The Catalpa in dock. Note whale oil barrels in the foreground

The Catalpa rescue was the escape, in 1876, of six Fenian prisoners from what was then the British penal colony of Western Australia. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 715 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (800 × 671 pixel, file size: 108 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Catalpa in Dock probably in New Bedford. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 715 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (800 × 671 pixel, file size: 108 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Catalpa in Dock probably in New Bedford. ... Year 1876 Pick up Sticks(MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Fenian is a term used since the 1850s for Irish nationalists (who oppose British rule in Ireland). ... A penis colony is a colony used to detain prisoners and generally use them for penal labor in an economically underdeveloped part of the states (usually colonial) territories, and on a far larger scale than a prison farm. ... Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State or the Golden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Ken Michael Premier Alan Carpenter (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 15  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $100,900 (4th)  - Product per capita  $50,355/person...

Fenians and plans to escape

The main cellblock of Fremantle Prison

From 1865 to 1867, British authorities rounded up supporters of the Irish Republican (Fenian) Brotherhood, an Irish independence movement, and transported sixty-two of them to the penal colony of Western Australia. Among them was John Boyle O'Reilly, later to become the editor of the Boston newspaper The Pilot. They were sent on the convict ship Hougoumont and landed at Fremantle, in January 1868, after which they were moved to the Convict Establishment (now Fremantle Prison). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2080x1544, 693 KB) Summary The main cellblock taken by ghostieguide dec 22 2005 Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2080x1544, 693 KB) Summary The main cellblock taken by ghostieguide dec 22 2005 Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Year 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB; Bráithreachas na Poblachta in Irish) was a secret fraternal organisation dedicated to fomenting armed revolt against the British state in Ireland in the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. ... Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State or the Golden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Ken Michael Premier Alan Carpenter (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 15  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $100,900 (4th)  - Product per capita  $50,355/person... John Boyle OReilly John Boyle OReilly (28 June 1844–10 August 1890) was an Irish-born poet and novelist. ... The term Convict ship is colloquially used to describe any ship engaged on a voyage to carry convicted felons under sentence of transportation from their place of conviction to their place of banishment. ... HMS Hougoumont was the last convict ship to bring convicts to Australia. ... “Fremantle” redirects here. ... Year 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... A recreation of typical 1855 cell accommodation. ...

Two years later in 1869, O'Reilly escaped on the whaling ship Gazelle with the aid of third mate whaler Henry Hathaway and ended up in Boston, where he became editor of The Pilot. In 1871, another Fenian, John Devoy, was amnestied in England, among others, on condition that he settle outside Ireland, and he sailed to New York City. He also became a newspaperman, for the New York Herald. He joined the Clan na Gael, an organization that supported armed insurrection in Ireland. 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... The crew of the oceanographic research vessel Princesse Alice, of Albert Grimaldi (later Prince Albert I of Monaco) pose while flensing a catch. ... “Boston” redirects here. ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... John Devoy (1842-1928) was an Irish rebel leader and exile. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... The New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6, 1835 and 1924. ... With Irish immigration to the United States of America in the 18th_century there arose Irish ethnic organizations. ...

In 1869, pardons had been issued to many of the imprisoned Fenians. Another round of pardons were issued in 1871, after which only a small group of military Fenians remained in Western Australia's penal system. In 1873, Devoy received a smuggled letter from imprisoned Fenian James Wilson, who was among those the British dared not release. He asked them to aid the escape of the remaining Fenian prisoners. Devoy discussed the matter with O'Reilly and Thomas McCarthy Fennell, and Fennell suggested that a ship be purchased, laden with a legitimate cargo, and sailed to Western Australia, where it would not be expected to arouse suspicion. The Fenian prisoners would then be rescued by stealth rather than force of arms. Devoy approached the 1874 convention of the Clan na Gael and got the Clan to agree to fund a rescue of the men. He then approached whaling agent John T. Richardson, who told them to contact his son-in-law, whaling captain George Smith Anthony, who agreed to help. 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1873 (MDCCCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... James Wilson was born on February 6, 1836 in Newry, in County Down, Ireland as James McNally. ... John Boyle OReilly John Boyle OReilly (28 June 1844–10 August 1890) was an Irish-born poet and novelist. ... Thomas McCarthy Fennell, Mountjoy Prison, 1866 Thomas McCarthy Fennell (December 22, 1841–February 23, 1914) was a Fenian political prisoner transported as a convict to Western Australia. ... Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The crew of the oceanographic research vessel Princesse Alice, of Albert Grimaldi (later Prince Albert I of Monaco) pose while flensing a catch. ...

