Prince Alfred Assassination AttemptPrint Page

The Norfolk Pine Tree was planted to commemorate the site where an assassination attempt was made on Prince Alfred, son of Queen Victoria while he was attending the picnic at the Sailors Home in 1868. The present tablet at the site replaces the one erected on the 5th July 1930 by the Manly Municipal Council in conjunction with the Manly Warringah Historical Society. 

During the first ever visit to Australia by a member of the British Royal family in 1868, Prince Alfred was the victim of an assassination attempt. He had been ‘commissioned for a world tour under his command (the) HMS Galatea’. Australia formed part of the world tour which included stops in Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney in the many ports of call. Prince Alfred, who had grown in  favour with the public during his visit to Sydney,  was shot by Irishman Henry James O’Farrell. The general community and especially the religious fanatics attacked all Irish Catholics as enemies of the crown. After being nearly torn to pieces on the spot by a lynch mob, O`Farrell was convicted and hanged on 21 April 1868.

More than 62 years ago at Clontarf, Middle Harbour Sydney, an attempt was made on the life of Prince Alfred (Duke of Edinburgh) who was on a visit to Australia. Prince Alfred was attending the Sailors' Home picnic on March 12, 1868, and was shot in the back by H. J. O'Farrell. Before O'Farrell was seized, he fired a second shot, which wounded a Mr. G. Thorne in one foot. Within eight days the Prince was well enough to go on board his ship. The execution of O'Farrell took place at Darlinghurst gaol on April 21 of the same year. The Manly Council is erecting a tablet at the pine tree which marks the spot, where the shooting took place. On Saturday next the tablet will be unveiled. 
Tweed Daily (Murwillumbah, NSW), 3 July 1930. 

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