne best resembled a warzone
One of the bombers, Craig Minogue (pictured both), could soon apply for bail as his 28-year non-parole period comes to an end this year
One of the bombers, Craig Minogue (pictured both), could soon apply for bail as his 28-year non-parole period comes to an end this year
‘He is trying to get parole and he is trying to demonstrate to a parole board he is no longer a risk,’ he said.
Mr Rankin held back tears when remembering the death of Ms Taylor three weeks after she was injured in the bomb blast.
He helped put out some of the fire on the 21-year-old officer’s clothes and hair.
‘She was thrown across street dreadfully burnt,’ he said.
‘She was a fine young woman that lost her life,’ he said choking back tears after remembering the day, April 20, he found out she had passed away in hospital.
The police officer remembers the bombers had ‘a strong desire to kill as many people and injure as many people as possible’ with their contraption.
In fact the blast could have been a lot worse, a police investigation at the time found not all of the explosives found set into the car went off as was planned because the detonator was used wrong.
Constable Taylor’s parents pose with an Infinity Rose which was presented to them by former police member Carl Donadio who was injured in the blast.
Man jailed thirty years ago for a Melbourne car bomb which killed a young policewoman is up for parole – but one officer who was there doesn’t think he’s reformed
Convicted killer Craig Minogue may be eligible for parole this year
Minogue was jailed for his part in the Russell Street bombing in 1986
A car bomb exploded near a police station killing a female officer
He also killed a fellow inmate once he was put behind bars
Published: 02:09 +11:00, 21 March 2016 | Updated: 07:43 +11:00, 21 March 2016
A killer who has served thirty years behind bars for his part in the detonation of a bomb outside a metro police station may soon be eligible for parole.
Two men were convicted of the crime, Stan Taylor was sentenced to life without parole, and Craig Minogue was given 28 years without parole, which has now been served.
At 15 seconds past one on Easter Thursday afternoon in 1986 Russell Street, Melbourne best resembled a warzone.
Convicted killer, Craig Minogue, pictured, may be eligible for parole this year after serving 30 years behind bars
Minogue was sentenced to 28 years without parole for his part in the notorious Russell Street car bombing on Easter Thursday in 1986 (wreckage from the explosion)
A car bomb parked strategically outside the police complex exploded killing 21-year-old police woman Angela Taylor and 22 officers and civilians.
Minogue, who was almost illiterate at the time of his arrest has gone on to complete a bachelor of arts degree, and has also obtained his Masters and PHD behind bars.
He also runs a website, on which he apologises for his behaviour in 1986.
‘I understand the pain and suffering that I have caused. I am very sorry for the crimes of my past, and I regret those actions very much and wish that I had not done them,’ he wrote on the site.
‘Thirty years is a very long time in prison, I was 23 when I came in and I will be 53 when I am eligible for release.
‘I hope to be able to somehow pass on to others the value that I have found in education and learning during that time.
‘That contribution I can make depends to a large extent upon others, and whether or not I am going to be given a chance to make a positive contribution,’ he said.
Detective Inspector Bernie Raking, pictured, was at the police station when the bomb went off. He does not believe Minogue is reformed
But Detective Inspector Bernie Rankin does not believe Minogue is reformed.
‘I am not convinced that he is the reformed Craig Minogue he is making himself out to be,’ he told 60 Minutes recently.
He went on to explain how Minogue murdered a man not long after being sent to prison for his part in the Russell Street bomb case.
‘Now if Craig Minogue is released tomorrow who’s to say it is not the old Craig Minogue who gets released.
‘What if you take his parking spot, you know, what if you bump into him in a bar?
‘He is trying to get parole and he is trying to demonstrate to a parole board he is no longer a risk,’ he said.
Minogue – pictured- only admitted to his part in the Russell Street bombing for the first time in 2012, Rankin believes that was a move to prove he had reformed
The car bomb did not explode as planned, and could have been a lot more devastating, police say
Mr Rankin held back tears when remembering the death of Ms Taylor three weeks after she was injured in the bomb blast.
He helped put out some of the fire on the 21-year-old officer’s clothes and hair.
‘She was thrown across street dreadfully burnt,’ he said.
‘She was a fine young woman that lost her life,’ he said choking back tears after remembering the day, April 20, he found out she had passed away in hospital.
The police officer remembers the bombers had ‘a strong desire to kill as many people and injure as many people as possible’ with their contraption.
In fact the blast could have been a lot worse, a police investigation at the time found not all of the explosives found set into the car went off as was planned because the detonator was used wrong.
Minogue killed fellow inmate and convicted killer Alex Tsakmakis shortly after going to prison but was not given any additional sentencing
In 1992 Prue Bird (pictured), the grandaughter of Paul and Julie (pictured) Hetzel known accomplices of Minogue went missing, child killer Leslie Camilleri came forward 17 years later
Paul Hetzel was a member of Taylor and Minogue’s gang, he helped police gain convictions, but in 1992 his partner’s granddaughter vanished.
Seventeen years later convicted child killer Leslie Camilleri came forward claiming to have killed Prue Bird of his own accord. Mr Hetzel believes she was taken from them in revenge.
‘I thought this is pay back just felt sick in the guts.’
Mr Hetzel said Minogue had threatened shortly after the explosion.
‘He was saying about that any bastard ever spoke about it and that, you know, they will be killed.
‘And that’s when he said wouldn’t it be a shame if anything happened to your little Prue.’
Mrs Hetzel (pictured left) and her husband Paul (pictured right) believe Prue was killed in an act of revenge as Mr Hetzel had given evidence against his fellow gang members in the bomb investigation
Minogue denies any involvement in the girl’s disappearance and murder. But police are not convinced.
‘There is no doubt in my mind Camilleri commit crime with others and that this crime is a payback for the Russell Street bombing,’ Detective Senior Sergeant Brent Fisher told 60 minutes.
Minogue has said he intends to repay the community for his crimes by accepting the sentence, admitting his guilt and apologising, by making an effort to rehabilitate himself and by not re-offending upon release.
Minogue was not handed down extra time for the murder of his fellow inmate Tsakmakis in prison.
He is currently being held in a medium-security prison in Victoria.
The deadly bomb blast shattered precinct windows and shook up the policing community sparking a wide search for those responsible
Russell Street bomber, Stanley Taylor, has died in custody aged 79.
He was sentenced to life in prison for the 1986 car bomb explosion that killed a female police officer and injured 21 others outside the Melbourne police office on Russell Street.
Corrections Victoria confirmed a prisoner of that age died of natural causes at St Vincents Hospital on Wednesday.
Taylor had been ill for at least a year, according to numerous media reports.
A career criminal, Taylor was known for having a hatred for authority.
Before the bombing, he had served 17 years in prison for numerous bank robberies.
Eight years after getting out, he would commit one of the most brutal acts of terror in Victoria.
The car bomb was set up to explode at 1pm, precisely the time most people would be heading out to get their lunch.
It was stuffed with almost 60 sticks of gelignite and timed for maximum destruction.
Constable Angela Taylor, 21, was on her way to pick up lunch for her office when she was in the direct firing line.
She died of her injuries 24 days after the bombing, becoming the first Australian police woman to die in the line of duty.
The explosion was so large that debris was found three blocks away.
Police were led to Taylor and his accomplices when they were able to rebuild the car used in the attack, and found it had been stolen.
Alongside Taylor in 1988, Craig Minogue received life with a minimum of 28 years and Rodney Minogue was jailed for eight years with a minimum of six in 1988.
Another man, Peter Reed, was found not guilty but was later jailed for 13 years, with a minimum of 11, of the attempted murder of police during the investigation of the bombing.
Craig Minogue will be up for parole by the end of this year.
As with all deaths in custody, Taylor’s death will be referred to the coroner.
Rank: Assistant management accountant – NSW Police Public Service
Stations: MA & R management accounting Corporate, Finance & Business services, Parramatta – H.Q.
Service: From ? ? 1997to 2 October 2015 = 17 years Service to NSW Police
Awards: ?
Born: 28 November 1956
Died on: Friday 2 October 2015
Cause: Shot – Murdered – Terrorist related
Event location: Outside of NSW Police HQ, Parramatta
Age: 58
Funeral date: Saturday 17 October 2015 @ 10am
Funeral location: St Mary’s Cathedral, College St, 2 St Marys Rd, Sydney City – opposite Hyde Park.
Buried at: Cremated
is NOT mentioned on the Wall of Remembrance* BUT SHOULD BE
CURTIS IS mentioned on the Wall of Remembrance as of 2016
Curtis CHENG with wife and adult children.
Funeral location: [codepeople-post-map]
Parramatta shooting: gunman a 15-year-old boy
Date Saturday
Eryk Bagshaw and Nick Ralston
NSW Police have confirmed that a 15-year-old boy was the lone gunman who shot dead a police employee outside the state’s headquarters in Sydney’s west.
