In an ideal world, no-one would die on the job, but some work comes with a higher risk of that happening every time a worker’s uniform is buttoned up.
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Constable Victor Nelson was a Shepparton police officer who died in the line of duty.
The centenary of his untimely death, at 38, was commemorated on July 12.
He did not die in a fashion many might expect a police officer to meet their end on the job; rather, he died after a period of suffering that resulted from trying to help an elderly citizen the month before.
In June 1925, pensioner Frank Mahoney suffered severe burns during a fire at his hut on a Shepparton riverbank.
Despite his injuries, Mr Mahoney had stubbornly refused police requests to go to the hospital.
After police learned the man been living in indescribable squalor and was unable to care for himself, a group of men was assigned to transport him forcibly to the hospital.
Constable Nelson was one of them.
Sadly, he became infected through contact with Mr Mahoney’s septic burns.
Constable Nelson developed virulent cellulitis of the nose, face and head.
The elderly Mr Mahoney eventually died from his injuries at Mooroopna Hospital.
The following morning, at the same hospital, Constable Nelson also succumbed to his injuries after an attack of erysipelas and blood poisoning.
His passing sparked public sympathy, and it was immediately recognised that his death was a result of devotion to duty.
The Shepparton community remembered Constable Nelson as a dedicated officer and a true gentleman, who was strong and athletic, but also endlessly generous with his time and compassion.
Constable Nelson is remembered as a dedicated officer and a true gentleman. Photo contributed by Shepparton Heritage Centre.
His humane approach to policing was shown when he often walked local men home from the pub rather than dragging them to the cells.
During his time off, he would hunt rabbits and quail to provide food to struggling families in the area.
On the day of Constable Nelson’s funeral, it was reported that the Shepparton Presbyterian Church overflowed with mourners.
Officers who worked with Constable Nelson and community members who knew him remembered him for his courage and character.
His wife, Madge, and four young children relied on him as both a provider and a moral centre of their family.
His career with Victoria Police had seen him serve at Russell St, Prahran, Armadale and Geelong before he arrived in Shepparton.
In August 2022, Constable Nelson and fellow fallen officer Senior Constable Ian Crilly were honoured formally when GV Health named the emergency department isolation room after them.
Family members Eileen Nelson, Jack Nelson, Karlie Nelson, Justin Nelson, Maureen Anstee, Kevin Anstee, Nicholas Bannan, (front) Simone Anstee and Kerrie Davies at Constable Victor Nelson’s grave in 2016.
Photo by
Julie Mercer
Constable Nelson’s spirit lives on in more than plaques and hospital wards, but through his descendants as well, several of whom have followed his path into service.
Across generations, the Nelson family continues to wear the badge with the same commitment to public service that Victor did a century ago.
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