From the sixteenth century onwards the number of people convicted of crimes, many of which were seemingly trivial by today’s standard, was becoming a problem. The gaols in England were overcrowded, filthy and disease ridden resulting in many prisoners ...

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Norfolk Island was first brought to the attention of the rest of the world when it was discovered on a passage northwards from New Zealand in 1774 by James Cook, Captain of HMS Resolution. He named this tiny island “Norfolk” after “that Noble family”...

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By about February 1790, both settlements in Sydney and Norfolk Island were running low on hardware including items such as blacksmiths’ tools, uniforms and eating utensils. In fact supplies were low of everything but food, which was adequate at that time.

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The Sirius carried four bower anchors and two stern anchors. Three of the bower anchors were recovered and one now dominates the Norfolk Island Museum’s collections. Two others are in Australia and one is still on the reef in a badly damaged condition...

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