Norfolk Islanders

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Norfolk Islanders
Norfuk Aileners
Total population
347 or 15.9% were Norfolk Island-born
out of a total population of 2,188
(2021 census) usual resident pop) [1]
Regions with significant populations
Flag of Norfolk Island.svg  Norfolk Island 347 [1]
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia (mainland)315 [2]
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 108 (2018) [3]
Flag of the United States.svg  United States 99
    Flag of California.svg  California 94
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 89
Languages
Religion
Christianity (68.5%) [2]
Related ethnic groups

Norfolk Islanders (Pitcairn-Norfolk : Norfuk Aileners), also referred to as just Islanders, are the inhabitants or residents of Norfolk Island, an external territory of Australia. The Islanders have their own unique identity and are predominantly people of Pitcairn and English descent and to a lesser extent of Scottish and Irish. [1]

Contents

The culture held in common by most native-born Norfolk Islanders is mainstream Norfolk culture, traditions primarily inherited from the 194 Pitcairn settlers in 1856. All of the people that claim Pitcairn ancestry are descended from the British HMS Bounty mutineers and the Tahitian companions, including the few who settled afterwards. In the 2021 census, there were 347 Norfolk Island-born residents out of a total of 2,188 inhabiting the island, a decrease over the 2016 census. [1] [2]

There is a small Norfolk Islander diaspora in mainland Australia (particularly New South Wales and Queensland) and New Zealand due to people having relocated temporarily or migrated permanently. [4]

History

Discovery and name

Archaeological findings suggest that the island had previously been used as a stopover for seafaring Polynesians. [5] [6] The final fate of the early settlers remains a mystery. [7]

The first European known to have sighted and landed on the island was Captain James Cook, on his second voyage on HMS Resolution. From New Caledonia to New Zealand Cook came across the island on 10 October 1774. Finding the island uninhabited, Cook claimed it for Britain and named it after English noblewoman Mary Howard, Duchess of Norfolk. [8]

British settlement

In 1786 the British government included Norfolk Island as an auxiliary settlement, proposed by Sir  John Call. When the First Fleet arrived at Port Jackson in January 1788, its commander, Captain Arthur Phillip, ordered Lieutenant Philip Gidley King to take control of the island and prepare for its commercial development. King arrived there on 6 March 1788 on board HMS Supply. [9]

Norfolk King was born 8 January 1789 on Norfolk Island. He was the first child born on Norfolk Island. [10] With his parents on aboard HMS Supply in March 1790, his name was recorded as "Norfolk King Inett" in the shipping muster. His parents were Lieutenant Phillip Gidley King and female convict Ann Inett. [11] [12] By 1814 the first penal settlement lay abandoned, until on 6 June 1825 a second penal settlement was established by Captain Richard Turton; it lasted until 1855. [13] The town of New Norfolk, Tasmania was established with the evacuation of Norfolk Island in 1807–1808, named after their former home.

Pitcairn settlers

Pitcairn men of Norfolk Island 1861. Descendants of the mutineers, 1862.jpg
Pitcairn men of Norfolk Island 1861.

In 1855 the British Government offered by Queen Victoria gave another choice to the Pitcairn community. Norfolk Island's dreadful second penal settlement had been disbanded and the island was handed by an Imperial Order-In-Council of June 1856, to the people of Pitcairn as a permanent home. On 3 May 1856, the entire population of 193 (plus a baby (Reuben Denison Christian) born en route; making it 194) along with everything they owned began the five-week voyage aboard the Morayshire to Norfolk Island, arriving on 8 June 1856. [15] These were the descendants of Tahitians and the HMS Bounty mutineers, resettled from the Pitcairn Islands, which had become too small for their growing population. The British government had permitted the transfer of the Pitcairners to Norfolk, which was thus established as a colony separate from New South Wales but under the administration of that colony's governor. [16]

The Pitcairners occupied many of the buildings remaining from the penal settlements, and gradually established their traditional farming and whaling industries on the island. Although some families decided to return, with 17 members of the Young family to Pitcairn in 1858 and 1863, the island's population continued to slowly grow as the island accepted settlers, often arriving with whaling fleets.

Pitcairn descent

In the 2016 census, the question asked was – What is the person's ancestry?, different to previous censuses by the Norfolk Island government. Those who gave a response to the ancestry question showed that 29.6% of the ‘usual residents’ population had Pitcairn ancestry. [17] When broken down as a total ancestry response, there were 484 or 20.0% of all ancestries reported identified as having Pitcairn ancestry. Out of the 53.7% of usual residents population who chose just a single ancestry, 14.8% identified as only ‘Pitcairn’ and 12.4% were part-Pitcairn plus another ancestry.

