Duke Makes Sport in the Colonies
First published
25 January 1868
His Royal Highness, Prince Alfred, the Duke Edinburgh, 23 years old and the second son - Queen Victoria, has been having a fine old l.!Ille on his tour of the colonies. He arrived here - captain of HMS Galatea. Rumour has it that companied by Melbourne's Chief of Police, Captain Frederick Standish, and other dignitaries, the Duke visited the Saddling Paddock at the Theatre Royal.
Begging your pardon, but everybody calls it -addling Paddock because that is where the :nost notorious women of Melbourne gather. It a small bar presided over by a man, and it is here the girls gather for their pick-ups. On no account would you ever take your wife or jaughter to such a place.
From there they went to Sarah Fraser's house of ill repute in Stephen Street. According to the police reporter, J.M.Forde, one young lady, one of the most handsome, followed the Duke to Sydney and set up house in Castlereagh treet.
The Duke has also visited a public ball in Melbourne's Exhibition building. Is this proper? Bishop Perry immediately pointed out that the love of balls is indicative of a poor condition of Christian health. The theatre, balls and racing are on the same level as drunkenness, fornication and racing.
However, best of all, His Royal Highness has enjoyed shooting; killing animals. In South Australia the Governor took him to the Government Farm in the Adelaide Hills. The ideal situation for possum shooting was a moonlight night. One looked up through the trees, silhouetted the possum against the moon.