John Boyle O'Reilly Monument

Statement of Significance

The place has historic value for its association with the Fenian convict, John Boyle O’Reilly and his escape from Australia aided by Fenian sympathisers.

Physical Description

A rock and a plaque commemorates Fenian John Boyle O’Reilly with interpretative panels further along the path explaining about the life of John Boyle O’Reilly and displaying one of his poems.

History

John Boyle O'Reilly (1844-1890) was an Irish Fenian sentenced to death in 1866 by the Crown, which was later commuted to a life sentence in the colonies. In 1868 he was transported to Fremantle where he joined a work party on the Bunbury - Vasse Road.

While in Bunbury, O'Reilly formed a strong friendship with the local Catholic priest, Father Patrick McCabe. Late in 1869, McCabe offered to arrange for O'Reilly to escape the colony. On 18 February 1869, O'Reilly absconded from his work party, and met up with a party of Irish settlers from the local town of Dardanup. Together they rode to the Collie River where a rowboat was waiting for them. They rowed out of the Leschenault Inlet into the Indian Ocean, and north about twelve miles up the coast. O'Reilly hid in the dunes, awaiting the departure from Bunbury of the American whaling ship Vigilant, which Father McCabe had arranged would take him on board. The ship was sighted the next day, and the party rowed out to it, but the captain reneged on the agreement, and the Vigilant sailed off. O'Reilly had to return to the shore and hide again while his friends tried to make arrangements with another ship. After two weeks, they succeeded in making a deal with the captain of the American whaler Gazelle. O'Reilly and his friends met the Gazelle three miles out to sea on 2 March, and he was taken on board.

After further complications O'Reilly finally arrived in Philadelphia in November 1869. He settled in the United States and married and had a succesful career as a journalist and poet.

In 1875, O'Reilly was involved in a scheme to rescue six Fenian prisoners from Fremantle. Despite a skirmish with a government ship, Georgette, the American whaler Catalpa successfully brought the prisoners to New York in August 1876.

The memorial and interpretive panels were erected in 1988 and unveiled by former Premier of WA, Brian Burke.

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