Distribution of ‘Ordinarily Resident’ population
CensusPercent
33.2%
1986
66.2%
0.6%
38.4%
2011
60.8%
0.8%
2016
29.6%
     Yes, of Pitcairn Descent     No, not of Pitcairn Descent
     Not Stated,      Pitcairn ancestry (2016) [17] [18]

An additional 120 people (7 percent of usual residents) chose ‘Norfolk Island’ ancestry with 30 identified as having Pitcairn descent. [17] [2] The 2011 census (Norfolk Island government) asked a question relating to Pitcairn descent with the questions – "yes, of Pitcairn descent" and "no, not of Pitcairn descent" only of the "Ordinarily Resident Population". [19] People of Pitcairn descent may have relocated temporarily or migrated which is a possible factor in the increased number of persons of other descent. [18] Norfolk's Pitcairn descendants are already at least 7th or 8th generation, and those in younger age groups are probably 9th generation.

Surnames

Among the Islanders, the descendants of the Pitcairners share only a few family names: Adams, Christian, McCoy, Quintal, and Young are the "Bounty mutineer names"; Buffett, Evans, and Nobbs are "Pitcairn names" – descended from the two Englishmen and one Welshman who married into the mutineer families on Pitcairn; and Blucher, Bataille, Robinson, Snell, Rossiter, and Bailey are among the "Norfolk names". [20] [21] [22]

Transfer of territory

The Norfolk Island Act of 1913 established Norfolk Island as a territory under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia, transferring the territory from the British crown in July 1914.

Demographics

Birthplace

In the 2016 census, native-born Norfolk Islanders were 22.1% of the total population. Table shows the most recent 2016 census data of the population by birthplace. Immigration flow from mainland Australia and New Zealand has been a substantial proportion of the population throughout the 20th century to the present-day. Those born in Norfolk Island have been in steady decline since the 1947 census where they formed a majority of 52% of the total population. [23]

Birthplace 2016
MalesFemalesPersonsPercent
Norfolk Island 38122.1%
Australia68539.7%
New Zealand30317.6%
Fiji -472.7%
England-452.6%
Philippines402.3%
Total8189301,748100.0%
Source: [2]

Age

The median age of people in Norfolk Island (State Suburbs) was 49 years. Children aged 0–14 years made up 16.9% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 23.8% of the population.

2016 Census age distribution
Age rangeNumberPercentage
0–4 years  844.8%
5–9 years  1046.0%
10–14 years  1066.1%
15–19 years  764.4%
20–24 years  311.8%
25–29 years  533.1%
30–34 years  683.9%
35–39 years  1066.1%
40–44 years  1166.7%
45–49 years  1287.4%
50–54 years  1438.2%
55–59 years  1579.0%
60–64 years  1518.7%
65–69 years  1428.2%
70–74 years  1076.2%
75–79 years  774.4%
80–84 years  432.5%
85 years and over452.6%
Median age 49
Source: Bureau of Statistics [24]

Language

English and Norfuk are the official languages. In 2004 an act of the Norfolk Island Assembly made Norfuk a co-official language of the island. In Norfolk Island (State Suburbs), 45.5% of people only spoke English, while 40.9% spoke Norf'k-Pitcairn at home originally introduced by Pitkern-speaking settlers. [2]
2016 census:

Culture

Bounty Day is a national holiday primarily celebrated by islanders of Pitcairn heritage on 8 June, held in the World Heritage area of Kingston, the day that the descendants of the mutineers arrived on the island. The Islander's re-enact the landing of the Pitcairners on the island and is named for the ship HMS Bounty. [20] Another celebration is Thanksgiving held on the last Wednesday of November, similar to the pre–World War II American observance on the last Thursday of the month. This means the Norfolk Island observance is the day before or six days after the United States' observance. The holiday was brought to the island by visiting American whaling ships. [25]

Religion

St. Barnabas Chapel: Church of England on Norfolk Island completed in 1880. Norfolk Island St Barnabas Chapel.jpg
St. Barnabas Chapel: Church of England on Norfolk Island completed in 1880.

