Home » Themes » Landscape » Settlement
Bounty MonumentPrint Page 
The monument commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn Islanders on Norfolk Island in 1856.
On 8 June 1856, the next settlement began on Norfolk Island. These were the descendants of Tahitians and the HMS Bounty mutineers, resettled from the Pitcairn Islands, which had become too small for their growing population. The British government had permitted the transfer of the Pitcairners to Norfolk, which was thus established as a colony separate from New South Wales but under the administration of that colony's governor. They left Pitcairn Islands on 3 May 1856 and arrived with 194 persons (40 men and 47 women, 54 boys and 53 girls) on 8 June.
The Pitcairners occupied many of the buildings remaining from the penal settlements, and gradually established their traditional farming and whaling industries on the island. Although some families decided to return to Pitcairn in 1858 and 1863, the island's population continued to slowly grow as the island accepted settlers, often arriving with whaling fleets.
Location
| Address: | Taylor`s Road, Bi-Centenary Centre, Norfolk Island, 2899 |
|---|---|
| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -29.032629 Long: 167.949824 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Landscape |
| Sub-Theme: | Settlement |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 08-June-1856 |
Dedication
Plaque :
HMAV "Bounty"
The crew of this historic vessel, on the morning of 28 April 1789, in the mid Pacific Ocean took up arms against their Commander, William Bligh. Nine of the mutineers, accompanied by a small number of Polynesians (six men, twelve women, and one female child) sailed the captured ship to uninhabited Pitcairn Island. The "Bounty" was burnt in the close waters of the island and the mutineers successfully escaped tenacious persuit by naval authorities.
The twenty-eight new settlers on Pitcairn Island commenced the making of a new people. A distinctive language evolved, a unique system of community government was erected with electoral participation by both men and women, and a rich array of sustaining crafts flourished. The community over a period of generations outgrew the resources of Pitcairn Island and were eventually offered a new home.
In 1856, the descendants of the original mutineers and their Polynesian partners moved from Pitcairn Island to Norfolk Island.
The names of the 194 settlers who arrived in Norfolk Island on 8 June 1856, to form the islands present settlement are inscribed on this tablet. Each is honoured in the millenium year as a torch bearer for Norfolk Island`s heritage.
Plaque :
Persons who landed on Norfolk Island from Pitcairn Island on June 8, 1856
One hundred and ninety-four persons landed at Kingston from the transport "Morayshire" which was anchored in Sydney Bay. They consisted of forty men, forty-seven women, fifty-four boys, and fifty-three girls.
[ Names ]
