Flight of the Fenians: 150th Anniversary of the Catalpa Rescue

Free Outdoor Exhibition 

150 years ago, six Irish political prisoners risked everything for liberty. As members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, they dreamed of an independent Ireland, free from British rule—a dream that resulted in their transportation to Fremantle Prison in 1868.

In April 1876, under the watchful eyes of their captors, they slipped away from their convict work parties and raced south to Rockingham, pursued by the authorities. Their goal was to reach the American whaling ship Catalpa, waiting offshore. This was a daring, international rescue that defied the odds and continues to capture the public’s imagination 150 years later.

Join us at Fremantle Prison to commemorate one of convict history’s boldest escapes, as the Fenian story is told in the free exhibition Flight of the Fenians: 150^th anniversary of the Catalpa rescue.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY TO FREMANTLE PRISON GROUNDS:

• Fremantle Prison is a World Heritage site, and must be respected at all times
• Visitors to Fremantle Prison and Fremantle Prison ground should note that the surfaces you walk on are not always even, please watch your step
• No shoes, no shirt, no entry
• Fremantle Prison is strictly a non-smoking site including the Terrace Gardens
• Fremantle Prison accepts no liability for any loss, damage or injury arising from a visit or whilst on the premises
• It is a condition of entry to all Fremantle Prison grounds, that visitors observe all signs and follow instructions by Fremantle Prison staff
• Fremantle Prison retains the right to deny access and/or remove visitors who are being a public nuisance, acting recklessly, or failing to observe directions from Fremantle Prison staff or signage