The most common religious affiliation in Norfolk Island (State Suburbs) were Anglican 29.5%, No Religion, so described 26.8%, Catholic 12.6%, Uniting Church 9.6% and Not stated 9.6%. In Norfolk Island (State Suburbs), Christianity was the largest religious group reported overall (68.5%) (this figure excludes not stated responses).

Religious affiliation2016 census
NumberPercentage
Christian 68.5%
     Anglican 51129.5%
     Roman Catholic 21812.6%
     Uniting Church 1679.6%
No Religion, so described46526.8%
Not stated1669.6%
Total1,748100.0%
Source: ABS [26]

Sport

Norfolk Islanders gathering at a cricket match in November 1908. Norfolk Island - watching cricket (2807965734).jpg
Norfolk Islanders gathering at a cricket match in November 1908.

Cricket is recorded as having been played on Norfolk Island, an external territory of Australia, as early as 1838, by soldiers stationed on the island. It continued to be played after the island was settled in 1856 by Pitcairn settlers. [27]

Cuisine

The cuisine of Norfolk Island is very similar to that of the Pitcairn Islands, as Norfolk Islanders trace their origins to Pitcairn. The local cuisine is a blend of British cuisine and Tahitian cuisine. [28] [29]

Recipes from Norfolk Island of Pitcairn origin include mudda (green banana dumplings) and kumara pilhi. [30] [31] The islands cuisine also contains American influences not found in Pitcairn, such as chopped salads and fruit pies, due to the influences of American whalers. [32]

Museums

Norfolk Island Museum is an organisation that runs five heritage sites on the island, which are situated in the Kingston and Arthur's Vale Historic Area, a world heritage site associated with the Australian Convict Sites listing. [33] [34] [35] The Bounty Folk Museum is a private museum displaying memorobilia associated with the Bounty settlers. [36]

Diaspora

New Zealand

According to the 2013 census, 96 people listed their birthplace as Norfolk Island. [37] This increased to 108 people (usually resident population) born in Norfolk Island in 2018. [38]

Historical demographics

Population by birthplace: 1933

The results below show the total population of the Island in the 1933 census by their place of birth, with a slight majority being Norfolk Island-born. Native Norfolk Islanders were over 53% of the population, 30% were mainland Australians and New Zealanders, with around 12% born in Europe. [39]

Birthplace 1933 [39]
MalesFemalesPersons
Flag of Norfolk Island.svg Norfolk Island 326325651
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia10583188
Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand11376189
Europe
Flag of England.svg England6640106
Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland121123
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales112
Ireland7411
Channel Islands 101
    Total, British Isles 8756143
Other countries in Europe6410
Asia
British Raj Red Ensign.svg British India 729
Other countries in Asia101
Africa202
Americas235
Polynesia121931
Flag of Fiji (1924-1970).svg Fiji 7815
Other British Possessions325
Flag of New Hebrides.svg New Hebrides 2911
Not stated112
Total6625691,231

Notable people

Notable people from, or associated with Norfolk Island include:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norfolk Island</span> External territory of Australia

Norfolk Island is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, 1,412 kilometres (877 mi) directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about 900 kilometres (560 mi) from Lord Howe Island. Together with the neighbouring Phillip Island and Nepean Island, the three islands collectively form the Territory of Norfolk Island. At the 2021 census, it had 2,188 inhabitants living on a total area of about 35 km2 (14 sq mi). Its capital is Kingston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Norfolk Island</span> Historical account of Norfolk Island

The history of Norfolk Island dates back to the fourteenth or fifteenth century when it was settled by Polynesian seafarers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pitcairn Islands</span> British overseas territory in the South Pacific

The Pitcairn Islands, officially Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, are a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the sole British Overseas Territory in the Pacific Ocean. The four islands—Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno—are scattered across several hundred miles of ocean and have a combined land area of about 18 square miles (47 km2). Henderson Island accounts for 86% of the land area, but only Pitcairn Island is inhabited. The inhabited islands nearest to the Pitcairn Islands are Mangareva, 688 km to the west, as well as Easter Island, 1,929 km to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Adams (mutineer)</span> Last Bounty mutineer (1767–1829)

John Adams, known as Jack Adams, was the last survivor of the Bounty mutineers who settled on Pitcairn Island in January 1790, the year after the mutiny. His real name was John Adams, but he used the name Alexander Smith until he was discovered in 1808 by Captain Mayhew Folger of the American whaling ship Topaz. His children used the surname "Adams".