Jame Reynolds, a member of the Clan and on the committee to rescue the prisoners, bought under his name for the Clan a three-masted whaling bark Catalpa for $5,200, and George Anthony recruited twenty-two sailors. On April 29, 1875, Catalpa sailed from New Bedford, Massachusetts. At first, most of the crew was unaware of their real mission. Anthony noticed too late that the ship's marine chronometer was broken, so he had to rely on his own skills for navigation. First they sailed to Faial Island in Azores, where they off-loaded 210 barrels of sperm whale oil. Unfortunately, much of the crew deserted the ship, and they had to leave three sick men behind. Anthony recruited native crew members and set sail for Western Australia. A barc is a type of sailing vessel. ... Three types of mariners are seen here in the wheelhouse: a master, an able seaman, and a harbour pilot. ... is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: Location in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country United States State Massachusetts County Bristol County Settled 1640 Incorporated 1787 Government  - Type Mayor-council  - Mayor Scott W. Lang (Dem)  - City Council President/Ward 6: Leo R. Pimental. ... A marine chronometer is a timekeeper precise enough to be used as a portable time standard, used to determine longitude by means of celestial navigation. ... Table of geography, hydrography, and navigation, from the 1728 Cyclopaedia. ... Faial Island (also known in English as Fayal) is a Portuguese island of the Central group (Grupo Central) of the Azores. ... Motto (Portuguese for Rather die free than in peace subjugated) Anthem  (national)  (local) Capital Ponta Delgada1 Angra do Heroísmo2 Horta3 Largest city Ponta Delgada Official languages Portuguese Government Autonomous region  -  President Carlos César Establishment  -  Settled 1439   -  Autonomy 1976  Area  -  Total 2,333 km² (n/a) 911 sq mi... Whale oil is the oil obtained from the blubber of various species of whales of the genus Balaena, as , Greenland or right whale (northern whale-oil), (southern whale-oil), Balaenoptera longimana, Balaenoptera borealis (Finback oil, Finner whale-oil, Humpback oil). ...

At the same time, two Fenian agents, John Breslin and Tom Desmond, had arrived in Western Australia in September. Breslin masqueraded as an American businessman "James Collins", with suitable letter of introduction, and got acquainted with Sir William Cleaver Robinson, Governor of Western Australia. Robinson took Breslin on a tour of the Convict Establishment (now Fremantle Prison). Desmond took a job as a wheelwright and recruited five local Irishmen who were to cut the telegraph lines on the day of escape. The letter of introduction, along with the visiting card, was an important part of polite social interaction in the 18th and 19th centuries. ... Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson was Governor of Western Australia from 1875 to 1877, from 1880 to 1883 and from 1890 to 1895. ... Flag of the Governor of Western Australia The Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australias head of state, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including: presiding over the Executive Council; proroguing and dissolving the Legislative Assembly and the... Wheelwright reenactor New Salem, Illinois Wheelwrights Workshop at the Amberley Working Museum, West Sussex, England A wheelwright is a person who builds or repairs wheels. ... Telegraphy (from the Greek words tele = far away and grapho = write) is the long distance transmission of written messages without physical transport of letters, originally over wire. ...

Catalpa fell behind the intended schedule due to a serious storm, in which she lost her foremast. She dropped anchor off Bunbury on March 27, 1876. Anthony and Breslin met. The pair began to prepare for the rescue. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]} This article is about the city of Bunbury. ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1876 Pick up Sticks(MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Escape and pursuit

The first intended day for escape was April 6, but the appearance of HMS Convict and other Royal Navy ships and customs officers quickly led to a postponement. The escape was rearranged for April 17, when most of the Convict Establishment garrison was watching the Royal Perth Yacht Club regatta. is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ... is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... At a general meeting in 1891, the old blue PYC burgee was replaced with this design. ... A regatta is a boat race or series of boat races. ...

