FIRST ROYAL VISIT

Evening Star, Issue 19409, 18 November 1926, Page 4

FIRST ROYAL VISIT

FIFTY-EIGHT YEARS AGO 7HE LATE DUKE OF EDINBURGH. The first; Royal visit to Australia took place/in 1867-68 (eighty years after the establishment of the first settlement), when the late Duke of Edinburgh was on a world-wide crum in H.M.S. Galatea. The Duke, who was the second son of Queen Victoria, was then a young man of twenty-four years, and he enjoyed a wonderful progress through Australia, although his stay in Sydney was to some extent married by an attempt on his life at Clontarf. The Duke of Edinburgh was in command of the Galatea, which first arrived in Sydney on January 2L 1868, after Adelaide, Melbourne, and Hobart had been visited.

H.M S. Galatea remained in Sydney Harbor until April 6, but the Royal visitor, in the meanwhile, visited Brisbane in H.M.S. Challenger. The ship had a displacement of 3,227 tons—a contrast to H.M.S. Hood, of 42,000 tons, which visited New Zealand and Australia with the Special Service Squadron. The Galatea was, however, a crack ship of her period, and a writer of the day wrote: “ The vessel has only to be seen, even from a distance, to establish her character as one of the finest and fastest frigates in the Navy. She is beyond comparison the best representative of the British Navy that has visited these waters. She is a perfect model of naval architecture—a complete realisation of the old English idea of an English ship of war.” The Galatea had a length over all of 317 ft, and was armed with eighteen lOitr 86cwt guns, four 6)in guns, and six-rifled 64-pounders, She had a complement of 540 officers and men. In those far-off days Sydney had not had any experience of organising spectacular welcomes to Royal or other distinguished visitors, and the regulations which governed the water pageant when H.M.S. Galatea steamer into Port Jackson make strange reading (states' the ‘Sydney*Morning Herald’)- AH available steamers, including ferry boats, as well as the yachts and smaller craft, participated in the welcome on the harbor. The steam vessels were organised into squadrons to meet the Galatea, and it was ordered that each vessel was to exhibit her number at the fore in numerals of Marryatt’s code. “ The number of each steamer,” the regulations continued, “is also.to bo shown in white chalk 3ft long on either bulwark abreast the forefront. In case pf any steamer slowing her engines a white flag is to he shown over her stern, as a signal .to warn the ship immediately following jt her wake. A rod flag is to bo exhibited in a similar manner in the event of anyone falling overboard, so that the vessel astern may render prompt assistance;-” Passengers were “strictly prohibited from occupying the tops of the paddleboxes, or any space set apart for the commander, nor will they -be allowed to get into the boats, meddle with the falls or gear, or with the lifebuoys.” When the Galatea was in the centre of the welcoming fleet the flag signal “ Welcome ” was hoisted on each vessel. The regulations set forth also that the ensigns were to be lowered, and “three hearty cheers” given. .“It is hoped,” it added, “that up to this time strict silence will be observed, in rorder give effect to this welcome

cheering.’ Tho smoko from the steamers taking part in the welcome was anticipated as a cause of possible trouble, and it was decreed that “ in entering the Hoads speed will bo slowed to enable the Galatea to pass through withoit obstruction from smoke. Each vessel is to use Bulli coal or wood, and is to open her furnace doors and use such other suitable methods for consuming their smoke as may bo. deemed advisable, In cases, however, of signals not being discernible by reason of smoke, numbers will be made by the commodores from the bridge of their respective ships, in white figures on black boards.”

During his prolonged stay in Sydney the Duke was entertained at a round of festivities, and made several excursions into tho country. He returned from Brisbane on March 2, 1868, and ten days later at Clontarf, during the Sailors’ Home picnic, Henry James O’Farrell made an attempt to assassinate the Royal visitor. After luncheon the Duke was conversing with the Governor (the Earl of Belmore) and Sir William Manning, when O’Farrell produced a revolver, and at a distance of sft or 6ft took deliberate aim at the Duke and fired Tho shot took effect in the middle of the back. Many spectators sprang towards O’Farrell, who then aimed the revolver at Sir William Manning. The shot misfired, and Mr Vial, a well-known Sydney business man, seized O’Farrell. In the struggle O’Farrell fired another shot, which wounded Mr George Thorne, sen. The police had difficulty in preventing the crowd from dealing with O’Farrell, who was ultimately taken to Sydney. The Duke recovered from the wound, and O’Farrell was executed at Darlinghurst Gaol on April 21. The Galatea sailed from Sydney on April 6, hut visited Australia again in 1869-70.