Norfolk Island

Norfolk Island

Norfolk Island - external site is located far off the east coast of Australia. It is 1610 kilometres ENE of Sydney and 1456 km ESE of Brisbane. The Island is a volcanic outcrop 8km long and 5km wide. Norfolk Island

Norfolk Island is the site of one of the earliest European settlements in the Southwest Pacific. In March 1788, just after the colony of New South Wales was established, Lieutenant Philip Gidley King and 22 settlers (including nine male and six female convicts) landed at what is now Kingston, Norfolk Island. In 1806, the government of the time decided the island was too difficult and costly to maintain. The inhabitants were transferred to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) and all buildings were destroyed to discourage unauthorised settlers. Norfolk Island

A second settlement was established in 1825. This time the island was to be a penal colony for the worst convicts from New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land. It was officially described as 'a place of the extremist punishment, short of death'. Conditions were harsh and many convicts died from disease, murder and failed escape attempts. Convict labour was used to construct the main buildings on the island, which remain standing to this day. In 1855, the island was abandoned as a penal colony and convicts transferred (again) to Van Diemen's Land. Norfolk Island

The third settlement was the following year. One hundred and ninety-four men, women and children made the 3,700 mile, five week journey from Pitcairn Island - external site to Norfolk Island. Almost all of them were descendants of the Bounty mutineers, the British naval officers involved in the1789 mutiny against Captain William Bligh - external site. Norfolk Island

Today, Norfolk Island is home to 1,800 permanent residents. Thirty-five per cent are descendants of the Bounty mutineers. Due to the number of shared surnames, many of the descendents are listed in the local telephone book by their nicknames for identification purposes - Lettuce Leaf, Spuddy, Bubby, Diddles and Loppy to name just a few. Norfolk Island

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