Penal Time Tuesday 8th August 2017

A wet and windy night which seems to have rearranged the deckchairs on the deck of the unit next to us. The rest of the day is cloudy and windy, but no rain.
We have a voucher for a display at the Norfolk Island Travel centre that we booked with which has great photos and storyboards about the products of Norfolk - milling of the Norfolk Pine (because the branches come off in a rosette pattern this forms weak points which meant that Cook's hopes that they could be used for ship's spars were dashed);tourism especially after the advent of the airport built during WW2;Kentia Palms for decorative use; flax weaving - although not with the original flax which Cook thought would be good for sails and linen.
We also had a voucher for a CD called "Voices from The Past" where you drive around various points listening to the CD. While the letters and diary entries were very interesting we failed to match up the stopping points which was very frustrating, but led us to explore the Sou-West corner of the island.
After lunch back at the apartment and then we head out for a dual tour (we had vouchers) of Life as a Convict and Pitcairn Pioneers.

Entrance to the gaol - it would have had thick wooden doors.

The pentagonal layout - watch for the plan on Thursday's blog. It had 5 wings.

 We thought we probably knew most of the history by now but our driver/tourguide Dave was so knowledgeable as we toured the "New Gaol" we learned a lot. The first gaol was built of timber in the 1780's but burned when they decided to leave the island.

This is a cell - to be shared by 2 prisoners.

 Now this amazed us - the complex sewerage system. this is the drain into which the effluent flowed and then down to the sea.

This is Dave on top of one of the latrine seats - carefully rounded so as not to scratch the skin

On the left of this gate were some steps  which prisoners mounted to the gallows and were hanged. All prisoners here were multiple offenders but sometimes the crimes were very petty - eg Stole a rabbit. Stole 2 slices of bread

 Conditions were harsh and disciplined as evidenced by the reaction of those prisoners who mutinied. Those that were to be hanged were joyous at their blessed release, but those who were spared death, wept.

Looking out to Phillip Island

This is a lime pit where the coral was burned to form a white powder suitable as a mortar for the brick buildings

This is the blacksmiths furnace

The Royal Engineers made sure that their building was a a little bit grander on the verandah.

A Memorial to the first Penal Colony which was then disbanded.

The next part of the tour was looking at the houses on Quality Street. Now they are being conserved - but not restored. so for example these houses will not have their verandas restored.

There were many fireplaces in the houses but this one is in the kitchen....

and the heat from the fire was ducted through to the oven

Many years after the Pitcairners took up residence in Norfolk they were told that the houses they thought they were gifted they would now have to pay rent on. This forced them to rebuild on their 50 acre blocks, but one or two of the Quality Row houses were burned out by the disgruntled "tenants"

We were then taken to one of the blocks of 50 acres that Queen Victoria had given them and where they built timber houses - although they were able to take some of the rocks from the prison which was now abandoned.

Same design as the Quality Row houses with 2 windows either side of the door.

We were told not to go close to the building as in recent times some people had tried to look inside and been hit by falling timber. Some of the deafer members of the tour party got perilously close.

The timbers are Norfolk Pine but it is not a very hard wood and the building is decaying fast.

The roof is set up for shingles, but had corrugated  iron put over it as the Norfolk Pine shingles didn't last all that long. There is still a shingle maker on the island, but he mainly makes casurina shingles now as they last twice as long

I think the greenery is holding the whole building up

Dodged our way through the cows to town and that evening we went to a welcome dinner (yes, we had a voucher) put on by the travel firms. The coconut bread was a standout.

The Dead Centre of Norfolk. Monday 7th August 2017

Rain overnight and windy today. We set off to complete the paperwork for the rental car (which we have been driving for 2 days!) They aren't open yet so we go down to Kingston and investigate the golf course and the cemetery where the names of the early settlers and mutineers families and Pitcairners predominate - Buffet, Evans, Christian, Christian, Quintal, McCoy. Some soldiers graves are also here  - the soldiers from Norfolk Island fought with the NZ army.

The brass plaque has the silver fern on it as do the white soldiers graves behind.

One of the oldest tombstones.

The cemetery is well maintained and Norfolk Islanders are buried for free.

These mark the spot of prisoner deaths

The uprising at the second penal colony lead to quite a few deaths - either during the uprising or afterwards when the perpetrators  were executed by hanging.

They killed the cook! I hear the food was pretty bad.

All graves face the sea and to the right is a scruffy piece of land where the prisoners who mutinied were buried. 

Close by is the Magistrate's House which is now where the clubrooms for the golf course are.