The teenager shouted religious slogans before firing one shot in the back of the head of a police finance worker as the employee was heading home on Friday afternoon.
NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione (right) and NSW Premier Mike Baird front the media after shooting at Parramatta. Photo: AAP
NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione (right) and NSW Premier Mike Baird front the media after shooting at Parramatta. Photo: AAP
The police employee has been named as Curtis Cheng, a 17-year veteran of the police force. Police say the shooter is of Iraqi-Kurdish background and was born in Iran.
“We believe that his actions were politically motivated and therefore linked to terrorism,” NSW police Commissioner, Andrew Scipione told reporters in Sydney.
Mr Scipione said police had no information to suggest the gunman posed “this type of threat”.
A police employee was shot dead outside the headquarters in Parramatta.
A police employee was shot dead outside the headquarters in Parramatta. Photo: James Brickwood
“We’re a long way from establishing a full picture of this man, his exact motivations still remain a mystery to us,” he said
“We are exploring every avenue with regard to why he did what he did.”
Premier Mike Baird described the events as “chilling”.
Paramedics at the scene of the Parramatta shooting attending to one of the two bodies. Photo: Seven News
“The shock of this event will be felt everywhere,” he told reporters.
Mr Cheng was shot as he left work at the State Crime Command in Parramatta on Friday afternoon.
His killer was shot dead as officers returned fire.
A strike force has been established to investigate.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described the terror-related shooting as a “cold-blooded murder”.
Mr Turnbull has urged Australians to go about their day normally despite the incident in Parramatta on Friday.
“This appears to have been an act of politically motivated violence so at this stage it appears to have been an act of terrorism. It is a shocking crime. It was a cold-blooded murder,” he told reporters in Melbourne.
Published: 17:29 EST, 4 October 2015 | Updated: 02:20 EST, 5 October 2015
The heartbroken family of the accountant gunned down by a ‘radicalised’ Muslim 15-year-old have paid tribute to the ‘kind, gentle, and loving’ father-of-two.
Curtis Cheng, 58, was shot in the back of the head by lone gunman Farhad Jabar Khalil Mohammad after the teenager stormed the police headquarters in Parramatta, Sydney.
His wife Selina and two children Alpha and Zilvia, both in their 20s, said their father was ‘generous of heart’ and ‘always put family first’.
They said: ‘We would like to thank all those who have expressed their well wishes and blessings upon us following the tragic passing of our most loved husband and father, Curtis Cheng.
Father-of-two Curtis Cheng, 58, (far left) was shot dead at point-blank range by a ‘radicalised’ 15-year-old, pictured with his wife Selina (second left) and two children Zilvia and Alpha (right)
Father-of-two Curtis Cheng, 58, (far left) was shot dead at point-blank range by a ‘radicalised’ 15-year-old, pictured with his wife Selina (second left) and two children Zilvia and Alpha (right)
Police are now probing why Farhad Jabar Khalil Mohammad (pictured) targeted the accountant
The two bodies were found just metres apart on the pavement outside the police station and children’s day care centre
Chilling footage has emerged showing the final moments of ‘radicalised’ 15-year-old Farhad Jabar Khalil Mohammad after he stormed a police headquarters, pictured in a shoot-out with police constables
Multiple shots can be heard and the video then shows Farhad lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood surrounded by officers
The gunman was killed after an exchange of gunfire with special constables who guard the entrance of the main station in Parramatta
Witnesses reported seeing two bodies lying on the ground covered in white sheets (pictured)
An ambulance NSW spokeswoman said paramedics were on the scene at Charles St, in the city’s CBD
An investigation is believed to be underway into whether the shooter had been recently charged by a detective from one of the State Crime Command squads
Detectives have not yet established the identity of the deceased, according to a spokesman
witness
bystander
Detectives launched a ‘critical incident investigation’ and confirmed two people were killed after a number of shots were fired
A civilian IT expert working for police was shot dead after a lone gunman opened fire outside a police headquarters in Sydney, pictured officers gather around a white sheet covering a body
The black-clad assailant fired a number of shots at special constables guarding the NSW Police station in Parramatta on Friday before he was gunned down and killed by one of the officers
Officers in body armour were seen patrolling the Parramatta CBD and guarding train stations, pictured is Charles Street
Several roads in Parramatta were blocked after the shooting and helicopters were seen circling overhead, pictured is Charles Street
On Friday night, Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione (pictured) refused to be drawn on whether the double shooting was terror-related and said detectives did not yet know the motive
Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the gunman, who was wearing dark trousers and a flowing top, shot the employee on his way home from work
When asked whether police were warned about a possible attack at the station, Commissioner Scipione revealed there had been a number of alerts in 2014 and 2015, pictured officers on the scene
Detectives believe the civilian worker was ‘deliberately targeted’ and said he was shot at almost point-blank range
Dozens of officers were seen searching the area where the double shooting took place
Both bodies (circled in red) were still on the scene at 11pm, draped in white sheets and just metres apart
Dozens of people were seen waiting outside their homes tonight after several buildings near the scene were evacuated
Floral tributes have been left to Mr Cheng outside the police headquarters in Parramatta, Sydney
His family have paid tribute to the ‘kind, gentle, and loving’ father-of-two, saying he was ‘generous of heart’
‘My father was a kind, gentle, and loving person. He was humourous, generous of heart and always put the family first. He has set a tremendous example for us as a family.
‘We are deeply saddened and heartbroken that he has been taken from us, but we are truly grateful for the fruitful and happy life he has shared with us.’
Mr Cheng, who worked in the Finance and Business Services department for 17 years, was shot dead as he was leaving work on Friday afternoon in an ‘act of terrorism’.
The ‘radicalised’ youth, who is reported to be a Sunni Muslim, was then killed in a shoot-out with three special constables guarding the station.
Mr Cheng’s family said they were ‘touched’ by a personal visit from NSW Premier Mike Baird and the Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione.
Police are now probing why Farhad Jabar Khalil Mohammad (pictured) targeted the accountant
‘This was a comforting reminder of the warm regard that was held for him, especially by the New South Wales police community,’ they said.
‘He will be missed by all of us. We will cherish our memory of him forever.’
Police are now probing why Mr Cheng, 58, who had never worn a uniform, was targeted by the lone gunman in a ‘brutal’ and ‘callous murder’ on Friday.
Detectives have described the shooting as a ‘targeted attack’, but they are unsure why Farhad chose the civilian officer ‘who never had a badge’.
Commissioner Scipione said: ‘We are not sure whether he was targeted because he came from a police facility — we may never know. But he was certainly targeted in terms of the shooting.
‘It was a direct shooting. Certainly it wasn’t a ricochet, it was a targeted shot that took his life.’
He confirmed the teenager’s actions were ‘politically motivated and therefore linked to terrorism’.
But he admitted they were still unsure of the schoolboy’s ‘exact motivations’.
‘We’re a long way from establishing a full picture of this man, his exact motivations still remain a mystery to us,’ he said.
‘There is nothing to suggest that he was doing anything but acting alone.’
Floral tributes and messages of support have been left at the site where Mr Cheng was gunned down just metres away from a children’s day care centre.
‘He was a much-loved man, [he had] been with us a long time. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone have a bad word about Curtis and he will be missed,’ Commissioner Scipione said.
‘Curtis was admired and respected by his colleagues. He was a gentle man in every sense.
‘What has occurred is shocking and it is a very sad time for those who worked closely with him and all our employees.’
Farhad visited Parramatta Mosque where he changed into a black robe in the hours before the killing, according to reports.
The ‘radicalised’ youth, who is reported to be a Sunni Muslim, was allegedly able to walk unchallenged into the police headquarters and choose his victim.
The 15-year-old first came across a plain clothes female detective who was not carrying a gun, according to reports.
But he then shot Mr Cheng in the back on the head as the veteran of the police finance department was leaving work.
Witnesses have described seeing the teenagers dancing joyously after shooting the ‘gentle’ public servant while shouting Allah Allah.
Chilling footage has show the teenager running down the street brandishing his gun in the air just seconds after killing the father-of-two Curtis Cheng, 58.
He could be heard screaming at officers before having a shoot-out with three special constables guarding the station.
The 15-year-old continued to fire his handgun outside the police building until he was killed.
Police said the teenager was not on their radar, but revealed that his relative was known to law enforcement or intelligence agencies.
‘[The relative] was a bit of a problem, he did come to the attention of police and counter-terrorism [authorities],’ a source told ABC .
It has also emerged that his sister Shadi may have been attempting to reach Iraq or Syria the day before the shooting as she flew out of Australia on a flight bound for Istanbul on Thursday.
She reportedly took all her belongings with her, according to the ABC.
Farhad, who is of Iraqi-Kurdish background, is understood to have been living with his family in an apartment block in North Parramatta.
Officers searched the teenager’s North Parramatta family home on Friday and took his computer equipment.
