Why Norfolk Island's Governance History Matters

Why Norfolk Island's Governance History Matters - 

Norfolk Island's governance history since 1856 offers visitors far more than academic interest—it provides essential context for a deeper, more meaningful engagement with this remarkable place and our people. Understanding this history transforms a holiday visit from one layer of experience of scenic beauty to a deeper dive and encounter with a resilient community and our own distinctive heritage of identity and belonging.

AUDIO>> Have a listen to Norfolk Islander, George Smith who served on our Norfolk Island Legislative Assemblies and was also instrumental in our radio broadcasting world for many years.

The chronicle of Norfolk Island's governance invites reflection on universal themes of autonomy, justice, and cultural survival. Visitors gain insight into how small communities navigate relationships with larger powers—a dynamic playing out in countless contexts around the world today.

AUDIO>> Have a listen now to ‘Edelweiss’ as performed at the Anchorage restaurant in the 1980s.

Understanding the Present
The island's contemporary character—from our unique language to our community celebrations, chronological historical timeline and events along with the ongoing political debates—becomes comprehensible only through the lens of its governance history and recognition of autonomy and self-determination.

Knowing the struggles, setbacks, and aspirations that have shaped Norfolk Island allows visitors to connect emotionally with the community rather than remaining distant observers, and thus creating a more satisfying and authentic holiday experience for thoughtful travellers.

For those interested in history, Norfolk Island offers a fascinating understanding in how governance shapes community development. Our island's unique trajectory—from the arrival of the Pitcairn Islanders in 1856-  defies easy categorisation. This complexity makes Norfolk Island not just beautiful but intellectually engaging, a place where visitors can continue to discover new layers of meaning with each interaction with our community as we share our remarkable past and a hopeful future still being determined by our resilient people.

Thanks so much for joining me this week!

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Transcript

Welcome to Episode 42 of the Untold Norfolk Island travel podcast series.

My name is Jodie Williams and as a Norfolk Islander & Churchill Fellow, I am your ‘on island’ podcast host.

>>> Audio: You have just heard a snippet from a performance by the Nightriders at the Norfolk Island Leagues Club in 2017.

Why Norfolk Island's Governance History Matters

Norfolk Island's governance history since 1856 offers visitors far more than academic interest—it provides essential context for a deeper, more meaningful engagement with this remarkable place and our people. Understanding this history transforms a holiday visit from one layer of experience of scenic beauty to a deeper dive and encounter with a resilient community and our own distinctive heritage of identity and belonging.

AUDIO>> Have a listen to Norfolk Islander, George Smith who served on our Norfolk Island Legislative Assemblies and was also instrumental in our radio broadcasting world for many years.

Governance on Norfolk Island

The podcast we did recently focused on the Norfolk Island Youth Assembly formed in late 90s and ran until 2016 when it was dismissed by the Australian Government. So, the question has been asked, “well what was the Big Assembly then”? To answer that is to say that the Youth Assembly was based in the principles of democracy reflecting from the Legislative Assembly and the Norfolk Island Government how our parliament works:

So I can say it was all do with tourism and getting people from Australia and New Zealand to come and visit us for their holidays and at the same time contributing the running costs of Norfolk Island. So, what’s that mean?

Let’s go back over a hundred years on Norfolk island where Norfolk Islanders were governing themselves with skills they had developed on their former home, Pitcairn Island.  Because the population there were basically marooned for 20 years there, so they had to learn how to make sure their small community so it could be managed. Using the knowledge of both the Tahitian men and women and the British sailors soon came up with a very democratic form of governance which impressed Queen Victoria who then wished that to be preserved.  When the Islanders came to their new island that the British had given them - Norfolk Island – they continued their own laws and governance.

They did so, however even with much interference from other places and the various changes that were forced on them, they kept the same model of governance. That became extremely important when ‘tourists ‘ started to arrive by the many ships that plied the shipping routes around Norfolk and although the islanders could have rejected the tourists, they took them in, and treated them all with so much care and even sharing food and made sure the visitors were comfortable. All that still is part of the tourist industry on Norfolk.

Tourists were becoming more and more frequently and guest houses were built and set up to accommodate the tourists. The income from the people was apparently quite meagre but they started an industry.

There were many projects that the island was involved in and in particular growing food for export to New Zealand and at times some to Australia. Whale oil, bananas oranges, lemons passionfruit, livestock were some of the exports. Food and water was often sold or traded to  with passing boats. All contributed to revenue and employment for the island.

The island experienced a large increase in the population when and during World War II  the New Zealand defence forces arrived on the island to mainly protect the newly finished Airport with runways built, was to become major a future opportunity becoming as yet a step up to a  new tourist market and a way to help fund the island.

