Kingston - Norfolk Island



Most of the Norfolk Island coast is cliffs, topped by the distinctive outlines of Norfolk Island Pines.



Landing places are few and far between, for people in boats.



However, at the south end of the island there is a sheltered shore, where a coral reef protects a string of small sandy beaches. The lagoon between the white water breaking over the reef offers excellent and safe snorkeling, especially in front of the sandy beach in the distance of the above photograph. That area is now known as Emily Bay, and a gap in the southern end of reef gave access from the ocean for the first Polynesian settlers. They lived in a village set behind the beach sometime between 400-800 years ago.



Another gap at the northern end of the reef was chosen by the British settlers in 1788 for their landing site and subsequent harbour, long after the Polynesians had abandoned the island.



Then, as the British established their settlement, a township spread out around the coastal plain behind the beaches and the town of Kingston took shape. Or rather, a penal colony was built, and most of the buildings were in direct context to such a site. The initial purpose of the settlement was to grow and supply food for the people back in Port Jackson, now Sydney, the first British settlement in Australia. And convict labour was part of the plan. The first settlement was abandoned in 1814, then a second and continuous establishment was set up in 1825.

Below is just a brief selection from my own photographs of some of the settlement, for a full description of the island's history and buildings go to this heritage site .



The Pier Store, or Commissariat Store, was built in 1825 and dominates the approach to the island from the harbour. It was the first building built in the re-settlement. All the first settlement buildings were destroyed when abandoned in case they were used by other nationalities to settle the island.



The Crankmill lies behind the Pier Store and was built in 1827. This was also built as a store, but subsequent uses included a human-powered crankmill - a form of punishment for the prisoners so memorable that the name has stuck in common use for the building.



The archway of the main entrance to the New Gaol. This compound was used to lock up those convicts who committed further crimes while on the island. However, judging by the building's large size, and how it was such convicts who were sent to cut stone from the reef quarries or work the crankmill, it would seem that many people were pressed into such order under cruel treatment. The island had a terrible record of cruel treatment of the shipped convicts and even worse for the prisoners held in this gaol.



A heritage plaque for the gaol gives some details.




The Old Military Barracks were mostly built in 1829 with additions over the years as more soldiers arrived on the island, but within a few years it became clear that larger quarters were required.

The New Military Barracks - which were built further down Military Road, on the other side of the parade ground from the Old barracks.




The barracks were built behind high walls, not only for protection from outside forces, but from the prisoners whom the free people of the island feared. The garrison was deliberately housed on higher ground, across the common and swamp from the prisoners barracks on the foreshore next to the gaol.



The Officers' Quarters in the New Barracks - the design is simple but at the time on the island must have been very imposing and grand. There was strict social hierarchy on the island and everyone would have known their place.



The common, seen from Military road. This is an area of ground which was originally marshy. The wall in the distance, on the foreshore is the perimeter wall of the Prisoners' Barracks, which was next to the gaol. The wall remains, but the buildings are mostly gone. The cricket pitch must be one of the oldest in Australia.



The gateway to Government House - the residence of the island commandants, and still the residence of the administrator of the island.



The Officers' Baths - when a stream was channeled and culverted to make level ground for the soldiers' parade ground, the resulting access to the water was via a stepped well. This became known as the Officers' Baths. It might seem to be of a peculiar structure, but in the 19th century, the British would have been familiar with the ghats of India. These were of similar, clever design, allowing access to water regardless of the water level.




No 10 Quality Row - Quality Row was the road extending off Military Road where the higher society people were housed. This house was built in 1844 and occupied by the Foremen of the Works. The first of whom was Thomas Seller, who lived there with a manservant. As with all the buildings in Kingston, the quality of the stone-masonry and building was of a high standard. Clearly there must have been skilled craftsmen amongst the prisoners who built these fine structures.



The island cemetery was set above a beach at the far end of Quality Row and has been used continuously since the second settlement was established. There are many insights to life and death recorded on the headstones including; drowning, accidental shooting, murder and child death. Any island life is a close community and many of the names on the stones in the cemetery are carried down to today.



Today - cattle roam free on grazings around Kingston and the terrors of the penal colony are silent but not forgotten.




Chickens also roam over the commons - feral descendants of escapee fowl or old birds released by islanders for a last few years in freedom.



And the island still relies on shipments of stores, all landed by small craft from supply vessels anchored in the bay. Some island life has not changed.