The kitchen area, which is an annexe, is now the professional's  shop

 We travel along Quality row (The golf course is No 1 Quality Row) to the dock which must be a very precarious place to land. Everything is bought ashore by lighter - even the buses which were bought ashore straddling two lighters yoked together

This is the rough side of the jetty - the boats land on the right side

This lighter  has seen better days. Captain Cook did a sketch of the Norfolk Pine that you can see in the background.

Norfolk Pine Shingles - need replacing every 7-8 years

This is where the prisoners hand turned the mill to make flour (often from corn not wheat.)

View from the crankmill

Phillip Island - about 6km off shore.

Farmers pay about $300 to let their cattle graze on common land throughout the ialand. They are mustered twice a year for immunisations etc

Look, no electric fence - just drivers doing 50kph max.

We really liked their flag.

Hands off Norfolk Island!!!

Opposition to the Australian take-over of governance. To me it seems like a whole lots of compliance costs for not much in tax and rates

 Back through town, and we headed to the North-east of the island to Simon's water which had a more Polynesian flavour. In fact the roads degrade to tracks and we never got to see any water at Simon's water.
We checked out a vineyard - not open but will be tomorrow.
Headed back into town and went to Cyclorama which is a very large painting in a circular form from leaving Portsmouth on a breadfruit finding mission with Captain Bligh; to Tahiti;to Pitcairn; and then to Norfolk.  It was an excellent summary of what we have seen so far, and we are familiar with a lot of the names mentioned from the cemetery.
Outside is a garden to commemorate Queen Victoria who gave the Pitcairners Norfolk Island (50 acres per family) when they outgrew Pitcairn Island

A statue called Archie and me in the Queen Victoria Gardens

Hibiscus were just starting to bloom.

Lunch, nap and a time to reorganise. After a bit of bookreading, we head off to our "Language Class" which shows the link between the Tahitian ladies and men who joined the mutineers from the Bounty. Gwen means going. It ties in very neatly with our visit to the cemetery and the cyclorama and sort of rounds out the day.
We had a lovely meal at the Hilli and headed home through the pitch black.

Duncan has steak.

Gwen has chicken

Orientation Day Sunday August 6th

After a good night's sleep Duncan went for a run. Unfortunately it is far more hilly than he imagined and the downhills really got to him.

We went to the main street - getting used to the 50kph speed limit and the many cattle stops. We looked at the markets, but a lot of trinkets so not much interest to us. The supermarket is quite expensive and not a great deal of choice, but we want to have a few meals at the apartment. We went to Olive for lunch - very nice. "Crikey" said Duncan when he got his mango smoothie!

Had a quick look at the shops -many from the days when duty free shopping was available here.

We had a voucher for an orientation tour this afternoon and headed off with other geriatrics to get oriented. We went to Kingston where the sandstone houses built by prisoners were very well preserved. The first penal colony was abandoned and all wooden buildings destroyed. The second penal colony was closed down and in 1856, 194 people were transported from Pitcairn Island, made up from the remains of the Mutineers of the Bounty and Tahitian men and women.

The far island is Philip Island where the basalt stone for foundations came from. The near island is Nepean Island where the softer sandstone came from. The golf course is a modern addition.

Emily Bay is a most attractive spot with turquoise water inside the reef and golden sands and a backdrop of Norfolk Pines which when it was planted they found the site of an early Polynesian settlement (11thC to 14thC) Why they left we don't know. Norfolk Island is named for the Duchess of Norfolk by Captain Cook, and the name of the native pine trees followed.

In the distance you can see the chimney of the salt chimney where salt was formed by evaporating off the water from sea water. Salted meat made up a huge part of the diet.

Look! it is so beautiful that even Duncan is looking at Emily Bay. (The golf course is behind).

We wind around the country roads with feral chooks and free range cattle - hence all the cattlestops.
Our next stop is Saint Barnabas Church which was the centre of the Melanesian Mission, and as well as a lovely stained glass window by William Morris there is one showing the baptisms of Melanisians. Huge Kauri timbers bought from New Zealand  frame the church and form the pews.

The ends of the Kauri pews reflects the Tahitian influence

The basaltic foundation stones, the sandstone blocks and the wooden (Norfolk Pine) Bell tower.

Stained glass window
by William Morris

The nave of the church

To finish our tour we have a Devonshire tea on this point overlooking the Pacific Ocean

It is a pleasant drive back to town and  we return to our Jacaranda Park Apartment to negotiate the gas oven which I am not familiar with.

This is part of the Norfolk Telephone book. Bookie is one of the Jacaranda hosts.