Norfolk Island History conveys that the island was discovered by Captain Cook, in the year 1774, on the 10th of October. The first settlement on the Norfolk Island took place after the arrival of Lieutenant Philip Gidley King, during 1788 - 1814. The settlement comprised of 22 people, which included 15 convicts. After the group landed on Sydney Bay at Kingston, the island was abandoned in the year 1814, during February.
Lieutenant Philip Gidley King ordered a group of fifteen convicts along with seven men to take care of the island and start the commercial development of the same. Due to the absence of skillful workers, two Maori men were brought to the island to teach the art of weaving flax. This attempt however proved to be futile. The timber obtained from the pine trees was not appropriate for the manufacture of the masts and therefore this industry too did not flourish. Other industries that also failed on the island include the farms supplying vegetables and grains to Sydney.
The second settlement followed in June 1825 and continued till 1856. This period was marked by the increase in the number of convict deaths and uprisings due to some of the commandments. Later in 1856, the island was handed over to the Pitcairners. This was the third settlement on the Norfolk Island and was also the first free settlement. The Pitcairners are basically the successors of the Bounty mutineers and are presently known as the Islanders, according to the history of Norfolk Island.
In the year 1901, the island of Norfolk came under the governance of the Commonwealth of Australia. During the World War II, the island got transformed into one of the key refueling depots and airbases, between New Zealand and Australia. N Force, the New Zealand Army unit stationed at the Norfolk Island, since the area was too remote to fall under the direct attack of the war. The Norfolk Island History further claims that it was allowed semi-governance by Australia. The elected government of Norfolk Island takes care of the internal affairs of the state or its territory. In 2006, the Australian government thought of revising this form of government in Norfolk Island. On the 20th of December 2006, Australia decided to continue with the same form of government in Norfolk Island.
The links to
Norfolk Island History are given below:
