November 25th "Arrived off Melbourne. Found the Scylla here. Knocked about in a gale of wind for two days waiting for the Endymion, then the Admiral got impatient and made a signal for the ships to proceed into Melbourne except the Scylla which had to remain to look for the Endymion. Fleet hove too and took in pilots. Nothing worthy of note about the Melbourne heads except the entrance is very narrow and the harbour a very large one. You see some splendid large ships here. As soon as we anchored we had invitations making us honorary members of all the clubs, balls parties picnics etc."

"When we had been in here two days the Scylla arrived with the missing Endymion. " ¹

"Now for a description of Melbourne. The town is a splendid large one, great wide streets and good shops. I went up for two days and stopped at Scot�s hotel it seeming to be the best. Went to a large dinner given by the Melbourne club to the officers of the squadron. It went off very well, after dinner we had a pool(?) which the admiral and Governor joined in. After that I went to a Masonic ball which seemed to me to be a regular cad�s hop. I was here introduced to O�Farrells sister (the man who shot the Prince) " 2

Botanic Gardens Melbourne

"At The Haymarket Theatre we gave a great amateur performance in aid of the Duke of Edinburgh�s Cottage � an asylum for broken down actors. The place was crowded and we realised �250. The acting was such a success that they asked us to go up to the gold fields at Ballarat to perform, which we had not time to do. We had free passes in all the railways and no people could have treated us with more kindness.

Silk souvenir programme of the Squadron "theatricals" in Melbourne (Click on the image to see a larger copy)

Steamers were plying to and from the squadron with visitors all day long. In return for all these kindnesses the admiral gave a little review by making the fleet get underweigh and perform evolutions under sail (which was a great failure as the day turned out pouring with rain). As it had been made a public holiday crowds of people came round the fleet in steamers some even came 300 miles to see it. Of course the men of war were full of ladies and Gentlemen and a grand luncheon laid out in each ship. I was left onshore having overslept myself but being determined to see the fun I went off in the Rob Roy steamer, The Blue Jackets of the squadron seemed to like the place as 100 ran from the different ships."

Touchstone - A Saturday Journal of Criticism, Commentary and Satire
Melbourne Dec 4th
(Click on the image to read)

December 8^th
"We took in pilots and sailed from the port of Melbourne deeply regretting the same. As we sailed from the harbour we had the pleasure of seeing and feeling one of the Australian �Brickfielders�. They are warm winds which blow off the land with great violence."

1     Whilst Liffey waited for Endymion one of the other ships of the squadron reported seeing Brunel's, SS Great Britain depart Sydney. " we had the satisfaction of seeing the 'Great Britain' come out under steam, homeward bound with about 300 passengers, and immediately setting a cloud of canvas to a fresh westerly gale, was soon bowling along at 15 or 16 knots"

2     In 1868, during the first ever visit to Australia by a member of the British Royal family, Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria's second son, was the victim of an assassination attempt by Irishman Henry James O'Farrell. The shooting, at Clontarf near Sydney resulted in only minor injuries to the 24 year old prince but left a strong anti Irish Catholic feeling on the community. (There were rumours that O'Farrell, a catholic, was part of a Fenian plot.) However at his trial O'Farrell was found to have acted alone due to insanity and was subsequently hanged on 21st April 1868.

© Copyright Charles Fountain May 2002

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