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Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney
Subjects
Law and Order
Crime
Political crimes and offenses

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Political crimes and offenses

Subject

2002 Bali Bombing

Assassination attempt on Prince Alfred 1868

Muir, Thomas

The Telegraph: a consolatory epistle from Thomas Muir, Esq. of Botany Bay...

Treason Felony Act 1868

Hilton hotel bombing 1978

ASIO

Sydney Twelve

Union of Russian Workers

Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh

Calwell, Arthur

De Groot, Francis

Dwyer, Michael

Gerrald, Joseph

Kisch, Egon

Margarot, Maurice

Muir, Thomas

Newman, John

Ngo, Canh Phuong

O'Farrell, Henry James

Palmer, Thomas Fyshe

Skirving, William

'An account of the trial of Thomas Muir, Esq. younger, of Huntershill ..... August, 1793, for sedition' 1794

'New Guard Officer 'Opens' Bridge With Sword, And Is Arrested' 20 March 1932

'Spy Murder Plot Alleged: Gang of 20 Caught, Says Forde' newspaper clipping March 1942

Attempt on the life of the Duke of Edinburgh, arrest of O'Farrell 1868

Attempted assassination of HRH Duke of Edinburgh at Clontarf 1868

Bucket, turpentine bottle and funnel; presumably a Crown exhibit in the trial of the IWW Twelve, 1919

Bust of Thomas Muir, 2003, by Alexander Stoddart, Bishopbriggs Library, Glasgow

Captain Francis De Groot 1932

Citizen Margarot Delegate from the London Corresponding Society to the British Convention 1794

Henry James O'Farrell, author of the assassination attempt on Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, 1868

Henry James O'Farrell, author of the assassination attempt on Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, 1868

IWW Members Charged with Treason - Sensational Revelations 1916

Joseph Gerrald A Delegate to the British Convention 1794

Newspaper report of the massacre of Aboriginal people at Appin on 17 April 1816

O'Farrell in Darlinghurst 1868

The IWW Twelve 1916

The departure of Thomas Muir from New South Wales 18 February 1796

The telegraph: a consolatory epistle manuscript from Thomas Muir to Hon. Henry Erskine, late Dean of faculty 1796

Thomas Muir

Thomas Muir 1793

Thomas Muir Esqr, Younger of Huntershill, 1793

Thomas Muir, engraved by T Holloway from a bust modelled by Tho Banks 1795

Librarian Sarah Dingwell on the effect of the 1978 Hilton bombing on the City of Sydney library in the Queen Victoria Building

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Political crimes and offenses

2002 Bali Bombing

At 11pm on 12 October 2002, two suicide bombers killed two 202 people in Indonesia in an attack on popular Balinese nightclubs Sari Club and Paddy’s Bar. The victims came from 21 countries, with 88 Australians killed and hundreds injured. On 14 October, a specialist team from the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Glebe Coroner’s Court flew to Bali to assist in identifying the remains.

Assassination attempt on Prince Alfred 1868

In 1868, Henry O'Farrell tried to shoot the visiting Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria. Although the prince was only slightly wounded, the event set off a rash of anti-Irish feeling in Sydney, and O'Farrell was hanged in record time. Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital is a reminder of the event.

Muir, Thomas

One of the 'Scottish Martyrs' transported to New South Wales for sedition, Thomas Muir was one of the few convicts who escaped the colony in the 1790s.

The Telegraph: a consolatory epistle from Thomas Muir, Esq. of Botany Bay...