Catalpa dropped anchor in international waters off Rockingham and dispatched a whaleboat to the shore. At 8.30 am, six Fenians who were working in work parties outside the prison walls, absconded - Thomas Darragh, Martin Hogan, Michael Harrington, Thomas Hassett, Robert Cranston and James Wilson – were met by Breslin and Desmond and picked up in carriages. The men raced 50 km south to Rockingham where Anthony awaited them on the beach with a rowboat. A local he had spoken to earlier saw the men and quickly alerted the authorities. For other uses, see Anchor (disambiguation). ... The terms international waters or trans-boundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water (or their drainage basins) transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regional seas and estuaries, rivers, lakes, groundwater systems (aquifers), and wetlands [1]. Oceans and seas, waters... This article is about a suburb in Perth, Western Australia. ... The Catalpa in dock. ... Robert Bennie Cranston (January 14, 1791 - January 27, 1873) was a U.S. Representative from Rhode Island, brother of Henry Young Cranston. ... James Wilson was born on February 6, 1836 in Newry, in County Down, Ireland as James McNally. ...

The rowboat faced difficulties on its return to the Catalpa due to a storm that lasted till dawn on April 18 They reached the ship the next morning. However, soon after, the steamship s.s. Georgette came alongside the whaler, demanding the surrender of the prisoners and attempting to herd the ship back into Australian waters. They fired a warning shot with its 12 pounder (5 kg) cannon. Ignoring the demand to surrender, Anthony had raised, and then pointed towards, the U.S. flag, informed the Georgette that an attack on the Catalpa would be considered an act of war against the USA, and proceeded westward. Georgette pursued until it was low on fuel and turned away. Catalpa slipped into the Indian Ocean. is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Paddle steamers - Lucerne-Switzerland Left: original paddlewheel from a paddle steamer on the lake of Lucerne. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from...

Aftermath

Due to cut telegraph cables, news of the escape did not reach London until June. At the same time, the Catalpa did its best to avoid Royal Navy ships on its way back to the USA. O'Reilly received the news of the escape on June 7 and released the news to the press. The news sparked celebrations in the United States and Ireland and anger in Britain and Australia (although there was also sympathy for the cause within the Australian population). A purge of prison officials in Fremantle followed. The Catalpa returned to New York harbor on August 19, 1876.

George Smith Anthony could no longer sail in international waters because the Royal Navy could have arrested him on sight. With the help of a journalist, Z. W. Pease, he published an account of his journey, The Catalpa Expedition, in 1897.

Catalpa Memorial.

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 434 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (741 × 1024 pixel, file size: 207 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Catalpa rescue Rockingham... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 434 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (741 × 1024 pixel, file size: 207 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Catalpa rescue Rockingham...

Memorials

On 9 September 2005 a memorial was unveiled in Rockingham to commemorate the escape. The memorial, a large statue of six wild geese, was created by Western Australian artists Charlie Smith and Joan Walsh Smith. The geese refer to the phrase "The Wild Geese", which was a name given to Irish soldiers who served in European armies after being exiled from Ireland. The Fenians transported to Western Australia adopted the phrase for themselves during their voyage to Western Australia on board the Hougoumont, even publishing a shipboard newspaper entitled The Wild Goose. is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about a suburb in Perth, Western Australia. ... Other uses: Goose (disambiguation) Genera Anser Branta Chen Cereopsis † see also: Swan, Duck Anatidae Goose (plural geese) is the general English name for a considerable number of birds, belonging to the family Anatidae. ... HMS Hougoumont was the last convict ship to bring convicts to Australia. ... The final Christmas edition of the Wild Goose The Wild Goose: A Collection of Ocean Waifs was a hand written newspaper created in late 1867 by Fenian prisoners aboard the Hougoumont, the last ship to transport convicts to Australia. ...

Exhibition

From 22nd September 2006 to December 3rd 2006 an exhibition, called "Escape: Fremantle to Freedom," opened at Fremantle Prison displaying many artifacts relating to the Catalpa rescue. Over 20,000 visitors passed through. There was no cost to enter the exhibit, which used modern touchscreen systems to allow reading of many books, journals, and diaries on display for the first time. After three months at Fremantle, the exhibition is scheduled to travel around museums throughout Australia. The Louvre Museum in Paris, one of the largest and most famous museums in the world. ... A cultural artifact is an man-made object which gives information about the culture of its creator and users. ...