But they revealed they had not yet discovered any messages, religious writings or notes left by Farhad.
Police are also looking into whether Farhad may have been on the fringe of an extremist group that had already come to the notice of police.
Farhad was previously active on social media, voicing his support for Team Ricky on reality singing contest The Voice in April 2013.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the Australian Muslim community would be appalled and shocked by the attack.
‘We must not vilify or blame the entire Muslim community with the actions of what is in truth a very small percentage of violent extremist individuals.
‘The Muslim community are our absolutely necessary partners in combating this type of violent extremism.’
He said the issue of radicalisation – particularly in young people – was complex and it was hard to understand the speed at which it was occurring.
NSW premiere Mike Baird said it was an ‘unthinkable act’ that ended his life.
‘I want the family of Curtis and the members of his Police community to know that you don’t face this loss alone. We mourn with you and we are here for you.’
A strike force, Fellows, has been set up to investigate and police are working with Islamic communities, who have offered their support.
NSW Police Association president Pat Gooley said he has spoken to Commissioner Scipione directly about increasing security at stations since Friday’s shooting.
‘Our message is we’ll keep Police Association members safe and the police commissioner is helping us do that,’ Mr Gooley said.
‘What changed on Friday night is that this is the first time in NSW that the NSW Police have been directly targeted as part of a terror incident.’
The commissioner revealed a number of warnings had been sent round to police in the past two years reminding them to be ‘vigilant’ about attacks, but assured that the people of NSW were ‘safe’.
‘I have viewed a number of pieces of footage, I can tell you that this was a brutal crime. It was a terrible crime.
‘We’re attempting to identify a man who was seen to approach the victim and discharge one single shot. Subsequently the assailant remained in the street here in Charles Street before he fired several further shots at a special constable.
‘A number of special constables came out of the building and as they’ve emerged they’ve come under fire.
‘In the exchange that followed the gunman was shot and killed. An employee of the NSW police force has been callously murdered here today. This is a very sobering time for us.’
Commissioner Scipione said it was likely the gunman waited around after the murder in order to ‘commit suicide by cop’.
It was previously reported that there had been increased ‘chatter’ in the past week about a possible attack on the Parramatta headquarters.
Sources said the building had been ‘cased’ and that every officer had been ordered to wear their guns on them at all times this week, even while at their desks.
When questioned about whether police were aware on a possible attack at the station, Commissioner Scipione revealed there had been a number of alerts in 2014 and 2015.
‘There has been activity around a number of locations in NSW, they’re the things we communicate to our officers,’ Commissioner Scipione said.
‘We have drawn officers back to the special warnings which are contained within alert 2015.
‘We’ve refreshed that alert and yet again highlighted the importance of remaining vigilant and being ready to respond should they have to at any location but particularly around police stations. I want to ensure that we don’t jump to conclusions, as I’ve said.
‘I’ve indicated that but we’re keeping an open mind. At this stage we’ve got nothing to link this event to any terrorist-related activity but we could not say that that wasn’t the case. So clearly you would understand we have officers from within the counter-terrorism command.’
The NSW Police Force building is home to the State Crime Command, which includes the homicide, drug, Middle Eastern organised crime and gangs squads.
An investigation was believed to be underway into whether the shooter had been recently charged by a detective from one of the State Crime Command squads.
He was also quizzed about whether staff had allegedly been sent a number of emails warning about men who had been taking photographs of the building’s entrance.
This man was simply leaving work this afternoon and he was gunned down. He was murdered on this street, this very street,’ he said.
Detectives launched a level one critical incident, the highest order they can give, after the attack.
Witnesses reported seeing two bodies lying on the ground covered in white sheets just metres apart.
Dozens of police officers were seen combing the area where the shooting took place from around 10pm on Friday, searching for clues.
Investigators also aimed huge spotlights at neighbouring apartments during the operation.
Residents were evacuated from their homes in buildings nearby the police station and most were allowed to return just after 11pm.
Real estate agent Edwin Almeida said he saw a man with a gun screaming and pacing up and down outside the building on Charles Street.
He said he then saw the man lying on the ground with a police officer pointing a gun at him.
‘We looked out the window, saw security guards and what appeared to be a plain clothes police officer with gun drawn pointing at the person that was now lying on the floor surrounded by a pool of blood,’ he said.
He wrote on his Facebook page: ‘Four five shots fired by man outside our office and in front of NSW police head quarters. Man shot down by guards and detectives.’
A man called Nathan told 2GB Radio that he saw a man lying on the street surrounded by blood.
‘I saw the guy dressed in black on the pavement with blood everywhere,’ he said.
Shopkeeper Sammy Shak told The Daily Telegraph he saw two bodies on the ground after hearing ‘six shots at least’.
‘WE’RE KEEPING AN OPEN MIND’: COMMISSIONER’S COMMENTS ON MOTIVE
Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione refused to be drawn on whether the double shooting was terror-related and said detectives do not yet know the motive.
In his media briefing on Friday night, he said: ‘We don’t know the motive and we don’t yet know who the gunman is but he has committed an appalling act of brutality.
‘I want to ensure that we don’t jump to conclusions, as I’ve said, we’re keeping an open mind but there is an investigation that’s on foot.
‘At this stage we’ve got nothing to link this event to any terrorist-related activity but we could not say that that wasn’t the case.
‘So clearly you would understand we have officers from within the counter-terrorism command working alongside homicide but this is a homicide investigation led by homicide.’
‘My message to the people of NSW is that they are safe. There is no threat that we’re dealing with that at this stage we haven’t resolved here.
‘We will get to the bottom of this matter, the investigation will be conducted, it will be very thorough and we’ll do that as soon as we possibly can.’
‘When I went out there was two bodies on the floor and there was cops everywhere all around the area and they told me to go inside the shop straight away,’ he said.
Channel Seven helicopter pilot Andrew Millett said two bodies were visible about 200m from the police station.
Finance worker Rizwan Shaikh, who lives opposite the police headquarters, said he heard the shooting.
‘I finished work and was in the shower and I heard the gunshots,’ Mr Shaikh told The Daily Telegraph.
‘I heard six or seven gunshots and it was pretty loud. In two to three minutes there were cops everywhere.’
Miffy Hong, 33, said her mother called her just after 5pm to tell her she could see a body covered by a sheer near police headquarters.
‘She told me come back I don’t know what’s happening, she doesn’t speak English,’ she said.
The attack occurred outside a daycare centre used by police force families and the children were locked inside for four hours after the shooting with a dead body at their doorstep.
Parents of the children locked inside Goodstart Early Learning voiced fears about their welfare.
Dennis Entriken, whose three-year-old daughter was not allowed to leave for four hours, told Daily Mail Australia: ‘It’s very frustrating. One of the dead bodies is right out of the front of the chilcare centre.
‘What did they see, what did they hear? Is she scared? Is she OK?
‘They’ve told us she’s safe which is good… it’s the unknown which is the issue.
‘If she saw nothing and she’s blissfully unaware then that’s good,’ he said.
In his press conference on Friday night, Commissioner Scipione confirmed that all the children were safe.
‘Everyone’s safe, that’s the good news. There was certainly no suggestion of anyone being injured there. That’s certainly very pleasing to us.
NSW Police reveal shooter was a 15-year-old boy of an Iraqi-Kurdish background, urging anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Vision courtesy ABC News.
The man shot by a 15-year-old gunman outside NSW police headquarters, accountant Curtis Cheng, was simply on his way home for the weekend when he died, NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says.
Mr Cheng, 58, worked for the NSW Police finance and business services division and had been employed by the force for 17 years. He was married with two adult children.
Curtis Cheng, left, and his family.
“He was a much loved man, been with us a long time,” Mr Scipione said. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone have a bad word about Curtis.”
Mr Scipione was to meet Mr Cheng’s family on Saturday. He said the entire NSW Police Force family was in mourning.
“Curtis was admired and respected by his colleagues. He was a gentle man in every sense,” he said. “What has occurred is shocking and it is a very sad time for those who worked closely with him and all our employees.”
NSW Premier Mike Baird paid tribute to Mr Cheng and gave his condolences to his family.
“He sounds a wonderful man, very much loved by family and friends and indeed the police community,” Mr Baird said.
“We can’t forget that the police community are deeply impacted by this.
“A colleague and friend – it is going to hurt and hurt very deeply.”
The boy then continued to fire his handgun before he was shot dead by one of three special constables who responded to the shooting.
Mr Scipione said that police had no warning of the attack and that the 15-year-old, of Iraqi-Kurdish background and born in Iran, had not been on the police radar, nor had he any criminal history.
TERROR experts are worried the recent fatal shooting in Sydney’s Parramatta that a civilian police force employee dead, may not be the last.
Investigations are continuing into what motivated 15-year-old Farhad Jabar Khali Mohammad to shoot police force veteran Curtis Cheng at close range outside the Parramatta police headquarters on Friday.