Satirical poem purportedly written by Thomas Muir in 1796 but believed to have come from a Tory clergyman in Edinburgh.

full record »

Treason Felony Act 1868

Repressive legislation for the suppression and punishment of sedition after an attempt was made on the life of Prince Alfred at Clontarff. That the perpertrator was Irish inflamed prejudice and racism against Irish and Catholics.

full record »

Hilton hotel bombing 1978

Explosion in the early hours of 13 February 1978 that occurred when a bomb, hidden in a bin outside the Hilton hotel on George Street, was collected by a council garbage truck. Three men were killed, garbage collectors Alec Carter, 37, and William Favell, 36, and police officer Paul Burmistriw, 31, who died from his injuries nine days later. The target was believed to be the Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, and other heads of state who were at the hotel for a Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM).

full record »

ASIO

Federal government agency whose main role is to gather information and produce intelligence that will enable it to warn the government about activities or situations that might endanger Australia's national security.

full record »

Sydney Twelve

Members of the Industrial Workers of the World arrested on 23 September 1916 in Sydney and charged with treason under the Treason Felony Act (1848), arson, sedition and forgery. An enquiry in 1920 found irregularities and all were released.

full record »

Union of Russian Workers

Revolutionary organisation formed in Brisbane which agitated for the overthrow of the Russian monarchy and was strongly opposed to the Australian government and the war effort. Many members were deported for organising illegal demonstration and newspapers.

full record »

Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh

full record »

Prince Alfred was the second son of Queen Victoria, and he made the first royal tour of Australia in 1868. He returned for two further brief visits between 1869 and 1871.

Calwell, Arthur

Federal politician from 1940 to 1972 who presided over some of the most turbulent years of Labor politics, and was shot in an assassination attempt at Mosman in 1966.

full record »

De Groot, Francis

full record »

Businessman and member of the New Guard militia who cut the ribbon at the Harbour Bridge opening before Premier Jack Lang in 1932.

Dwyer, Michael

Irish revolutionary and political exile who remained unsentenced until charged with sedition by Governor Bligh. Integrated into colonial society by 1810 he became a property owner and constable before bankruptcy lead to the debtors' prison and death.

full record »

Gerrald, Joseph

full record »

Political reformer who was transported for sedition, one of the Scottish Martyrs.

Kisch, Egon

full record »

Czech journalist and communist who came to Australia in November 1934 as an anti-war and anti-fascism campaigner and spoke to large crowds at the Domain. Charged with being a 'prohibited immigrant', he was made to undertake the infamous 'dictation' test under the Immigration Restriction Act in Scottish Gaelic, which was not among the many languages he spoke, and he failed. His experiences here and eventual deportation in March 1935 lead to challenges to the Act.

Margarot, Maurice

full record »

Political activist and reformer who was transported as one of the Scottish martyrs, for sedition.

Muir, Thomas

full record »

One of the 'Scottish Martyrs', Muir was transported for sedition in 1794. He escaped from the colony in 1796 only to be hunted by the Spanish and English before being wounded and offered refuge in France.

Newman, John

Union organiser and Labor Party politician whose murder by a rival was the first political assassination in Australia.

full record »

Ngo, Canh Phuong

Vietnamese community leader convicted of the murder of his political rival John Newman.

full record »

O'Farrell, Henry James

full record »

Irish republican who shot and wounded the Duke of Edinburgh and was hanged for attempted murder.

Palmer, Thomas Fyshe

full record »

Unitarian minister transported to New South Wales for sedition who became a pioneer in trade, manufacture and shipbuilding in Sydney.

Skirving, William

full record »

Political reformer and one of the Scottish martyrs who were transported for sedition.

'An account of the trial of Thomas Muir, Esq. younger, of Huntershill ..... August, 1793, for sedition' 1794

full record »

Contributed By

Internet Archive

[accountoftrialof00muir]

(from The John Adams Library at the Boston Public Library)

'New Guard Officer 'Opens' Bridge With Sword, And Is Arrested' 20 March 1932

full record »

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

(Sun News Pictorial (Melbourne) 21 March 1932, p 1)

'Spy Murder Plot Alleged: Gang of 20 Caught, Says Forde' newspaper clipping March 1942

full record »

Contributed By

National Archives of Australia

[Press Extracts Australia First Re Internees, A375/NN 65667, page 10 of 31]

