C1868

Attempted Assassination of H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh at Clontarf, near Sydney.

Artist:

Frederick Casemero Terry (1826 - 1869)

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S/N: IAN-NS-68030309–321689

(DRW08)

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Details

Full Title:

Attempted Assassination of H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh at Clontarf, near Sydney.

Date:

C1868

Artist:

Frederick Casemero Terry (1826 - 1869)

Condition:

In good condition.

Technique:

Engraving.

Image Size:

345mm

x 215mm

Genuine antique
dated:

1868

Description:

In 1868, Prince Alfred Ernest Albert, Duke of Edinburgh, second son of Queen Victoria, was on a world tour on the steam frigate HMS Galatea and visited Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart, Brisbane, and Sydney. He arrived in Sydney on 21 January 1868 and received a most enthusiastic welcome with many events held in his honour.

He attend a picnic at Clontarf on 12 March organised as a fund raiser for the Sydney Sailors’ Home by Sydney barrister and politician William Manning. During the event, an Irishman who had suffered considerable mental illness, Henry James O’Farrell, attempted to assassinate the prince. Although O’Farrell fired his pistol at close range, the bullet, on striking the prince’s back, glanced off the ribs, inflicting only a slight wound. O’Farrell only narrowly escaped lynching by the crowd, and was immediately arrested. The prince was nursed by the newly arrived Lady Superintendent of Sydney Hospital, Lucy Osburn.

Clemency for O’Farrell was refused, despite the prince’s own proposal to refer the sentence on O’Farrell to the Queen. O’Farrell was convicted of attempted murder, despite his evident mental instability, and hanged on 21 April at Darlinghurst Gaol. The prince, who had recovered completely by the end of March, left for England on the Galatea in early April and arrived on 26 June.

Collections:

State Library Victoria: Accession no: IAN 30/03/68/9

Frederick Casemero Terry (1826 - 1869)

Artist and engraver born England and emigrated to Sydney and arriving in Sydney in the early 1850's. He was soon part of colonial society and became known for his paintings and engravings. This engraving is from his rare series Landscape Scenery Illustrating Sydney and Port Jackson, New South Wales printed by Sands and Kenny. Unusually set within an oval image they included views of Sydney town and the harbour, as well a number of country towns. Unfortunately the engraver had mispelt Terry's name and as a result it appears as Fleury. At the 1855 Paris Exhibition he was included with five other Australian artists in having his paintings displayed. He was then invited to exhibit in the Further Exhibition of the Society for the Promotion of the Fine Arts in Australia held in the Mechanic's School of Arts. By the 1860's he was established as one of best colonial artists and in 1861 he had been made examiner at the Mechanics School of Arts. Terry died at the early age of forty four and as many artists before him he had struggled financially in his last years.

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