Henry James O'Farrell
Encyclopedia
Henry James O'Farrell is infamously recorded as the first person to attempt a political assassination in Australia. In 1868, he shot and wounded HRH The Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria
.
. He was an alcoholic, and had been released from a lunatic asylum immediately before the attempted assassination. He had been briefly employed by his brother, a Melbourne
solicitor
, who also had offices in Ballarat, and is therefore sometimes described as a law clerk. But his most recent occupation was selling fruit and vegetables in Ballarat's Haymarket.
, Melbourne
, Brisbane
, Sydney
and many other places. On 12 March, the Prince attended the Sailor's Picnic in the harbourside suburb of Clontarf
, in Sydney.
O'Farrell came up behind the Prince and fired a revolver into his back. This outraged the attending crowd, and O'Farrell was nearly lynched on the spot before police arrested him.
The Prince was shot in the back just to the right of the spine. The wound was serious, but not fatal. The Prince was hospitalized for two weeks, and cared for by six nurses trained by Florence Nightingale
, who had arrived in Australia that February under Matron Lucy Osburn.
The attack caused great embarrassment in the colony, and led to a wave of anti-Irish sentiment, directed at all Irish people, including Protestant Loyalists. The next day, 20,000 people attended a meeting to protest "yesterday's outrage".
O'Farrell first claimed, falsely, to be under orders from the Fenian Brotherhood
. But though he was violently anti-British and anti-Royalist, he later denied being a Fenian.
with the thankless task of defending him was Butler Cole Aspinall
, who had previously defended the rebel leaders of the Eureka Stockade
. Aspinall sought to have O'Farrell found not guilty by reason of insanity. He cited O'Farrell's history of mental illness and recent release from an asylum. O'Farrell was convicted and sentenced to death. Prince Alfred himself tried unsuccessfully to intercede and save his would-be killer's life.
O'Farrell was hanged on 21 April 1868 in the Darlinghurst Gaol at the age of 35.
On 24 March, the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
voted to erect a memorial building. In order "to raise a permanent and substantial monument in testimony of the heartfelt gratitude of the community at the recovery of HRH", it was to be the Prince Alfred Hospital. Queen Victoria permitted the use of the term "Royal", so the memorial building was the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
. It was built using funds raised by public subscription, and is today an important hospital in New South Wales.
Sir Henry Parkes
, a Minister in the colonial government (and future Premier) stirred up persecution of Irish Catholics in the colony after O'Farrell's attack. Parke claimed that the mad killer's initial claims of being Fenian were true and that there were extensive Fenian conspiracies at work. When Canadian
politician and anti-Fenian D'Arcy McGee
was killed by a Fenian on 7 April, the excitement increased. But soon the excitement died down, and the public began questioning Parkes' unsupported claims. These became an embarrassment and he resigned as a Minister in September.
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
.
Biography
O'Farrell was 35 years old and originally from Dublin, IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He was an alcoholic, and had been released from a lunatic asylum immediately before the attempted assassination. He had been briefly employed by his brother, a Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
, who also had offices in Ballarat, and is therefore sometimes described as a law clerk. But his most recent occupation was selling fruit and vegetables in Ballarat's Haymarket.
Assassination attempt
In 1868, Prince Alfred, then 23 years old, went on a world tour, which included the first royal visit to Australia. There were planned stops in AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and many other places. On 12 March, the Prince attended the Sailor's Picnic in the harbourside suburb of Clontarf
Clontarf, New South Wales
Clontarf is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Clontarf is located 13 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.-History:...
, in Sydney.
O'Farrell came up behind the Prince and fired a revolver into his back. This outraged the attending crowd, and O'Farrell was nearly lynched on the spot before police arrested him.
The Prince was shot in the back just to the right of the spine. The wound was serious, but not fatal. The Prince was hospitalized for two weeks, and cared for by six nurses trained by Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
, who had arrived in Australia that February under Matron Lucy Osburn.
The attack caused great embarrassment in the colony, and led to a wave of anti-Irish sentiment, directed at all Irish people, including Protestant Loyalists. The next day, 20,000 people attended a meeting to protest "yesterday's outrage".
O'Farrell first claimed, falsely, to be under orders from the Fenian Brotherhood
Fenian Brotherhood
The Fenian Brotherhood was an Irish republican organization founded in the United States in 1858 by John O'Mahony and Michael Doheny. It was a precursor to Clan na Gael, a sister organization to the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Members were commonly known as "Fenians"...
. But though he was violently anti-British and anti-Royalist, he later denied being a Fenian.
Trial and Execution
O'Farrell was tried at Sydney on 30 March 1868. The barristerBarrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
with the thankless task of defending him was Butler Cole Aspinall
Butler Cole Aspinall
Butler Cole Aspinall was an Australian defence advocate. He was one of the counsel for the leaders of the Eureka Stockade, and defended Henry James O'Farrell for the attempted assassination of the Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh....
, who had previously defended the rebel leaders of the Eureka Stockade
Eureka Stockade
The Eureka Rebellion of 1854 was an organised rebellion by gold miners which occurred at Eureka Lead in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The Battle of Eureka Stockade was fought on 3 December 1854 and named for the stockade structure erected by miners during the conflict...
. Aspinall sought to have O'Farrell found not guilty by reason of insanity. He cited O'Farrell's history of mental illness and recent release from an asylum. O'Farrell was convicted and sentenced to death. Prince Alfred himself tried unsuccessfully to intercede and save his would-be killer's life.
O'Farrell was hanged on 21 April 1868 in the Darlinghurst Gaol at the age of 35.
Recovery of Prince Alfred
Prince Alfred soon recovered, and returned home in early April 1868.On 24 March, the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
voted to erect a memorial building. In order "to raise a permanent and substantial monument in testimony of the heartfelt gratitude of the community at the recovery of HRH", it was to be the Prince Alfred Hospital. Queen Victoria permitted the use of the term "Royal", so the memorial building was the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Missenden Road in Camperdown...
. It was built using funds raised by public subscription, and is today an important hospital in New South Wales.
Sir Henry Parkes
Henry Parkes
Sir Henry Parkes, GCMG was an Australian statesman, the "Father of Federation." As the earliest advocate of a Federal Council of the colonies of Australia, a precursor to the Federation of Australia, he was the most prominent of the Australian Founding Fathers.Parkes was described during his...
, a Minister in the colonial government (and future Premier) stirred up persecution of Irish Catholics in the colony after O'Farrell's attack. Parke claimed that the mad killer's initial claims of being Fenian were true and that there were extensive Fenian conspiracies at work. When Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician and anti-Fenian D'Arcy McGee
D'Arcy McGee
Thomas D'Arcy Etienne Hughes McGee, PC, was an Irish Nationalist, Catholic spokesman, journalist, and a Father of Canadian confederation. He fought for the development of Irish and Canadian national identities that would transcend their component groups...
was killed by a Fenian on 7 April, the excitement increased. But soon the excitement died down, and the public began questioning Parkes' unsupported claims. These became an embarrassment and he resigned as a Minister in September.
External links
- The Attempted assassination of Prince Alfred at Clontarf 1868
- A Very Brief History of Australia
- McKinlay, Brian The First Royal Tour, 1867-1868, (London: Robert Hale & Company, c1970, 1971), 200p. ISBN 0 7091 1910 0
- Travers, Robert The Phantom Fenians of New South Wales (Kangaroo Press, 1986), 176p. ISBN 0-86417-016-0.