Mr Thomas Leslie Jackson (dec) was awarded the 2020 Clarke Posthumous Medal for the most outstanding act of bravery in that year.

Mr Jackson went to the rescue of a woman from being stabbed by a man at Home Hill, Qld on 23 August 2016.

Mr Jackson’s award was presented to his parents Mr Les and Mrs Sandra Jackson by the Acting High Commissioner Ms Julie Hecksher.

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At 11.06am a man staying at the Home Hill Backpackers Hostel was seen pacing the first-floor balcony and yelling out.

He returned to his room which he was sharing with a woman and another man. He dragged the woman from her bed at knife point, holding her from behind with the knife to her throat. He took her outside the room.

Mr Richards and the night manager, Mr Sholz were alerted to the yelling and pleaded with the man to put the knife down. The assailant then started to stab the woman and fell to the ground with her. Mr Richards and Mr Scholz attempted to approach the assailant and Mr Scholz received a cut to his lower leg requiring in excess of 100 stitches. Mr Scholz was initially unaware that the assailant had a knife.

Mr Richards started yelling for assistance and this distracted the assailant sufficiently for the woman to get to her feet and run several metres away to the bathroom at the top of the stairs of the northern staircase. Mr Richards and Mr Scholz exited the first floor via the northern stairway.

The assailant took a run up and swan-dived over the railing on the first floor, landing a number of metres out on a grassed area. Mr Jackson attended to the assailant who appeared stunned before he jumped up and retreated to the first-floor balcony outside his room.

Mr Jackson was alerted to the condition of the woman by Mr Richards downstairs and both returned to the first-floor bathroom to render assistance.

Mr Jackson exited the bathroom to check on the progress of the arrival of paramedics and then went back into the bathroom and closed the door with an internal lock.

The assailant returned to the first floor via the northern stairway yelling. Mr Jackson existed the bathroom and pleaded with him to calm down so they could assist the woman. Mr Jackson had both his hands up in the air and was non-confrontational. Mr Jackson went to close the door but the assailant approached and forcibly kicked the shutting door open.

Mr Richards excited the bathroom but remained in the vicinity calling for help from the top of the stairs.

The assailant grabbed Mr Jackson and stabbed him multiple times and then left the bathroom and returned to his room. At 11.20pm the police arrived and the assailant was taken into custody.

Sadly, the woman passed away and Mr Jackson was transported to hospital where he passed away on 2 September 2016.

Mr Grant Scholz was awarded the Gold Medal of The Royal Humane Society of Australasia Inc by The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Cr Adrian Schrinner at a ceremony at City Hall, Brisbane on 21 May 2021.

Mr Daniel Richards is to be awarded the Silver Medal of The Royal Humane Society of Australasia Inc