1856 The Untold Story

On Tuesday I was lucky to be invited to go on the 1856 Untold Story Tour. We were picked up by the Baunti Escapes bus at 7.30pm, before heading to Kingston Pier and then on to Quality Row.

The tour features oral history and diary entries from Pitcairners read by their descendants, as well as extracts of logs from various sea captains.

The story begins on The Bounty, progresses to Tahiti and then covers the discovery and settling of this small group of people on Pitcairn Island. The obvious overcrowding on such a small island, prompted discussion in England on how to best help them.

Prior to 1856, it was written in the register that Norfolk Island was a ‘British Empty and Unoccupied Land’. This allowed Queen Victoria to gift the island to the Pitcairn Islanders. The island was well stocked with domestic animals and there were roads and houses. In 1856, when the naval transport Morayshire arrived, all 193 islanders boarded her.

We heard of the difficulty they suffered as they travelled to Norfolk Island; the terrible weather on the day they came ashore and their surprise at the size and quality of the houses in their new home.

As we drove along Quality Row, we were regaled with stories of those that had lived there. These stories were laced with gratitude and humour. It was interesting to hear how life dramatically changed for them and what they achieved over the years.

As Norfolk Island’s new residents had not lived in buildings of this calibre before, they had no idea how to repair the buildings and some fell into a state of disrepair.

On 1 January 1901, the administration of Norfolk Island was transferred to the Governor of New South Wales. In 1903 the NSW Government decided to issue licenses for the occupation of the Kingston houses, in order to combat continued decay. As a result, eviction notices were served to those living in Quality Row. The evictions of protesting residents and ongoing tensions resulted in the burning of a number of houses in 1908. Some of these were restored and were pointed out as a part of the tour.

We then headed to the Cemetery, where we heard some of the island’s hymns and a conversation in Norf’k about the 100^th year celebration of Anniversay Day.

The tour was informative, humorous and well presented. This really is the untold story of Norfolk Island. as one woman on our bus said, “It’s nice to hear a story that isn’t about pain and anguish, whippings and punishment. It’s just wonderful to have an insight into the people who live here now”.

To book, follow this link: https://www.bauntitours.com/tour/1856-the-untold-story/