Lord Howe Island Discovery Day

This month in history, on 17 February 1788, Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball and crew on board the First Fleet Armed Tender HMS Supply discovered Lord Howe Island on their voyage from Sydney Cove, New South Wales to Norfolk Island. This was an organised journey with the instructions to set up the first British Colonial Settlement on Norfolk Island which was discovered my Captain James Cook in October 1774. Philip Gidley King and twenty-two First Fleeters were the first British pioneer settlers on Norfolk Island, 6 March 1788, and every year Foundation Day is celebrated on Norfolk Island. On the return journey to Botany Bay, New South Wales, Lt Ball sent a party of his HMS Supply crew ashore at Lord Howe Island, on 13 March 1788, claiming the island for King and Country, becoming part of the British Colonies.

Extracts for the internet, follow the links to read more.

Lord Howe Island - Wikipedia

The first reported sighting by Europeans of Lord Howe Island took place on 17 February 1788, when Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball, commander of the Armed Tender HMS Supply, was en route from Botany Bay to found a penal settlement on Norfolk Island. On the return journey of 13 March 1788, Ball observed Ball's Pyramid and sent a party ashore on Lord Howe Island to claim it as a British possession. Numerous turtles and tame birds were captured and returned to Sydney, Ball named Mount Lidgbird and Ball's Pyramid after himself and the main island after Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe, who was First Lord of the Admiralty at the time.

Many names on the island date from this time, and also from May of the same year, when four ships of the First Fleet, HMS Supply, Charlotte, Lady Penrhyn and Scarborough, visited it. Much of the plant and animal life was first recorded in the journals and diaries of visitors such as David Blackburn, Master of Supply, and Arthur Bowes Smyth, surgeon of the Lady Penrhyn.

It subsequently became a provisioning port for the whaling industry, and was permanently settled in June 1834. When whaling declined, the 1880s saw the beginning of the worldwide export of the endemic kentia palms, which remains a key component of the island's economy. The other continuing industry, tourism, began after World War II ended in 1945.

The Lord Howe Island Group is part of the state of New South Wales and is regarded legally as an unincorporated area administered by the Lord Howe Island Board, which reports to the New South Wales Minister for Environment and Heritage. The island's standard time zone is UTC+10:30, or UTC+11 when daylight saving time applies. The currency is the Australian dollar. Commuter airlines provide flights to Sydney, Brisbane, and Port Macquarie.

UNESCO records the Lord Howe Island Group as a World Heritage Site of global natural significance. Most of the island is virtually untouched forest, with many of the plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. Other natural attractions include the diversity of the landscapes, the variety of upper mantle and oceanic basalts, the world's southernmost barrier coral reef, nesting seabirds, and the rich historical and cultural heritage. The Lord Howe Island Act 1981 established a "Permanent Park Preserve" (covering about 70% of the island). The island was added to the Australian National Heritage List on 21 May 2007 and the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. The surrounding waters are a protected region designated the Lord Howe Island Marine Park.

17 February is Discovery Day on Lord Howe Island, and the community and visitors gather and have a fun day. I read they have kentia palm tree climbing competitions, rolling barrels, races for all ages including three legged races and the slow bike ride. They also enjoy a traditional fish fry and a relaxing day.

Norfolk Island also has links with Lord Howe, the kentia palm trees grown in Norfolk Island are from Lord Howe Island, and the seeds were also exported to overseas markets. As remote Sub-tropical islands, we share similar flora and fauna. I read that Lord Howe at 16 km², it is approximately half the size of Norfolk Island and we both have a beautiful lagoon with coral reefs. There has also been sporting links with Lord Howe Island, the local bowling club members have enjoyed visiting the island’s bowling club, and charter flights were sometimes organised instead of flying via the mainland.

I have never visited Lord Howe Island, but I am sure I would enjoy exploring and snorkeling and imagine I would take hundreds of photos. Maybe one day I will get to visit this lovely remote South Pacific Island.

The images included with this article are from the online internet photographs. Thank you to those who captured these stunning views, plus I also found a few historic images and sketches.

Betty Matthews

23 February 2024