Police believe was politically motivated and linked to terrorism.
His grieving family, including wife Selina and children Zilvia and Alpha, said they were heartbroken by the loss of the loving, generous and gentle father who always put the family first.
“We are deeply saddened and heartbroken that he has been taken from us, but we are truly grateful for the fruitful and happy life he has shared with us,” they said in a statement.
“My father was a kind, gentle, and loving person. He was humorous, generous of heart and always put the family first. He has set a tremendous example for us as a family.
“To the many people who have offered their condolences and kind words about him, we are extremely moved by your thoughts and sympathies.,” they added.
Streets surrounding Parramatta headquarters were placed into lock-down after Mohammad fired shots into the building before he was killed by special constables.
Police have no information to tie the boy to a specific group.
The federal government, police and agencies are working with the Muslim community to combat extremism and prevent young people from being radicalised.
Beloved husband of Selina.
The love in my heart is everlasting.
Loving father of Alpha and Zilvia.
Relatives, friends of the family, colleagues and members of the community are warmly invited to attend the funeral service for Mr CURTIS CHENG, to be held in St Mary’s Cathedral, College Street Sydney, on Saturday, October 17, 2015 commencing at 10.00am.
Private cremation.
In lieu of floral tributes, we ask that you consider a donation to NSW Police Legacy Appeal.
Saturday, 10 October 2015
We will never forget you.
~
Gail Abbott
Saturday, 10 October 2015
Our deepest condolences and prayers for your comfort in your time of unspeakable loss. The whole of decentAustralia sends you love and support at this difficult time. May your love and strength as a family help you to regain your hapipiness and harmony.
UPDATE: POLICE have confirmed that they have arrested a second man in relation to the death of New South Wales police employee Curtis Cheng.
Police are in the process of charging an 18-year-old, believed to be the one responsible for obtaining the firearm from a Middle Eastern crime gang and passing it on to 15-year-old Farhad Jabar.
A 22-year-old man has now also been arrested.
EARLIER: A MAN taken into custody in last week’s counter terrorism raids in Sydney, is expected to be charged in relation to the death of police employee Curtis Cheng.
Reports suggest the 18-year-old was the one responsible for obtaining the firearm from a Middle Eastern crime gang and passing it on to 15-year-old Farhad Jabar.
Jabar shot dead Mr Cheng outside Parramatta police headquarters on October 2.
The man is expected to be charged this afternoon and will appear in court tomorrow.
VALEDICTORY
Mr Curtis Shu Kei Cheng (28 November 1956 to 2 October 2015)
A member of the New South Wales Police Force from 11 November 1997 to 2 October 2015
The 2nd of October 2015 was the Friday before a long weekend. Many people were getting away early, extending the time that they would have to spend with family and friends. And on most Fridays, Curtis Cheng would have done the same.
However, there had been the demands of preparing the current year’s budget, an enormous task, the last of it completed just a few weeks ago. And there was more to do for the Annual Report. So Curtis stayed back a little longer than usual.
Eventually satisfied he had done all that he could, Curtis left. In his customary, friendly way he said goodbye to his colleagues, wishing them well, and made his way towards the lifts to head home.
Improbable and unjust things happen. We read about them in newspapers and see them on television. We are shocked, often outraged, when they do. But when they happen, they invariably happen to someone else, somewhere else.
But Curtis was one of our own, one of our friends. His circumstances are our circumstances. And the pain and disorientation we feel at Curtis’s death is all the more acute as a result.
Curtis Shu Kei Cheng commenced with the NSW Police Force on the 11th of November 1997, Remembrance Day. And we will always remember Curtis.
His resume was impressive. A lecturer of Accounting at the Hang Seng School of Commerce in Hong Kong. And thereafter at the Open University of Hong Kong. A Management Accountant at the Bank of Bermuda. And later an Administration and Finance Consultant in Hong Kong private enterprise.
He studied in Hong Kong and his postgraduate qualifications, including a Master of Science in Business Administration, were mostly completed in England. He amassed an impressive list of research and publications in accounting, management and education, and on arriving in Australia put his education and skills to good effect in running his own business facilitating trade for companies in China.
Curtis worked in our Financial and Business Services Directorate and his earliest work was introducing business planning to the Force. Systematically measuring what worked well, and what worked less well, to ensure we achieved the best results for the people of New South Wales. At that time this type of work was new, but is now acknowledged as being vitally important to operational policing.
In that first role and in the promotions that deservedly followed Curtis took great pride in his performance, developing a reputation for producing work that could be trusted. In an accountant’s world he was gold.
Curtis continued to work in Financial and Business Services: in Corporate Performance, Finance Budget and Planning, Management Accounting, and as a Systems Accountant.
In recognition of his service with the NSW Police Force, Curtis received NSW Police Medallions recognising the milestones of 10 and 15 years service, the Commissioner’s Long Service Award for 15 years service, as well as the Commissioner’s Olympic and Sesquicentenary Citations.
And in between times, in 1998, the Australian Government recognised Curtis with Australian citizenship, an event he proudly announced to work mates.
Curtis was admired and respected by his colleagues, a gentle man in every sense. Hard working, measured, but unfailingly positive. As you would expect there has been a lot of reflecting over these past couple of weeks. Members of his team recounted Curtis’s familiar greeting, his hand on your shoulder as he asked you how your were. Genuinely interested in the answer.
He valued relationships and nurtured them over a coffee, or a shared meal. And if the topic turned to his beloved football, or his family, you knew you were in for a long chat.
One of his closest co-workers said:
“You know, we all get angry at things from time to time. There must have been things that made Curtis angry. But if there were, I never saw them. Not once. Not in all the years I knew him – he was nothing but positive.”
This year the NSW Police Force has been celebrating the centenary of women in policing. Just last month I attended a gala dinner – a highlight of those celebrations – close to a thousand people in attendance. And Curtis was there, showing his support. Resplendent in black tie, his NSW Police Force citations proudly pinned to his lapels. So proud to be part of the Force. So proud to help recognise a century of outstanding achievements by the women of the Force. It was a wonderful evening.
And more than a few of us were surprised, and we smiled, when Curtis hit the dance floor. This quiet, unassuming man from Finance, this man of numbers and spread-sheets, well he certainly knew how to move. He was a revelation. And he was soon surrounded by many others, up, relaxing, enjoying themselves. It was a night of celebration, a night to be positive, and Curtis led the way.
It is never easy to say goodbye to someone who meant so much to so many. The NSW Police Force has lost a respected and much loved member of its family, Selina, a devoted husband, Alpha and Zilvia, a loving and devoted father.
I can’t describe the devastation inside Police Headquarters and right across the NSW Police Force. The gentlest of friends lost to an act of terror. A man, the manner of whose death, stands in the starkest contrast to the gentle, honourable way he led his life.
But in the aftermath of this tragedy, my officers and I have been struck by the strength and unity of the Cheng family. Not an ounce of hate despite this senseless crime. At a time when they deserved our shoulders for support, they have shown a strength and grace of their own, an example to the rest of us, showing the way.
There cannot be any one of us, least of all Selina, Zilvia and Alpha, for whom Curtis’s death is not painful and incomprehensible. We meet it with grief and tears, shock and despair, hurt and anger. It makes no sense. Perhaps time will provide some answers. Perhaps it will dull the pain. But what cannot be allowed to be dulled is the contribution Curtis made.
I was leafing through Curtis’s Personnel File late one evening last week, reflecting on the man and his contribution. His most recent successful application for a promotion was there, and a couple of statements in particular struck me.
Discussing his data and information technology skills he said:
“One of my hobbies is to create forms and templates to make things organized no matter at work or at home”. And I smiled at the thought of Alpha, Zilvia, and Selina being gently organised on weekends or some other routine task by way of an Excel spread-sheet.
But Curtis also said this:
“Over the past years, I have enjoyed every minute working in the NSW Police Force. And if I am given the honour of becoming a system accountant, I have the confidence to maintain and enhance a harmonious and constructive team spirit.”
That was Curtis.
A man who loved his family, relished his work and held dear the opportunities and pleasures life in Australia afforded him. A man who didn’t take his good fortune for granted or keep it to himself, but who shared it with others through his positive spirit and generosity. At least while it lasted.
Curtis’s fate reminds us that life is fragile. It also reminds us that we are together responsible for the type of community we create. If a positive is to be taken from recent events, it is our collective realisation that our way of life, the freedoms and protections we enjoy, are not unassailable. They need to built, maintained and defended.
We owe it to Curtis to do that.
It is my honour today to posthumously confer a Commissioner’s Commendation for Service on Mr Curtis Cheng. In part the commendation reads:
For outstanding and meritorious performance of duty as a member of the New South Wales Police Force between 1997 and 2015.
Mr Cheng was a long serving member of Financial and Business Services, where he served with diligence and distinction, providing exemplary financial services to the New South Wales Police Force.
