A tribute to historians of Norfolk Island's penal colonies

A tribute to historians of Norfolk Island's penal colonies - 

Norfolk Island stands as one of the most significant penal settlements in the British Empire's history. The stories of those who endured transportation, forced labour, and brutal punishment might have been lost to time were it not for the dedicated historians who committed themselves to documenting, preserving, and interpreting this complex colonial heritage. 

These past historians who dedicated their love of history to the documentation of Norfolk Island's penal heritage often faced numerous challenges. Primary sources were often fragmentary, biased towards administrative perspectives, and silent on the experiences of convicts themselves. Many records were lost, destroyed, or never created in the first place. Yet through creative methodologies—cross-referencing multiple sources, reading against the grain of official documents, and incorporating archaeological and oral evidence—these historians have contributed to our archival collection showcasing the many remarkably rich accounts of our remote Norfolk Island penal outpost. 

In this episode it is with thanks and appreciation again to the late John Anderson for the audio track segments from his 1980s film production on the island, and we pay tribute and gratitude to those past historians, Gil Hitch, Les Brown, Robert Varnam and Merval Hoare.

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Transcript

A tribute to historians of Norfolk Island's penal colonies

Welcome to Episode 50 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.

Norfolk Island stands as one of the most significant penal settlements in the British Empire's history. The stories of those who endured transportation, forced labour, and brutal punishment might have been lost to time were it not for the dedicated historians who committed themselves to documenting, preserving, and interpreting this complex colonial heritage.

These past historians who dedicated their love of history to the documentation of Norfolk Island's penal heritage often faced numerous challenges. Primary sources were often fragmentary, biased towards administrative perspectives, and silent on the experiences of convicts themselves. Many records were lost, destroyed, or never created in the first place. Yet through creative methodologies—cross-referencing multiple sources, reading against the grain of official documents, and incorporating archaeological and oral evidence—these historians have contributed to our archival collection showcasing the many remarkably rich accounts of our remote Norfolk Island penal outpost.

In this episode it is with thanks and appreciation again to the late John Anderson for the audio track segments from his 1980s film production on the island, and we pay tribute and gratitude to those past historians, Gil Hitch, Les Brown, Robert Varnam and Merval Hoare.

AUDIO>>>

We reflect and appreciate the contributions of these historians and also the late John Anderson, who devoted themselves to documenting Norfolk Island's penal settlements.

We look forward to welcoming you here to discover and experience our extraordinary Norfolk Island!

Thanks so much for joining me this week!