News from the Norfolk Island Cattle Association

The following office bearers and committee members were elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Norfolk Island Cattle Association (NICA) held on 2 March 2022 at the School:

Office bearers

President: Aaron Graham Vice President: PJ Wilson

Secretary: Robin Adams Assistant Secretary: Katie Walden

Treasurer: Sheryl Buffett Appointed Auditor: Cathy O’Sullivan

Committee members:

Candice Nobbs, Karen Poacher, George Parsons, Craig Randall, James Partridge, Matt Bigg, Simon Bigg and Kevin Randall

Wide ranging discussion took place on the future of the cattle industry, the Embryo and A.I initiative and erection of the new cattle yards funded by the Commonwealth. It was agreed that NICA establish a Facebook page to keep the community informed.

NICA representatives attended a worthwhile meeting on 3 March with representatives of GML Heritage and Conrad Gargett. GML Heritage has been engaged by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications to review and update the current KAVHA Heritage Management Plan (HMP). A team lead by Conrad Gargett architects, and including GML, has also been engaged to prepare a Site Master Plan (SMP) for Kingston. NICA representatives met with consultants GML Heritage + Context in 2019 when they were preparing a Cultural Landscape Management Plan – an Outcomes Report has been provided to NICA.

The consultants were provided with a compendium of historical documents which give valuable background to Norfolk’s cattle industry which is one of the oldest surviving industries on the Island.

“The cattle industry is one of the oldest surviving industries on Norfolk Island and is a significant part of primary industry on Norfolk Island. The existing use principle should be applied in acknowledgement that cattle have grazed in KAVHA since as early as 1796 when there “was an enclosure for cattle in the centre of the valley and a granary……Grazing was the main land use in the Pitcairn Settlement and breached dam was used to grow vegetables”

Source: ‘Freemen & Convicts’ published by the KAVHA Management Board/DIRD

in 2013 with content by Jean Rice Architect; see page 36

Honorary Secretary

10 March 2022