Mr Cheng was killed in a callous act of violence outside Police Headquarters in Parramatta on Friday 2 October 2015.
Mr Cheng displayed integrity, loyalty, commitment, professionalism and devotion to duty as a member of the New South Wales Police Force, and thus is highly commended for his service.
– – –
I am deeply honoured and, indeed, privileged to be able to represent every member of the New South Wales Police Force here today to farewell Curtis Cheng.
A man who served the people of New South Wales with honour, and with a caring and gentle heart.
A loving husband and father.
A cherished colleague.
Our friend.
We are grateful to have known you Curtis and to have worked alongside you.
Our prayers travel with you. May your loved ones be comforted. May you rest in peace.
A P Scipione APM
Commissioner of Police
17 October 2015
Paul BURMISTRIW
15/12/2025
Paul BURMISTRIW
The FIRST Terrorist act in NSW
NSW Police Academy, Redfern – Class 128
New South Wales Police Force
Regd. #: 14872
Rank: Commenced Training at Redfern Police Academy on Monday 9 August 1971 ( aged 25 years, 1 month, 4 days )
Probationary Constable – appointed 20 September 1971 ( aged 25 years, 2 months, 15 days )
Constable – appointed 20 October 1972 ( loss of 1 month Seniority possibly failing an exam or physical )
Constable 1st Class – death
Stations: ?, Regent St ( 2 Division ), Central Police Stn ( 1 Division – A District ) – Death
Service: From9 August 1971to 22 February 1978 = 6 years, 6 months, 13 days Service
Awards: No find on It’s An Honour
Born: Friday 5 July 1946
Event date: Monday 13 February 1978
Died on: Wednesday 22 February 1978
Cause: Bomb Explosion – Terrorist Act – Murdered
Event location: outside of Hilton Hotel, George St, Sydney, NSW
Memorial location: outside of Hilton Hotel, George St, Sydney
Hilton Bombing memorial plaque to Alec Carter, Arthur Favell & Cst 1/C Paul Burmistriw
PAUL IS mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance
Constable Burmistriw was fatally injured in a bomb explosion outside the Hilton Hotel, George St, Sydney, on 13 February, 1978. At the time the Regional Conference of Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM), a regional off-shoot of the biennial meetings of the heads of government from across the Commonwealth of Nations. was taking place at the hotel.
The bomb, planted in a rubbish bin, exploded when the bin was emptied into a garbage truck outside the hotel at 1:40am. It killed two garbage men, Alec Carter and William Favell, and a police officer, Paul Burmistriw, guarding the entrance to the hotel lounge, who died of his injuries on the 22 February 1978.
The blast also injured eleven others. Twelve foreign leaders were staying in the hotel at the time, but none were injured. Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser immediately called out the Australian Army to guard the remainder of the CHOGRM meeting.
Also seriously injured in the blast were:-
Sergeant Edward Hawtin ( Regd # possibly 8264 ),
Senior Constable Rodney Wither ( Regd # 16376 ),
Senior Constable Terry Griffiths ( Regd # 13390 ).
Two council employees killed:-
William Arthur Favell,
Alec Carter.
The constable was born in 1946 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 20 September, 1971. At the time of his death he was stationed at Central Police Station.
Startling book unpicks story behind Australia’s first major terrorist attack
April 19, 20168:06am
ONCE upon a time, Australia was truly the carefree, “lucky country” of our imagination. Now, we walk around on edge, knowing we are by no means protected from people who would do us harm.
If you thought that started with the Sydney siege, you’d be wrong. What is seen as the first major act of terrorism on Australian soil took place 30 years ago, and it remains unsolved to this day.
Author and award-winning filmmaker Dr Rachel Landers has dived into the archive documents on the Hilton bombing, trying to make sense of all the contradictory testimony surrounding that black day.
On February 13, 1978, a bomb was planted in a rubbish bin outside the Sydney Hilton, which was hosting a Commonwealth meeting of Asia Pacific heads of government.
The device exploded when it was loaded into a garbage truck, blowing the vehicle to pieces, along with two rubbish collectors, Alec Carter and William Favell. A police officer guarding the entrance to the hotel lounge, Paul Burmistriw, died later. Eleven more were injured.
It was a day that left people physically and mentally scarred, tore families apart and was a devastating blow to the happy-go-lucky Australian psyche. It triggered years of finger-pointing, conspiracy theories and saw several innocent men locked away.
Dr Landers’ book, Who Bombed The Hilton?, takes us back to an event that helps explain our nation today.
CONSPIRACY THEORY
As with terrorist attacks like 9/11, shocking claims emerged soon after the tragedy that Australian security forces had planted the bomb themselves.
One of the most vocal conspiracy theorists is policeman Terry Griffiths, who was badly mutilated by the blast, and questions the authorities’ story to this day.
The allegations, which have gained enough credence to be recorded in meticulous detail across the internet, centre on what some see as suspicious aspects of the story, including: why police outside the hotel didn’t see a bomber, why didn’t they search the bins, why they allegedly stopped garbage trucks emptying the bins, why a bomb squad was waiting, why a “warning call” wasn’t relayed to police outside the hotel and where the truck was dumped afterwards.
Dr Landers accepts that police made mistakes, and that the New South Wales police force had a problem with corruption at the time, but she says nothing she found in documentary evidence backed up Mr Griffiths’ claims.
She decided early on to eliminate witnesses’ recollections and instead focused on a forensic analysis reams of archival material made public 20 years ago. “Memory is an unreliable thing,” she said. “People misremembered basic facts. There was a huge discrepancy in what they recalled.
“There were appeals and counter-appeals. They tell a story about a miscarriage of justice that is not untrue, but covers up the question of who is actually the most likely person to have planted the bomb.”
MAKING THREE MURDERERS
Days after the bombing, a man named Richard Seary approached police and offered to infiltrate an Indian socio-spiritual organisation called Ananda Marga, who were demonstrating against the outside the hotel at the time.
In June, Seary told police that members Paul Alister, Tim Anderson and Ross Dunn had confessed to the bombing, and it was assumed Indian Prime Minister, Morarji Desai, was the target.
Seary said they were planning another attack on Neo-Nazi National Alliance leader Robert Cameron. The mole led police to the trio, in a car packed with explosives, and they were arrested. They were never convicted of the Hilton bombing, but were given 16 years each for conspiracy to murder Cameron.
It later emerged that Seary was a paranoid schizophrenic and drug addict, who had planted the explosives in the car. Alister, Anderson and Dunn were released after seven years in prison. It remains one of Australia’s worst miscarriages of justice.
While they received compensation, Alister told the Sunshine Coast Daily in 2008 he was sick of being referred to as a Hilton bomber.
Most officials now believe an Ananda Marga member named Abhiik Kumar, living in Israel, is behind the bombing. But the trail has long since gone cold and is “besieged by contradictions and evidentiary problems.”
The authorities failed to share their plans with international colleagues working on possible related bombings and attempted attacks and “it was catastrophic for the case, it totally derailed it,” according to Dr Landers.
“Special branch, for understandable reasons, went rogue,” she said. “People were so shocked, they’d been thrust into the international age of terrorism. People do irrational things in that vortex of fear.”
LONG FIGHT FOR TRUTH
Like today’s acts of terrorism, carried out in the name of Islamic State or other jihadi groups, the Hilton bombing didn’t take place in a vacuum.
“A lot of things I thought I knew turned out to be untrue,” said Dr Landers. “I always thought it was a really Australian story, I didn’t realise we were at the centre of an international reign of terror.
“There was a huge mountain of evidence linking this with Stockholm, New York, Malaysia … There are letters from Afghanistan threatening India. It quickly stopped being about Australia.”
The bombing was politicised so early on, it is hard to dig down to what really happened, but it’s a story that needs to be told without the agenda.
Dr Landers has conducted a thorough investigation, and she believes she has some answers, but she wants those touched by the tragedy to have the public inquiry they deserve.
As the threat of terrorism looms ever larger, we have a real chance to learn from our past.
Who Bombed the Hilton? is officially launched on Wednesday April 20.
The Hilton Operation ran strictly according to plan up until 12.30AM on the Monday morning. Two garbage pick-ups were prevented by the NSW police. Whoever planted the bomb was well aware of the garbage collection times. Another garbage collection was due at 1AM Monday morning. At 12.30AM the warning phone call was made. (Terry Griffiths says another police officer told him the warning phone call was made by a Sergeant in Special Branch who had been observing the scene outside the Hilton in a red torana, a police observation car. The warning phone caller rang the police switchboard and asked to speak to Special Branch. It was 12.30AM Monday morning. Normally, Special Branch would not be there at that hour, though the phone caller seemed to believe they would be. (Indeed, the same person called back an hour later at 1.30Am and again asked to speak to Special Branch.) After the phone rang a few times, the police telephonist transferred the call to the sergeant in charge of the CIB, Cec Streetfield. The Hilton Operation had begun to unravel.