Anglo-Celtic Australians is an ancestral grouping of Australians whose ancestors originate wholly or partially in the British Isles - predominantly in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as well as the Isle of Man and Channel Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adamstown, Pitcairn Islands</span> Capital, the largest, and only city of the Pitcairn Islands

Adamstown is the capital of the Pitcairn Islands, and the only settlement on the Pitcairn Islands, the only British Overseas Territory that is located in the southern Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Pitcairn Islands</span> Chronology of the Pitcairn Islands

The history of the Pitcairn Islands begins with the colonization of the islands by Polynesians in the 11th century. Polynesian people established a culture that flourished for four centuries and then vanished. They lived on Pitcairn and Henderson Islands, and on Mangareva Island 540 kilometres (340 mi) to the northwest, for about 400 years.

Pitkern, also known as Pitcairn-Norfolk or Pitcairnese, is a language spoken on Pitcairn and Norfolk islands. It is a mixture of English and Tahitian, and has been given many classifications by scholars, including cant, patois, and Atlantic Creole. Although spoken on Pacific Ocean islands, it has been described as an Atlantic Creole due to the lack of connections with other English-based creoles of the Pacific. There are fewer than 50 speakers on Pitcairn Island, a number which has been steadily decreasing since 1971.

In 2004, seven men living on Pitcairn Island faced 55 charges relating to sexual offences against children and young adults. The accused represented a third of the island's male population and included Steve Christian, the mayor. On 24 October, all but one of the defendants were found guilty on at least some of the charges. Another six men living abroad, including Shawn Christian, who later served as mayor of Pitcairn, were tried on 41 charges in a separate trial in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2005.

Meralda Elva Junior Warren is an artist and poet of the Pitcairn Islands, a remote British Overseas Territory in the South Pacific. She works in both English and Pitkern, the island's distinctive creole language. Her book, Mi Bas Side Orn Pitcairn, written with the island's six children, is the first to be written and published in both English and Pitkern. As an artist, she works with tapa cloth, a Polynesian tradition. She has also published a cookbook featuring Pitcairn Island cuisine.

Bounty Day is a holiday on both Pitcairn Island, destination of the Bounty mutineers, and on Norfolk Island. It is celebrated on 23 January on Pitcairn, and on 8 June on Norfolk Island, the day that the descendants of the mutineers arrived on the respective islands. It is named for HMS Bounty, although the ship never saw Norfolk Island.

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Descendants of the <i>Bounty</i> mutineers

The descendants of the Bounty mutineers include the modern-day Pitcairn Islanders as well as a little less than half of the population of Norfolk Island. Their common ancestors were the nine surviving mutineers from the mutiny on HMS Bounty which occurred in the south Pacific Ocean in 1789. Their descendants also live in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.

Pitcairn Islanders, also referred to as Pitkerners and Pitcairnese, are the native inhabitants of the Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory including people whose families were previously inhabitants and maintaining cultural connections. Most Pitcairn Islanders are descendants of the Bounty mutineers.

There are two official languages of Norfolk Island, English and Norfuk. English, due to the influence of Great Britain and Australia, the two colonial powers who administered Norfolk Island, is the dominant language of the pair. Norfuk, a creole language based on English and Tahitian and brought to the island by the descendants of the Bounty mutineers from Pitcairn Island was spoken by 580 people according to the 1989 census. It is closely related to Pitkern spoken on Pitcairn Island. Many Norfolk Islanders also speak Fijian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingston and Arthur's Vale Historic Area</span> Historic settlement area on Norfolk Island, an Australian external territory in the Pacific Ocean

Kingston and Arthurs Vale Historic Area (KAVHA) is an old settlement on the Kingston coastal plains, southern side of Norfolk Island, consisting of a large group of buildings from the British Empire's convict era (1788–1855), now considered to be of such cultural significance to Australia and to the World that the area has been formally inscribed onto both the Australian National Heritage List and UNESCO's World Heritage list as amongst:

" .. the best surviving examples of large-scale convict transportation and the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts."

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Rosalind Amelia Young was an historian from Pitcairn Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Folklore of Norfolk Island</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mauatua</span> Tahitian tapa weaver

Mauatua, also Maimiti or Isabella Christian, also known as Mainmast, was a Tahitian tapa maker, who settled on Pitcairn Island with the Bounty mutineers. She married both Fletcher Christian and Ned Young, and had children with both men. Fine white tapa, which was her specialty, is held in the collections of the British Museum and the Pitt Rivers Museum, amongst others.

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