John Boyle O'Reilly Image File history File links Size of this preview: 463 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2186 × 2829 pixel, file size: 534 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This is a photograph of John Boyle OReilly (1844-1890) taken in 1866. ... John Boyle OReilly John Boyle OReilly (28 June 1844–10 August 1890) was an Irish-born poet and novelist. ...	James Wilson Image File history File links James_Wilson. ... James Wilson was born on February 6, 1836 in Newry, in County Down, Ireland as James McNally. ...	Michael Harrington Image File history File links Size of this preview: 376 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1788 × 2849 pixel, file size: 462 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This is a photograph of Michael Harrington, Fenian convict to australia one of six to escape during the Catalpa rescue. ...	Robert Cranston Image File history File links Size of this preview: 383 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1820 × 2849 pixel, file size: 505 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This is a photograph of Robert Cranston, Fenian convict to australia one of six to escape during the Catalpa rescue. ...
Thomas Darragh Image File history File links Size of this preview: 407 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1929 × 2839 pixel, file size: 589 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This is a photograph of Thomas Darragh, Fenian convict to australia one of six to escape during the Catalpa rescue. ...	Thomas Hassett Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...	Martin Hogan Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

In song

Catalpa escape in the arts

• Musician and local historian Brendan Woods authored a Theater Production about the breakout titled The Catalpa Directed by Gerry Atkinson with a cast of 22. On the 15 November 2006 The Catalpa play premiered at Fremantle Town Hall the play ran until 25th November. The play was based on the diaries of Denis Cashman, with the poetry of John Boyle O'Reilly set to music and dance supported by a five part Musical ensemble. The show sold out on three of its four night run.^[25]
• Irish rebel music band The Wolfe Tones recorded a song about the Catalpa incident called "The Fenians' Escape".
• The Real McKenzies, a Celtic punk band from British Columbia, Canada, included their rendition of the song "The Catalpa" on the 2005 Fat Wreck Chords EP "10,000 Shots."
• Donal O'Kelly's one man play The Catalpa was an international success, winning a Scotsman Fringe First Award at the 1996 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Critic's Prize at the Melbourne International Festival in 1997.
• Western Australian Folk music Band, The Settlers released an album in 1979 that included the song 'catalpa'
• An Australian Broadcasting Corporation production, The Catalpa Rescue, will be shown on ABC Television on Thursdays at 8.30 pm, beginning on the 21st of October 2007.

For other uses, see Play (disambiguation). ... Denis B. Cashman (1842-1897 Dungarvan) was a Fenian who was transported to Western Australia as a political prisoner and wrote of his experiences in a diary . ... John Boyle OReilly John Boyle OReilly (28 June 1844–10 August 1890) was an Irish-born poet and novelist. ... A musical ensemble is a group of two or more musicians who perform instrumental or vocal music. ... The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel music band deeply rooted in Irish traditional music. ... Real McKenzies is a Scottish-influenced Celtic punk band founded in Vancouver, Canada in 1992. ... Categories: Festival stubs | Edinburgh ... The Australian Broadcasting Corporation or ABC is Australias national non-profit public broadcaster. ...

Further reading

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

The Perth Gazette/21 April 1876

• John Devoy - John Devoy's Catalpa Expedition (ISBN 0-8147-2748-4)
• John Devoy - Recollections of an Irish Rebel
• Laubenstein, William J - "The Emerald Whaler" London : Deutsch, 1961.
• Seán O'Luing - "Fremantle Mission"
• Peter F. Stevens - The Voyage of the Catalpa (ISBN 1-84212-651-2)
• Z.W. Pease - The Catalpa Expedition (ISBN 0-85905-308-3)
• View the Memorial Launch Video

Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... The original Wikisource logo. ...

References

The Perth Town Hall, which was built with convict labour, incorporates a number of convict motifs, including windows in the shape of the broad arrow.

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Category:Convictism in Western Australia