The View From My Beer
A five day stay in Norfolk Island. Each day I enjoyed the same view from my balcony overlooking Slaughter Bay and the original settlement of Kingston. I am enjoying a Boags Premum as I reflect on the lives on my fifth great grandparents who were part of the original landing party back in 1788 before they later moved to play a role in pioneering Tasmania.
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island, a tiny Australian island in the South Pacific Ocean, half-way between New Caledonia and New Zealand. It was discovered by Captain Cook in 1770 and became a priority for settlement in 1788, just weeks after a new colony was established in Sydney. It has a modest population of 2,200 and current remains an Australian territory.
My interest in coming to Norfolk Island stems from research into my family tree, where I identified a number of my ancestors had played a major role in the establish of a penal colony on Norfolk island in 1788.
My Walk
After my flight to Norfolk Island from Brisbane I checked into my room. It was now 4PM, so I decided to take a short walk down the hill to the the UNESCO World Heritage site of Kingston to have a quick look around before it got dark.
Slaughter Bay
This was a very rural area. The cows roamed freely, outside the UNESCO World Heritage site. Being late in the afternoon there were not many people around, so I was free to roam wherever I wanted. Even though I only had an hour I was able to get a good first impression of Kingston.
Most of the buildings that remain are from the second settlement from 1824 to 1856. My family was part of the first settlement from 1788 to 1814. Unfortunately the buildings from that era were largely wooden constructions and they were all destroyed when the settlement was abandoned to discourage others from settling here.
My most important find for the evening was a plaque by the edge of Slaughter Bay commemorating those present when the British first established the settlement back in 1788. It included the names of my sixth great-grandparents Olivia Gascoigne and Nathaniel Lucas. They got married on Norfolk Island and raised a family.
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