Friday 29 September marked National Police Remembrance Day, a day to honour police officers who have died while serving.

For Coonamble Police, no story is more notable than that of First class constable John Mitchell, the man who was shot down by bushrangers in Coonamble in 1885.

On Friday, community members, police officers, and the family of the John Mitchell attended the Orana Mid Western Police Districts Remembrance Day service at St Barnabus Anglican Church in Coonamble, before moving over to the police station for a re-dedication of the John Mitchell monument.

The service was given by Reverend Carl Palmer with further addresses given by Detective Inspector Natalie Antaw, Sergeant Fiona Ozols, Senior Constable Rosie Holmes, and Constable Tracy Baker.

National Police Remembrance Day is also held on the feast day of Saint Michael, the archangel and Patron Saint of Police.

The story of John Mitchell

Born on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland in 1856, John Mitchell ventured to Australia to begin a new life.

He began his service in the NSW Police during the era of bushrangers, starting out at Bathurst Police in 1878.

Upon receiving his First Class Constable ranking, Mitchell, his wife two young children moved to Coonamble where he would work as the Acting Gaoler of Coonamble Gaol.

However, one fateful day in 1885 Constable Mitchell would lose his life trying to defend the Coonamble community from two bushrangers.

Early in the morning of 12 March 1885, Constable Mitchell was awoken after a commotion in the cell complex.

PHOTO: Detective Inspector Natalie Antaw reads the names of police officers killed in the line of duty while Constable Tracy Baker lights a candle for each life lost.

The warder of the gaol at the time, Michael Langby had been attempting to put shackles on one prisoner when two others, Thomas ‘Hobson’ Angel and William ‘Thurston’ White overpowered him and stole his revolver.

Upon entering the cell, Constable Mitchell was threatened by the prisoner Angel who held the stolen revolver.

Constable Mitchell attempted to stop Angel and was shot in the chest who then escaped with White locking the two policemen and third prisoner in the cell.

He passed away on 13 March, succumbing to his injuries.

He was laid to rest at the old Coonamble cemetery, however, his head stone has since been lost.

In his final hours, Constable Mitchell recorded a final declaration which was published in the Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal on 28 March 1885:

“I am acting Gaoler at Coonamble gaol; at about a quarter past six this morning the 12th March, I opened the door of the guard room Coonamble Gaol; the Warder just then came into the cell where the convicted prisoners Angel, Thurston, and Courtney were confined; I heard a noise in the cell as if a man was being strangled; I came in and the warder was lying down on the cell floor; Angel was strangling him and Thurston was taking the revolver from him; I made a rush and Courtney knocked me over; Angel then got the revolver and both he and Thurston rushed at the cell door. Angel said “Keep back or I’ll shoot you.” I made a rush to try and get the revolver from Angel when he shot me; they then shut the warder and myself together with Courtney, who did not get away owing to Warder Langley’s threatening to kill him if he moved, in the cell and rushed away.”

Angel and White

A reward of £200 was put out for the capture of either Angel or White after their escape from Coonamble - equivalent to around $62,455 dollars today.

On 7 April, after weeks of tracking and chasing through the Warrumbungle Ranges, police cornered the two villains at a shopfront in Bellinfante’s Bridge, near Gulgong.

Police camped in ‘Mr C Stewarts’ store expecting the two escaped prisoners to “stick up the store” later that day.

That night the men entered the shop and were fired upon by police.

William White was shot dead on site and Thomas Angel was mortally wounded and would later pass away at Gulgong Hospital.

The owner of the shop was caught in the crossfires and was also shot dead in the shootout.

Mitchell remembered

In 2023, 138 years since Mitchell’s passing, his story is still remembered well by his relatives and the Coonamble community alike.

On Friday, the statue originally erected in 1996, was re-dedicated by Mitchells relatives.

Great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, and great-great-great-grandchildren of Constable Mitchell were all in attendance on Friday.

Following the service and the ceremony, those in attendance were invited for a lunch at the ‘Museum under the bridge’, the site of the old Coonamble Police Station.