What Streetfield did on being informed of the bomb, is one of the mysteries of the Hilton. What he did not do is notorious: he did not warn the police outside the Hilton over the police radio. Streetfield testified before the Hilton Inquest in 1982. According to Terry Griffiths, he told a pack of lies. According to Streetfield, the phone caller said: “Dere is a bomb in der bin outside der Hilton Hotel.” The phone caller then rang the Sydney Morning Herald and told them they might be interested in what was about to happen outside the Hilton Hotel. The Hilton Operation continued to fall apart. The garbage collection truck was running twenty minutes early that night. They arrived outside the Hilton at 12.40AM before the bomb was found.
City of Sydney Re-dedicates Plaque Commemorating Hilton Hotel Blast Victims
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008
The City of Sydney is re-dedicating the plaque commemorating the victims of the Hilton Hotel bombing on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the event.
The bombing at the Hilton Hotel occurred in the early hours of 13 February 1978. The bomb was concealed inside a garbage bin and exploded when that bin was loaded into a City of Sydney Council garbage truck compactor.
Three people were killed (Alec Carter and Arthur Favell, City Council workers, and a NSW Police Officer, First Class Constable Paul Burmistriw) and seven more were wounded. At the time, Malcolm Fraser, the Prime Minister and eleven visiting heads of state were staying at the hotel for a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Lord Mayor, Clover Moor MP said that the anniversary of the bombing served as a time to remember those whose lives were cut short and those who still bear the scars today.
“This terrible act killed three decent and dedicated men, two of whom were working for the City of Sydney. But now we can re-dedicate this plaque so that future generations remember them and remember the shocking crime that took their lives.”
Commissioner of Police Andrew Scipione APM said it was important that Australians not forget the terrible incident.
“This was the death of a policeman killed as he helped guard world leaders in Sydney. Constable Paul Burmistriw was a fine officer. That he and City Council workers Alec Carter and Arthur Favell should die doing their job was a terrible tragedy.”
The original plaque had stood on the site of the garbage bin but had been moved due to a City streetscape upgrade and the recent upgrade of the Hilton Hotel. The new plaque will stand at the original spot on the George Street footpath.
Hilton Hotel Bombing History
In February 1978, Prime Ministers and other heads of State and senior political figures from Commonwealth countries gathered in Australia for a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, known as CHOGM, held at Sydney’s Hilton Hotel.
In the early hours of 13 February 1978, a City of Sydney garbage truck compactor set off a bomb that had been placed in a bin immediately outside the Hilton Hotel on George Street.
At the time Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and eleven visiting heads of state were staying at the hotel.
Three people were killed by the blast: two City of Sydney Council workers, Alec Carter and Arthur Favell and First Class Police Constable Paul Burmistriw.
Seven people were wounded by the blast, including police officer, Terry Griffiths.
The then Indian Prime Minister, Morarji Desai claimed that the blast was the work of a group known as Ananda Marga, protesting the imprisonment in India of their spiritual leader, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti.
In 1989, Evan Pederick came forward and claimed responsibility for the bombing. He accused a one-time member of Ananda Marga, Tim Anderson of helping to plant the bomb. The only other main witness against Anderson was notorious criminal Raymond John Denning. Anderson went on trial in 1990 and was initially found guilty.
Anderson appealed to the NSW Court of Appeal. On 6 June 1991 the court led by then Chief Justice Gleeson quashed the conviction, based on the inappropriate and unfair action by the crown prosecutor. His Honour noted: “It is well established that a Court of Criminal Appeal may treat a jury’s verdict as unsafe or unsatisfactory even if satisfied that it was, on the evidence, reasonably open to the jury to convict … The inherent strength or weakness of the crown case may be a factor relevant to such a conclusion. In the present case, for reasons just given, I do not regard the crown case as presented at trial as a strong one, and for the reasons discussed in relation to the first ground of appeal, there was one important respect in which, in my view, the proceedings miscarried. The crown was permitted, in an unfair manner, to obscure a major difficulty concerning the reliability of the evidence of its principal witness by raising an hypothesis that was not reasonably open on the evidence.This was compounded by what I regard as an inappropriate and unfair attempt by the crown to persuade the jury to draw inferences of fact, and accept argumentative suggestions, that were not properly open on the evidence. I do not consider that in those circumstances the crown should be given a further opportunity to patch up its case against the appellant. It has already made one attempt too many to do that, and I believe that, if that attempt had never been made, there is a strong likelihood that the appellant would have been acquitted.”
There has been controversy about the motives for the planting of the bomb and the handling of the case that surrounded it. Terry Griffiths has claimed that the bombing was a conspiracy and called for an inquiry. There have been persistent suggestions of ASIO involvement in the bombing.
Anderson subsequently lodged 52 complaints of professional misconduct with the New South Wales Bar Association against Mark Tedeschi, QC. All but one of the complaints by Anderson against Tedeschi were dismissed by the NSW Bar Association. The remaining complaint was dismissed by the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal.
In 1991, Peter Collins, the then NSW Attorney-General led a campaign to demand a joint State-Federal inquiry which culminated in a unanimous resolution by both houses of the NSW parliament. Mr Collins said in parliament: “The Hilton bombing cannot simply be relegated to the yellowing pages of history until we know the truth, however unpalatable it may turn out to be. It must also be said that we owe this to the memory of the three who perished, their families, and to those who survived… This issue, this weeping sore transcends political, constitutional and geographical boundaries. The answers may be alarmingly simple. But, whatever the truth, the people of Australia are entitled to nothing less.”
Hilton Hotel bombing victims remembered with plaque
By Shoba Rao
The Daily Telegraph
February 13, 2008
A PLAQUE, commemorating the victims of the Hilton Hotel bombing on the 30th anniversary of the event, will be re-dedicated in Sydney today.
The City of Sydney is re-dedicating the plaque, which pays tribute to three people who were killed in the blast, after a recent street upgrade and redevelopment of the Hilton Hotel.
City Council workers Alec Carter and Arthur Favell, and a NSW Police Officer, First Class Constable Paul Burmistriw were killed.
Seven others were wounded in the blast.
The bombing at the Hilton Hotel occurred in the early hours of 13 February 1978.
The bomb was concealed inside a garbage bin and exploded when that bin was loaded into a City of Sydney Council garbage truck compactor.
At the time, Malcolm Fraser, the Prime Minister and eleven visiting heads of state were staying at the hotel for a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Lord Mayor, Clover Moore MP said that the anniversary of the bombing served as a time to remember those whose lives were cut short and those who still bear the scars today.
“This terrible act killed three decent and dedicated men, two of whom were working for the City of Sydney.
“But now we can re-dedicate this plaque so that future generations remember them and remember the shocking crime that took their lives.”
Commissioner of Police Andrew Scipione APM said it was important that Australians not forget the terrible incident.
“This was the death of a policeman killed as he helped guard world leaders in Sydney.
“Constable Paul Burmistriw was a fine officer.
“That he and City Council workers Alec Carter and Arthur Favell should die doing their job was a terrible tragedy.”
The plaque will stand at its original spot on the George Street footpath when it is unveiled at 2.30pm today.
Australian terrorism born in the Sydney Hilton bombing
Julia Rabar
Herald Sun
December 21, 2012
IT was Australia’s first terrorist attack, but amid a string of plot twists many believe that more than three decades later, there are still many unanswered questions.
The terror that struck in the heart of Sydney began on a warm summer night in February, 1978.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and the leaders of 11 heads of state were staying at the Sydney Hilton Hotel the night before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Just after midnight, a garbage truck pulled up outside the front of the hotel to empty a bin overflowing with rubbish.
As the truck’s hydraulic ram dropped to compress the rubbish, it detonated a 6.5kg bomb that had been in the bin in a blast that tore through the early-morning serenity of the CBD.
In Melbourne’s The Herald, Peter Coster – who now writes for the Herald Sun – described the effect of the blast.
“Everyone in the vicinity was temporarily deafened. Blood is everywhere outside the entrance to the hotel …”
The blast shattered windows on both sides of the street, with debris flung 100m either side of the hotel entrance.
Garbage collectors William Favell and Alex Carter died in the blast. Police officer Paul Burmistriw died nine days later from head injuries, and nine others were seriously injured.
The autopsy report found Mr Favell’s body was “shattered”.
“The parts were badly shattered with hardly any bone left intact. Embedded in the body were large amounts of foreign matter such as cigarette butts, labels, etc. There was also shrapnel, glass, splinters and paint, The National Times reported.
When the blast hit, the nation’s leaders inside the hotel were shocked into action.
Australian Foreign Minister Andrew Peacock ran to the Prime Minister’s room.
Grabbing dressing gowns on their way out, the pair rushed to the scene of the explosion in their pyjamas
Mr Fraser told the public: “At this stage it must appear that the dead and injured are utterly innocent victims of a senseless act of violence.”
