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1808: Broughton and Cheeseman Hanged in Sydney for Cattle Theft at Hawkesbury

Stockmen, Richard Broughton and John Cheeseman, conspired to steal two head of cattle from their employer’s flock at Hawkesbury in April 1808.

Cheeseman paid off Broughton for the two heads of cattle, which were then driven through Parramatta and on to a farm near the Brickfields in Sydney. A king’s evidence witness revealed he had overheard the deal being struck and later spotted the cattle in a herd at the Nepean River.

Broughton and Cheeseman were tried, found guilty and hanged in Sydney. A third accused, Joseph Tilson, was found to have been an unwitting hired drover and escaped the same fate.

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Australia Execution Hawkesbury NSW Parramatta Sydney Theft Trial

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1808: Charles Flynn Hanged in Sydney for Theft Aboard a Ship

In August 1808, Charles Flynn stood before the Court of Criminal Jurisdiction in Sydney, charged with stealing from aboard the ship Hero, anchored in Sydney Cove. The stolen items were modest: two brass spy-glasses valued at 40 shillings and a table cloth valued at 10 shillings.

The jury returned a verdict of guilty. In the harsh legal climate of early colonial New South Wales, the theft was enough to send Flynn to the gallows. He was hanged on 28 August 1808.

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Australia Colonial History Execution NSW Sydney Theft

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1808: Joseph Moreton Hanged in Sydney for Forging a Promissory Note

In early June 1808, Joseph Moreton purchased livestock worth 24 pounds, paying with a promissory note he endorsed on the spot without hesitation. The note later proved to be a forgery.

At trial before the Court of Criminal Jurisdiction in Sydney, multiple witnesses corroborated the transaction and the note was produced as evidence. Moreton claimed he had found it near a bridge in Sydney and held it for some days before passing it on. The court returned a verdict of guilty and a sentence of death. He was hanged on 28 August 1808.

Ancient letter with old blue pen on paper

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Australia Execution Forgery Fraud NSW Sydney Trial

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1803: Constable Joseph Luker: the First Police Officer Killed on Duty in Australia

Constable Joseph Luker, a British convict transported to New South Wales on the Third Fleet in 1791, served out his sentence and joined the Night Watch, the colony’s fledgling police force. On the night of 25 August 1803, he was called to investigate a robbery at Mary Breeze’s brothel on Back Row East in Sydney, telling Breeze he believed he knew who was responsible.

His body was found before dawn behind the establishment, bearing sixteen wounds to the head. The guard of his own cutlass had been driven into his skull, and nearby lay a bloodied barrow wheel and the stolen desk. Surgeon John Harris concluded at least four weapons had been used. Though some of his fellow constables were implicated, no one was ever convicted of his murder. Luker remains the first police officer killed in the line of duty in the history of Australia.

⬅ See all events from 26 August

Australia Cold Case Murder NSW Police Sydney Unsolved

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