53 Facts About Norfolk Island

The pine is a key export for Norfolk Island, being a popular ornamental tree in Australia, and worldwide.

Norfolk Island was uninhabited when first settled by Europeans, but evidence of earlier habitation was obvious.

The decision to settle Norfolk Island was taken after Empress Catherine II of Russia restricted the sale of hemp.

Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of convicts sent to Norfolk Island had committed non-violent property offences, and the average length of detention there was three years.

Nonetheless, Norfolk Island went through periods of unrest with convicts staging a number of uprisings and mutinies between 1826 and 1846, all of which failed.

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Norfolk Island was a regular resort for whaling vessels in the age of sail.

Norfolk Island was the subject of several experiments in administration during the century.

On 29 September 1844, Norfolk Island was transferred from the Colony of New South Wales to the Colony of Van Diemen's Land.

On 1 November 1856 Norfolk Island was separated from the Colony of Tasmania and constituted as a "distinct and separate Settlement, the affairs of which should until further Order in that behalf by Her Majesty be administered by a Governor to be for that purpose appointed".

On 19 March 1897 the office of the Governor of Norfolk Island was abolished and responsibility for the administration of Norfolk Island was vested in the Governor of the Colony of New South Wales.

The Colony of New South Wales ceased to exist upon the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901, and from that date responsibility for the administration of Norfolk Island was vested in the Governor of the State of New South Wales.

Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia accepted the territory by the Norfolk Island Act 1913, subject to British agreement; the Act received royal assent on 19 December 1913.

In preparation for the handover, a proclamation by the Governor of New South Wales on 23 December 1913 repealed "all laws heretofore in force in Norfolk Island" and replaced them by re-enacting a list of such laws.

Since Norfolk Island fell within New Zealand's area of responsibility, it was garrisoned by a New Zealand Army unit known as N Force at a large army camp which had the capacity to house a 1500 strong force.

In 1979, Norfolk Island was granted limited self-government by Australia, under which the island elected a government that ran most of the island's affairs.

Financial problems and a reduction in tourism led to Norfolk Island's administration appealing to the Australian federal government for assistance in 2010.

An example of growing friction between Norfolk Island and increased Australian rule was featured in a 2019 episode of Discovery Channel's annual Shark Week.

Norfolk Island holds one of the largest populations of tiger sharks in the world.

The action was justified on the grounds it was necessary "to address issues of sustainability which have arisen from the model of self-government requiring Norfolk Island to deliver local, state and federal functions since 1979".

Territory of Norfolk Island is located in the South Pacific Ocean, east of the Australian mainland.

Norfolk Island itself is the main island of the island group that the territory encompasses and is located at.

The vegetation of Phillip Island was devastated due to the introduction during the penal era of pest animals such as pigs and rabbits, giving it a red-brown colour as viewed from Norfolk; however, pest control and remediation work by park staff has recently brought some improvement to the Phillip Island environment.

Major settlement on Norfolk Island is Burnt Pine, located predominantly along Taylors Road, where the shopping centre, post office, bottle shop, telephone exchange and community hall are located.

Norfolk Island is part of the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia region "Pacific Subtropical Islands", and forms subregion PSI02, with an area of 3, 908 hectares (9, 660 acres).

Norfolk Island is home to a radiation of about 40 endemic snail species.

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Norfolk Island has a botanical garden, which is home to a sizeable variety of plant species.

Population of Norfolk Island was 2, 188 in the 2021 census, which had declined from a high of 2, 601 in 2001.

In 2004, an act of the Norfolk Island Assembly made Norfuk a co-official language of the island.

The "language known as 'Norf'k'" is described as the language "that is spoken by descendants of the first free settlers of Norfolk Island who were descendants of the settlers of Pitcairn Island".

Norfolk Island is one of the few locations outside North America to celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving.

Norfolk Island is the only non-mainland Australian territory to have had self-governance.

The Norfolk Island Act 1979, passed by the Parliament of Australia in 1979, is the Act under which the island was governed until the passing of the Norfolk Island Legislation Amendment Act 2015.

Since 2018, residents of Norfolk Island have been required to enrol in the Division of Bean.

From 1788 until 1844, Norfolk Island was a part of the Colony of New South Wales.

In 1856, the Queen in Council ordered that Norfolk Island be a distinct and separate settlement, appointing the Governor of New South Wales to be the Governor of Norfolk Island with "full power and authority to make laws for the order, peace, and good government" of the island.

Under these arrangements Norfolk Island was effectively self-governing, Although Norfolk Island was a colony acquired by settlement, it was never within the British Settlements Act.

Constitutional status of Norfolk Island was revisited in 1894 when the British Government appointed an inquiry into the administration of justice on the island.

Norfolk Island was not a part of NSW and residents of Norfolk Island were not entitled to have their names placed on the NSW electoral roll.

Norfolk Island was accepted as a territory of Australia, separate from any state, by the Norfolk Island Act 1913, passed under the territories power, and made effective in 1914.

Norfolk Island was given a limited form of self-government by the Norfolk Island Act 1979.

Some islanders claim that Norfolk Island was actually granted independence at the time Queen Victoria granted permission to Pitcairn Islanders to re-settle on the island.

In 2015 it was reported that Norfolk Island was taking its argument for self-governance to the United Nations.

Laws of Norfolk Island were in a transitional state, under the Norfolk Island Applied Laws Ordinance 2016, from 2016 until 2018.

Norfolk Island was subject to separate immigration controls from the remainder of Australia.

Holders of Australian visas who travelled to Norfolk Island would have departed the Australian Migration Zone before 1 July 2016.

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Children born on Norfolk Island are Australian citizens as specified by Australian nationality law.

Non-Australian citizens who are Australian permanent residents should be aware that during their stay on Norfolk Island they are "outside of Australia" for the purposes of the Migration Act.

From 1 July 2016, medical treatment on Norfolk Island was covered by Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme as it is in Australia.

The Chief Magistrate of Norfolk Island is usually the current Chief Magistrate of the Australian Capital Territory.

Until 2016, Norfolk Island took its own censuses, separate from those taken by the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the remainder of Australia.

Norfolk Island has no direct control over any marine areas but has an agreement with the Commonwealth through the Australian Fisheries Management Authority to fish "recreationally" in a small section of the EEZ known locally as "the Box".

In 2015 a company in Norfolk Island was granted a licence to export medicinal cannabis.

Formerly, residents of Norfolk Island did not pay Australian federal taxes, which created a tax haven for locals and visitors alike.