It was also reported a warning phone call was made to police minutes before the explosion, in the first hint that there was more to the story.
[blockquote]We will never be stopped. Ananda Marga will cleanse the world[/blockquote]
And so began the controversy.
Overnight, Sydney went into lockdown amid the biggest manhunt in Australia’s history.
Mr Fraser and the NSW Premier Neville Wran demanded support from the armed forces, and almost 2000 troops descended on the city for protection.
CHOGM progressed with armed forces and even a decoy train employed to protect heads of government on their way to a pretty NSW town, Bowral.
Mr Coster recalls Bowral was “transformed into a war zone” with helicopters flying overhead through the night and armoured personnel carriers along the road into town.
Police were now hunting three men “swarthy in appearance and in their early 30s”.
Within hours, suspicions emerged that a previously ignored religious sect known as Ananda Marga appeared to have played a role in the bombing.
Margis -as the sect’s members were known- had already been involved in worldwide protests for some years, demanding the Indian government release their spiritual leader Pabhat Ranian Sarkar who was serving a life sentence for murder.
But the breakthrough came after the three main suspects were charged in another political conspiracy four months later.
On June 15, Ross Dunn, 24, Paul Alister, 22, and Timothy Anderson, 26, were charged with conspiring to murder the NSW leader of the National Front – a professed Nazi – Robert Cameron.
All were members of Ananda Marga’s Australian branch.
The trio were sentenced to 16 years’ jail without parole.
But the trials also unearthed police informer, Richard Seary, 26, who implicated them in the Hilton bombing.
Mr Seary, a reformed heroin addict, revealed he had joined Ananda Marga as a paid police informer in March 1978 to discover any links between the sect and the bombing.
The men told him they had “fixed” the Hilton bombing, and Anderson had also declared: “You’ve got to be willing to die for your ideology.”
An arresting detective said Dunn had also told him: “We will never be stopped. Ananda Marga will cleanse the world.”
But despite a $100,000 reward and a team of 100 full-time detectives, no charges had been laid for the Hilton bombing a year after the blast.
Three early leads had been discounted, including a theory that a woman was suspected of trying to harm the New Zealand prime minister because she opposed the abortion laws.
Three years after the bombing, new evidence suggested a cover-up.
On March 30, 1981, newspapers reported that the NSW Attorney-General had received fresh information.
Among the new claims was that an army bomb disposal squad had been on its way to the Hilton when the bomb exploded. Another allegation was that the police hadn’t searched the garbage bins the night before the blast, in an otherwise comprehensive search.
Enter the Hilton bombing’s most vocal conspiracy theorist.
Retired senior constable Terry Griffiths had been just six metres from the blast and suffered extensive injuries.
The father of two, who had been battling for worker’s compensation for over two years, believed he was the victim of a cover-up involving Australian security forces.
Mr Griffiths said the NSW Government had deliberately blocked his efforts to seek compensation.
“I’m suggesting there is enough evidence for any person who wishes to go into the matter honestly to believe that there may well be a cover-up in this matter.”
Some evidence appeared to support his theory.
It emerged that three garbage trucks were diverted from the bin by police officers, despite the fact that it was overflowing with rubbish.
Mr Griffiths even claimed the explosion was the inadvertent result of a media stunt fabricated by ASIO, the military and the NSW Police Special Branch.
His theory was that the organisations had planted the bomb which they then intended to “discover” to make them look good – and justify broader powers, he told Sydney’s The Sun-Herald.
It was only when the ill-fated fourth truck slipped through and finally emptied the bin that the “plan” went badly awry.
Mr Griffiths suggested that the phone call police received just minutes before the blast was in fact a person involved who saw the truck approach the bin, and panicked.
Mr Griffiths said ASIO had benefited from the blast, gaining “unlimited powers” from legislation introduced in the wake of the blast.
Some politicians gobbled up Mr Griffiths’ allegations of conspiracy, including then-Senator and federal shadow Attorney-General Gareth Evans.
Within a month there were calls for fresh investigations into the Hilton bombing and the reward raised to $250,000.
Then, in 1982, a coronial inquest was announced.
The Sydney Hilton’s night receptionist at the time of the blast, Manfred von Gries told the inquiry he saw three men speaking to police just before the explosion.
Within days, he was approached by a man who threatened to kidnap his son if he spoke to police about what he saw, he claimed.
He later identified the man as Jason Alexander, Ananda Marga’s Australian leader, but there were doubts about his evidence.
Mr Griffiths added to his claims, suggesting a bomb disposal truck was stationed around the corner before the blast, and that several Special Branch officers were watching the police from a vehicle across the road.
He also said he’d been informed that a warrant officer with the armed forces had planted the bomb several days before the blast.
Mr Griffiths also said that Sgt Robert Jackson, his friend and fellow officer who had assisted with the initial murder investigation, had told him that the warning call was made to police 10 minutes before the blast.
Within days, Sgt Jackson denied the conversation.
Sgt Arthur Hawkin, on duty on the night of the blast, appeared to back the theory.
Mr Hawkin said when he arrived for his shift 90 minutes before the explosion he was told to expect trouble and “something about a bomb”.
The inquiry also heard a sergeant before the blast saw Timothy Anderson near the rubbish bin that later exploded, during a demonstration against the New Zealand prime minister.
And another witness claimed Anderson, a regular customer, had picked up a newspaper in her shop the morning after the blast and had said to another man: “We only got three.”
Then the police informant Richard Seary dropped powerful new claims, saying Ross Dunn had told him he’d planted the bomb in the bin an hour before the Indian Prime Minister’s arrival.
Why hadn’t Mr Seary shared this evidence with police earlier?
Initially, he said it was because he was upset with the way police had treated him. Later, he said it was due to concerns that Dunn had lied, confessing out of bravado.
He said on account of his doubts, he had drip-fed his evidence to police instead.
With the latest claims, coroner Norman Walsh decided there was enough evidence to charge Dunn and Alister of three counts of murder, and Anderson with conspiracy to murder.
The court erupted in shock and fury, and even the jury, which gave no official verdict raised lingering questions.
In 1984, the NSW Attorney-General Paul Landa on Crown law advice decided the three men would not be prosecuted.
Instead, a judicial inquiry was announced to investigate the Cameron charges.
This inquiry found Richard Seary to be an unreliable witness, and a psychiatrist diagnosed him as having a personality disorder.
Adding to his fall from grace, the Margis’ lawyer went so far as to accuse Mr Seary of bombing the hotel himself.
In 1985, after seven years in jail, the judicial inquiry quashed the trio’s convictions.
The three men were released in May, pardoned by the NSW government, and awarded $100,000 each in compensation.
Alister and Dunn moved to an Ananda Marga community in Queensland, and Mr Anderson was left to pursue a PhD on Australian foreign debt.
But on May 30, 1989, Anderson was again arrested and charged for the bombing amid new evidence.
Evan Dunstan Pederick, a 33-year-old Brisbane public servant Ananda Marga member admitted he had tried to remotely detonate the bomb when the Indian Prime Minister arrived at the hotel.
He said he was acting as a front man for Mr Anderson, who provided the explosives.
When the bomb failed to detonate, Pederick panicked and ran. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder the Prime Minister – but not guilty to causing the three subsequent deaths.
Nevertheless, Pederick was found guilty of three counts of murder, and sentenced to 20 years’ jail. The jury determined he had acted with reckless indifference by leaving the bomb in the bin.
Another prisoner who had met Mr Anderson while he was serving the Cameron sentence revealed Anderson had confessed his role in the Hilton bombing.
In 1990, Anderson was sentenced to 14 years’ jail. Supreme Court justice Michael Grove said Mr Anderson had been “brainwashed” by the Ananda Marga cult when he instigated the bombing.
Seven months later Mr Anderson was acquitted.
But the saga was far from over.
In May 1995, Pederick did a U-turn. After six years in jail for a crime he confessed to, it suddenly occurred to Pederick that he might be innocent.
Pederick accused police of failing to test his evidence and state of mind.
“Is it possible that in 1978, dominated by the influence of the Ananda Marga and yet in conflict with the demands of the sect, I had acquired a deep sense of guilt which expressed itself in an obsession with the cataclysmic events for which Ananda Marga was held responsible at the time? I do not know,” Pederick said in a News Ltd report.
In 1997, the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal dismissed Pederick’s new claims, but six months later he was released on parole.
”As a naive young person, influenced by the teachings of Ananda Marga, I participated in a fatal act of political terrorism,” Pederick said, as quoted in The Australian.
But as he left the jail, Pederick indicated there were six others involved in the bombing, none of whom were ever charged.
More than three decades on, the question mark remains: Who bombed the Sydney Hilton?
