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The Pacific - Norfolk Island page 1 of 3
Norfolk Island lies 1610kms ENE of Sydney, 1456kms ESE of Brisbane, 1063kms NNW of Auckland and 772kms SE of Noumea. Norfolk Island is a volcanic outcrop 8km long and 5km wide. Two smaller uninhabited islands, Nepean and Phillip, lie to the south at a distance of 1km and 6km respectively. Norfolk Island is 3855ha. Following its discovery by Captain James Cook on 10 October 1774; Norfolk Island became the site of one of the earliest European settlements in the Southwest Pacific and is arguably the most famous place of secondary punishment for nineteenth century British Convicts. After two convict settlement periods (1788-1814 & 1825-1855), Norfolk was handed over to the Pitcairn people in 1856. 194 people made this 3700 mile, 5-week journey to Norfolk Island; arriving on 8 June 1856. Almost all these new settlers were descendants of the most famous naval mutiny in modern history - "HMS Bounty". The Pitcairn Islanders have maintained and cultivated their distinctive culture and language, and have preserved the rich history and natural magnificence of the Island. The language spoken on Norfolk Island is English, but you'll hear the Islanders speaking "Norfolk", a unique language derived from the speech of the Bounty Mutineers and their Tahitian wives and companions. Norfolk has approximately 1800 citizens with roughly equal numbers of Pitcairn descendants, Australians and New Zealanders. Click to continue. |
I flew to Norfolk Island
with my father in August 2003 for a week's R&R.
© 2005 F. Forsyth