(CC BY 3.0 AU) (The Sun, March 1942)

Attempt on the life of the Duke of Edinburgh, arrest of O'Farrell 1868

full record »

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[nla.pic-an10280467]

Attempted assassination of HRH Duke of Edinburgh at Clontarf 1868

full record »

By

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[nla.pic-an9542884]

Bucket, turpentine bottle and funnel; presumably a Crown exhibit in the trial of the IWW Twelve, 1919

full record »

Contributed By

Sydney Living Museums

[Justice & Police Museum ; 167]

(Justice & Police Museum Collection)

Bust of Thomas Muir, 2003, by Alexander Stoddart, Bishopbriggs Library, Glasgow

full record »

By

Contributed By

Wikimedia Commons

[Thomas-Muir-bust-by-Alexander-Stoddart.jpg]

Captain Francis De Groot 1932

full record »

By

Harold Cazneaux

Contributed By

National Portrait Gallery

Citizen Margarot Delegate from the London Corresponding Society to the British Convention 1794

full record »

By

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a1259004 / PXE 775, 32d]

(Mitchell Library)

Henry James O'Farrell, author of the assassination attempt on Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, 1868

full record »

By

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a128203 / P1/1258]

(Mitchell Library)

Henry James O'Farrell, author of the assassination attempt on Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, 1868

full record »

By

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a128287 / P1/1259]

(Mitchell Library)

IWW Members Charged with Treason - Sensational Revelations 1916

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

(Sydney Mail, 18 October 1916, p7)

Joseph Gerrald A Delegate to the British Convention 1794

full record »

By

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a1259002 / PXE 775, 32a]

(Mitchell Library)

Newspaper report of the massacre of Aboriginal people at Appin on 17 April 1816

full record »

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[Sydney Gazette, 11 May 1816, p2 (via Trove)]

O'Farrell in Darlinghurst 1868

full record »

By

Francis Charles Needham (Viscount) Newry

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[nla.pic-an6332101]

The IWW Twelve 1916

full record »

Image courtesy of the

State Library of Victoria

[Acc no: H31216]

(Twelve members of the Industrial Workers of the World who were gaoled in 1916: Jack Hamilton, Peter Larkin, Charles Reeve, Donald McPherson, Thomas Moore, Donald Grant, John B. King, Bob Besant, Joseph Fagin, William Teen, Thomas Glynn, William Beattie.)

The departure of Thomas Muir from New South Wales 18 February 1796

full record »

By

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a1341550 / Q79/60 (vol.1), p 457]

(from 'An account of the English colony in New South Wales : with remarks on the dispositions, customs, manners, &c. of the native inhabitants of that country...', London, Printed for T. Cadell Jun. and W. Davies, 1798-1802 (Dixson Library)

The telegraph: a consolatory epistle manuscript from Thomas Muir to Hon. Henry Erskine, late Dean of faculty 1796

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

(Mitchell Library)

Thomas Muir

full record »

Contributed By

Internet Archive

[lifeofthomasmuir00mackiala]

(from 'The life of Thomas Muir, Esq. Advocate, younger of Huntershill, near Glasgow; member of the convention of delegates for reform in Scotland...' 1831)

Thomas Muir 1793

full record »

By

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a1259005 / PXE 775, 33b]

(Thomas Muir - Illustrious Martyr in the glorious cause of truth of freedom and of equal laws 1793 (Mitchell Library)

Thomas Muir Esqr, Younger of Huntershill, 1793

full record »

By

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a3945001 / P2/507]

(Mitchell Library)

Thomas Muir, engraved by T Holloway from a bust modelled by Tho Banks 1795

full record »

By

Thomas Holloway

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[nla.pic-an9900608]

Librarian Sarah Dingwell on the effect of the 1978 Hilton bombing on the City of Sydney library in the Queen Victoria Building

full record »

By

Courtesy:

City of Sydney Council

(Oral history collection)

Crime