However, that did stretch the governance models of the day and the people who were elected to the councils to manage how this new market would work, without destroying what was dear to Norfolk islanders hearts to and to remain -  peaceful and unchanged, Bur also cleverly sharing the island with visitors in a way that enticed tourists back time and again, to relive that special Norfolk welcoming that makes it feel like home,

Hard as it was for many islanders, there was a realisation that this latest tourist influx was a way to bring prosperity to Norfolk. Even those not in the ‘front line’ would benefit as work became more easy to get especially with those with business foresight, created an industry which was based on Norfolk island’s low tax status which became “Duty-Free” which was soon rapidly escalating into a very good source of income for many, but the island government was not receiving very much and the small tax or revenue raising was not being enough to fund all the now big demand on services like the electricity supply and many other services that were becoming necessary.

So this meant governing carefully, was paramount to keep the island an attractive destination, while keeping the island the ‘way it was’.

That governance was very well done with careful control of every part facet of the island’s new found “Fly in Fly out tourist industry” As the economy of Norfolk Island increased, so did the responsibilities and it became obvious that a stronger form of governance was needed.

It needs to be pointed out that Norfolk Island was not funded in any way by Australia or any other country to operate and maintain this form of self-governance for the people    But Australia set up a met bureau and funded running the airport after New Zealand troops left after the war. (The airport runways and land was made up of many islanders land which were taken for the ‘War effort’ and some received small payments or a piece of someone else’s land! So although the airport belongs to Norfolk Islanders, the Australian Civil Aviation maintained the airport until the jet-age in the 1980s. Norfolk Island government then, on behalf of the people, took the airport back and funded it’s up-keep from then on. [mostly]

A body with legislative powers to respond quickly to the changes [and charges] was created with the Norfolk Island Act 1979  to extract some revenues from those benefiting from this Duty-Free island with no taxes  so the councils were replaced with Legislative Assembly that had an executive council, from which a government was formed.

The new LA was deeply involved in tourism in many ways by funding marketing but also ensuring the infrastructure was provided and looked after and all the services that were by now needed, quickly. Things like health, education, communications and laws to help the island derive income. Norfolk Island has very much always been funded by the people of Norfolk Island. I early days there were people who contributed to a fund just to help the islanders out in their new place. [The Island fund, I believe]

Through these years, the same methods of governance were behind the Assembly’s role  and the Assembly,  really made the island work so well and as visitor [tourist] numbers kept increasing until the island community said [democratically] that Enough! It as time to stop. Too may people visiting, and too many immigrants were starting to spoil what Norfolk island was about.

However, because of the early, mid and later years, there was no deficits, the Assembly kept very tight control and spending and most Island budgets deficit-free which stemmed from that early culture of living within the island’s means. If you can’t afford it, you can’t have it. That worked really well with a strong tourist industry, a tax-free environment, and income tax-free.

In the years of self-government with the Legislative Assembly, saw many improvements and a good solid revenue base. Benefits were full employment, A health insurance [Healthcare} which a charge that was levied from eligible people but Intended to be a cover for catastrophic medical events, it became more like Medicare. A fully funded hospital which was ran under a Hospital board, Fully funded electricity business providing electricity to the whole island, a fully funded education system with a K-12 school, and international airport with a RFFS fire service and serviced flights from Australia and New Zealand since the end of World War II.

A fully funded telecommunications Centre providing land line and mobile services and international dialing services, plus satellite internet services, and fully working immigration system [initially put in place by the Australian government as a preventive measure of displacing the island population]. Petty sessions Court and Supreme court, roads maintenance and reconstruction team, management and restoration team for the Kingston area and buildings, to maintain the reefs and beaches. A fully equipped radio broadcast station VL2NI which also provided most AU television and ABC radio broadcasts. The Norfolk island Police Force that was 70% funded by Norfolk Island and 30 % by the Commonwealth.

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The chronicle of Norfolk Island's governance invites reflection on universal themes of autonomy, justice, and cultural survival. Visitors gain insight into how small communities navigate relationships with larger powers—a dynamic playing out in countless contexts around the world today.

AUDIO>> Have a listen now to ‘Edelweiss’ as performed at the Anchorage restaurant in the 1980s.

Understanding the Present
The island's contemporary character—from our unique language to our community celebrations, chronological historical timeline and events along with the ongoing political debates—becomes comprehensible only through the lens of its governance history and recognition of autonomy and self-determination.

Knowing the struggles, setbacks, and aspirations that have shaped Norfolk Island allows visitors to connect emotionally with the community rather than remaining distant observers, and thus creating a more satisfying and authentic holiday experience for thoughtful travellers.

For those interested in history, Norfolk Island offers a fascinating understanding in how governance shapes community development. Our island's unique trajectory—from the arrival of the Pitcairn Islanders in 1856-  defies easy categorisation. This complexity makes Norfolk Island not just beautiful but intellectually engaging, a place where visitors can continue to discover new layers of meaning with each interaction with our community as we share our remarkable past and a hopeful future still being determined by our resilient people.

Thanks so much for joining me this week!