Norfolk Island is a small external territory of Australia, located in the Pacific Ocean. It has a history of settlement by Polynesians and as a British penal colony. Today, it is a self-governing territory with beautiful scenery, beaches, and outdoor activities. Flights arrive daily from Australia and New Zealand.
Norfolk Island is a small external territory of Australia. It covers just over 13 square miles (35 square km), making it the eighth smallest nation or territory in the world. Norfolk Island is located east of Australia in the Pacific Ocean.
Norfolk Island has apparently been uninhabited for most of human history, with the earliest evidence of settlement appearing in the 14th century. These first settlers were probably Polynesians from one of the New Zealand islands. Although he appears to have established a permanent settlement on Norfolk Island which lasted for at least a few decades, they eventually faded away, leaving the island empty once more.
Captain Cook was the first European to sight Norfolk Island in 1774 and named the island after the Duchess of Norfolk. Norfolk Island boasted a ready source of flax and tall trees that seemed suitable for masts, both items the British needed at the time, so a settlement on the island was quite desirable. A penal colony was established in 1788, with prisoners given the opportunity to develop into freed colonists, and for the next several decades it suffered hardship. In the early 19th century the settlement was abandoned and the livestock and buildings were destroyed so that no one was tempted to reclaim the land.
A decade later a new penal colony was established, this time with the idea of sending the worst prisoners imaginable, to isolate them from the mainland colonies. By all accounts, the Second Colony on Norfolk Island was a truly hellish place, and a number of second-hand reports state that the prisoners who were sent there, never to return, sought death like a kind of forgiveness. A number of damning reports of conditions on the island eventually led to reforms and eventually the penal colony was closed, with the remaining prisoners being sent to Tasmania.
In 1850 a new settlement was established on Norfolk Island, this time by free settlers from the Pitcairn Islands, mostly descendants of Tahitian mutineers on the Bounty, who had outgrown their own islands. Free settlement grew slowly but steadily, focusing primarily on agriculture and whaling as a livelihood.
At the turn of the 20th century, with the creation of the Australian Commonwealth, the administration of Norfolk Island passed from Great Britain to Australia. In the late 1920s its status changed slightly to grant the island’s government a fair degree of autonomy, removing it somewhat from Australia’s parliamentary system, but making it the only external territory to be self-governing.
The scenery and beaches are Norfolk Island’s main attractions, with a few historical points of interest to fill the gaps. Norfolk Island National Park contains stunning rainforest, and numerous trails offer excellent hiking and biking. The incredible Norfolk Island Pine, featured on the Norfolk Island flag, can reach heights of up to 180 feet (60m) and is a popular natural attraction.
Fishing, scuba diving, charter boats, swimming, snorkelling, surfing and sea kayaking all offer the opportunity to enjoy some of the beautiful waters around Norfolk Island and a number of pristine beaches offer something a little more relaxing for those who just want to lay back and enjoy the sun.
Flights arrive daily on Norfolk Island from a number of airports in Australia and New Zealand.
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