Surprisingly little is known about Norfolk Island’s First Settlement (1788-1814). This is despite its recognition in National and World Heritage lists as one of three integral foundational Australian colonial sites (alongside Parramatta and Sydney). Established in 1788, just two months after the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove, this colonial experiment created a unique community on a remote island. Here, for 26 years, a population of free, military and convict settlers negotiated a precarious existence at the edge of the British Empire. The settlement was contentiously abandoned by British order in 1814, but the island was later reoccupied as an ultra-punishment convict station (1825-56). The later period has become synonymous with the history and heritage of Norfolk Island, relegating the original agricultural outpost to a forgotten historical footnote. This project reclaims this overprinted past through sophisticated archaeological and historical investigations.

This project will deploy cutting-edge historical and archaeological techniques to generate novel insights
into the socio-economic dynamics of this isolated outpost, revealing how its free, convict, and military settlers negotiated a unique environment and relations with mainland settlements and the British Empire. This new knowledge will inform conservation of first settlement sites, provide tools for interpretation, and enhance public appreciation of this pivotal period in Australia’s history.

We have already carried out a number of pilot projects on the island, including geophysical surveys in 2014 and 2025. The ARC project commences in 2026, with the first season of archaeological excavation taking place in November. Alongside the excavation will be a program of artefact cataloguing and analysis, as well as detailed landscape surveys.

We will be running a blog during the course of the excavation. Follow the link below to see what we’re up to.

https://convictlandscapesproject.une.edu.au/norfolk-island-2026-archaeological-excavation-blog/