SYDNEY — In evidence before the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption, it has emerged that state coroner Kevin Waller advised Detective-Inspector Aarne Tees, investigator of the Hilton bombing, on whether the testimony of police informer Raymond John Denning provided a strong enough basis for a prosecution of Tim Anderson.
Anderson was convicted in November 1990. His appeal was unanimously upheld by the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal in May 1991, Chief Justice Gleeson ruling that “a jury, acting reasonably, would give Denning’s evidence little or no weight”.
The involvement of Waller in the Hilton case again highlights the links between the police and the judiciary in this state. In evidence, Tees stated that he didn’t trust crown law officers (who would normally make judgements on the reliability of testimony) and instead sought the opinion of Waller because he was “technically the head of homicide”.
Waller’s view that Denning’s evidence was trustworthy contrasts with his ruling in a previous case involving Denning, once known for his championing of prisoners’ rights.
In 1981-82 Waller heard a case brought by prisoners’ rights activist Brett Collins against certain warders at Grafton Jail. One of the witnesses called by Collins was Denning. In his adjudication, Waller said:
“In cross-examination he demonstrated a bizarre attitude to life … Mr Denning has been in institutions, in gaols, committing crimes or on the run for the last 15 of his 30 years and his attitude must have been affected by his life style. At other times he refused to answer questions in cross examination despite warnings that such refusals could reflect adversely on his credit. He was an unreliable witness.”
The revelation that Tees consulted Waller on using Denning also went against Tees’ own evidence to the committal hearing against Anderson, held in September 1989. There Tees denied having been advised by anyone before launching the prosecution.
In other evidence before the ICAC, it has emerged that the prosecution decided not to call five other prisoner witnesses against Anderson, even though all claimed that Anderson had confessed to the Hilton bombing when in jail. A coded message between two of these witnesses, which was intercepted by prison officers, read: “It’s nice to know we can get someone convicted even when he is innocent like Anderson is. They’re all gronks [dags].”
Someone on the prosecution side decided that such people wouldn’t make very reliable-looking witnesses for the prosecution.
Also of interest is the revelation that Anderson’s supposed confession to the five uncalled witnesses revolved around an alleged conflict between Anderson and fellow prisoner Alex Burmistriw, the brother of Constable Paul Burmistriw, killed in the Hilton bombing.
In her notes of an interview with Alex Burmistriw, Anderson’s solicitor wrote: “He said that the police had come to see him and they dared to say that he didn’t care for his brother. He [Burmistriw] asked about whether he is supposed to have got in a fight with Tim — I said in fact yes, that was one of the allegations. He said something like, if he had, Tim would have known about it.”
Little of this has appeared in the Sydney media. They have led with Denning’s challenge to Anderson to undergo a lie-detector test and Tees’ claim that Anderson and the Prisoners Action Group were involved in spiriting prison escapee Ian Steele out of the country in 1986.
Commissioner Ian Temby halted Tees’ evidence on this matter, saying he did not want the hearing to be “used as a vehicle for the bringing forth of material which is of no possible use to me and all it does is to titillate various imaginations“.
In a letter to the Sunday Telegraph, Brett Collins and Ian Fraser replied on behalf of the Prisoners Action Group: “Denning’s accusations elsewhere have been dismissed or totally contradicted by proven facts as in the Hilton bombing case. We regard his actions as sadly exhibiting the destructive influence of heroin, prison hopelessness and corrupt authorities.”
In his opening remarks, Tim Anderson said that his questioning of Denning would reveal a “a pattern of constructing evidence to make it incriminate people with the help of Aarne Tees“.
Will the ICAC hearings get to the bottom of the police informer system? Will anyone important be charged? The signs are not very promising. Already Commissioner Temby has refused requests for chief Hilton prosecutor Mark Tedeschi and Kevin Waller to appear before the hearing.
Awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal. The U.N. Secretary-General established the Dag Hammarskjöld medal for posthumous award to members of peacekeeping operations who lost their lives during service with a peacekeeping operation under the operational control and authority of the United Nations.
Born: Tuesday 12 April 1949 at Ryde, NSW
Died: Tuesday 12 November 1974
Cause of death: Murdered – Land Mine Explosion
Event location: near Lefka, Cyprus ( 5 days after arriving in the country )
Age: 25 years, 7 months, 0 days
Funeral date: 26 November 1974
Funeral location: ???
Grave location: Rookwood Cemetery, Rookwood
Ian Donald WARD
On 12 November, 1974 Constable Ward was serving with the Eleventh Australian Police Element in Cyprus. Whilst travelling in a Land Rover near Lefka the vehicle hit a landmine in the buffer zone. As a result Constable Ward was killed and Constable 1st Class John Woolcott ( # 11976 ) was seriously injured.
Constable Ward is the 3rd and last Australian to die in Cyprus.
The constable was born in 1949 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 12 April, 1968. At the time of his death he was stationed in Cyprus and an Acting Sergeant.
John Woolcott ( # 11976 ) recovered from his injuries and ” Wooly ” later retired from NSW Police Force either as an Sergeant at Manly Police Station or an Inspector at North Sydney / Mosman. This, is yet, to be confirmed. ( 10 August 2017 ).
NSWPF Member John E. WOOLCOTT # 11974 from Redfern Police Academy Class 107
1974 – the funeral for Sergeant Ian Ward
National Police Wall of Remembrance Touch Plate for Ian WARD
IAN IS mentioned on the National Police Wall of Remembrance, Canberra
17 June 2017 – Malaysia Memorial in Cyprus taken today as Australian Police complete the long mission and are leaving Cyprus.
Ian’s memorial at the Goulburn Police Academy.
Dag Hammarskjold Medal
Memorial to Ian WARD – unveiled in 1985
2003 Police Remembrance Day is marked with a ceremony at the cairn erected in memory of Sergeant Ian Ward.
Inscription: Killed in the service of peane Sgt Ian Donald Ward Aust. CivPol
The closure of Nicosia Airport meant a circuitous route to Cyprus for the second half of the eleventh contingent led by Merv Beck.
Although it was not known at the time, conditions on the Island and consequent reduction in UNFICYP strength would make this the
last November rotation.
The group left Sydney on 6 November and were welcomed some days later at Akrotiri after flying with Qantas to London then busing to
the Brize Norton RAF Base near Oxford and thence via Malta to Cyprus.
RAF flights were ‘dry’ and the seats faced the rear, so the Australians appreciated the traditional welcome at Limassol Headquarters.
The newcomers ‘pumped’ the old hands for news of the war while they themselves were pressed for information about events in Australia.
The new arrivals were soon split up. Ray Leister was assigned Control Room duties while others went to Ktima and Polis.
After only five days on the Island the unthinkable happened near a road-block approaching Lefka.
Ian Ward, a replacement from New South Wales, was killed and John Woolcott injured when their Land Rover detonated a land-mine in an unmarked field.
The Australians were conveying a Turkish Cypriot family from Ayios Nicolaos to the Turkish Cypriot controlled area at Lefka and one of the four passengers was killed and the other three seriously injured.
The fatality cast a pall over the contingent.
A number of moving ceremonies were held before his body was flown home to Australia.
Twelve months later a cairn was erected to commemorate the tragedy and each twelve months a short service is held near the memorial.
Geoff Baker was a member of the Board of Inquiry convened under British military regulations to investigate the incident.
Land-mines were the major component of fortifications along the confrontation zone. UNFICYP had lodged a number of protests about mine-laying procedures and the fact that many fields were neither marked nor adequately recorded. UNFICYP began a special programme to remedy the deficiencies, but two UNFICYP soldiers were killed in similar circumstances during the following twelve months.
LONDON, Tuesday (AAP). – Representatives of all United Nations peace keeping forces in Cyprus will take part in a memorial service today for Sergeant Ian Ward, 25, a Commonwealth policeman of Sydney, who was killed in landmine explosion last week. His body will later be flown to Sydney for burial.
Located within the Honour Precinct is an original ornate marble tablet featuring early losses of New South Wales Police Officers. The tablet is flanked by the New South Wales state flag and the New South Wales Police Force flag.
The Peacekeeping Display honours all members of the NSW Police Force who have served in peacekeeping operations throughout the world and houses the Dag Hammerskjold medal belonging to the late SGT Ian Donald Ward who died in UNFICYP. This was donated to the NSW Police College on the 29th May, 2010 from Mr Ken Ward, OAM, father of SGT Ward.
On the 12th November, 1974, a member of this Force, Constable 1st Class I. D. Ward, who had arrived in Cyprus a few days before, and Constable 1st Class J. Woolcott, also of this Force, were carrying out humanitarian work transporting refugees. The United Nation’s land rover in which they were travelling struck a land mine on a road between Limassol and Lefka resulting in the death of Constable 1st Class Ward and severe injuries to Constable 1st Class Woolcott, Constable 1st Class Ward was posthumously awarded the United Nations Medal, Cyprus Division.
Curtis Cheng, left, and his family.
