museums – Communicating Creatively

The Bounty Folk Museum

14/04/202214/04/2022 by communicatingcreatively, posted in Stories From Life

Norfolk Island has a number of great museums as it has a very rich history, maritime and otherwise.

Of course one of the most famous aspects of its history is the fact that the Bounty Mutineer descendants made their home on Norfolk island after transferring from Pitcairn Island. There also had been a Polynesian Settlement before Captain Cook arrived and two Penal Colonies prior to arrival of Bounty Mutineer descendants.

The Bounty Folk Museum is situated at Middlegate, on the way to the UNESCO World Heritage site at Kingston and Arthur’s Vale if you are heading there from Burnt Pine, the main shopping centre on the Island.

On http://www.norfolkisland.com.au The Bounty Folk Museum is described as ‘A treasure chest of history, an Aladdin’s cave full of fantastic collections, excellent learning resources and inspiring information …’.

We visit The Bounty Folk Museum every time we go to Norfolk Island and each time, we allow 2-3 hours time to explore. It is much bigger than it looks from the outside.

Rather than me try to explain what you will find there, have a look at the images below. It is absolutely fascinating! The following images do not show all the rooms there.

This museum is very much on the ‘must do’ list when you are visiting Norfolk Island!

Till next time!

Written and Photographed by David Johnson

14 April 2022

Norfolk Island – Paradise!

05/03/2022 by communicatingcreatively, posted in Stories From Life

On 18 February 2022, my Wife, Susan and I headed off to one of our favourite places to go for a holiday, Norfolk Island for 10 nights. It was our third trip there.

View from Queen Elizabeth Lookout over Quality Row (part of Kingston World Heritage site), the Golf course and Nepean and Phillip Islands.

Norfolk Island is located 1,766 kilometres (1,097 miles) North East of Sydney, Australia and there are only two flights in and out per week. The Island itself is an external territory of Australia that was gifted to Australia by the British Commonwealth back in 1913. It became self-governing in 1979 but then in 2015 the Australian Government took over control.

There have been 4 settlements on the Island. Archaeological evidence suggests the the Polynesians were there between (c.1150 and c.1450 AD), then in 1788 the British arrived on Norfolk Island and a Penal colony existed till 1814, then was closed down. A while later, another Penal colony was established and that was closed down in 1856.

Gallows Gate – New Gaol – Penal Settlement

The ‘Mutiny On The Bounty’ also had a part to play as, after the Mutiny, Fletcher Christian and the other mutineers ended up taking The Bounty to Pitcairn Island (some 7,000+ kilometres East of Sydney). Descendants of the mutineers then settled on Norfolk Island in 1856 and descendants of the 8 families are still on Norfolk Island to this day.

As mentioned, this is our third visit there, the first being our Honeymoon in 1997, then for our 10th Wedding Anniversary in 2007. This time it was for our 25th Wedding Anniversary and we will definitely be going back again.

Susan and a Moreton Bay Fig Tree
at ‘100 Acres’.

The Island is only 34.6 square kilometres (13.36 square miles) in area and is 8km (4.97 miles) wide and 5km (3.1 miles) long however, in three visits there we have not seen it all or done everything there is to do there. It is such and amazing place that caters for all interests and tastes. Whether you are a history buff, like to relax, sketch, paint, photograph, play sports (including Golf), swim, surf, snorkel, read, kayak, paddle-board, fish, hike, go out to restaurants, live bands or shop, there is something for everyone.