Kingston and Arthur's Vale Historic Area facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Kingston and Arthurs Vale Historic Area
Military Barracks and Officer Quarters (1829–34), Quality Row Military Precinct, within Kingston and Arthurs Vale Historic Area.
Type	Historic Area
Location	Quality Row, Kingston, southern side of Norfolk Island
Area	255 ha (630 acres)
Status	Australian National Heritage List World Heritage list
Website	http://kavha.gov.au/

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type:	Cultural
Criteria:	iv, vi
Designated:	2010 (34th session)
Part of:	Australian Convict Sites
Reference #:	1306
Region:	Asia-Pacific

The Kingston and Arthurs Vale Historic Area (KAVHA) is an important old settlement on the southern side of Norfolk Island. It sits on the Kingston coastal plain, surrounded by hills. This area has many buildings from the time when the British Empire sent convicts to Australia (1788–1855).

KAVHA is so important that it's on both the Australian National Heritage List and UNESCO's World Heritage list. It's considered one of the best examples of how convicts were transported and how European powers expanded using convict labor.

KAVHA is special because it shows evidence of early Polynesian settlement. It's also where the descendants of the Bounty mutineers, from Pitcairn Island, settled in 1856.

This historic area is one of 11 places that make up the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage list. It was added to this list on July 31, 2010. KAVHA was first added to the National Heritage List on August 1, 2007.

KAVHA was known as a very tough place for convicts who had re-offended. However, it was also a place where new ideas for prison reform were tried out. KAVHA is located about 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) east-north-east of Sydney. Its beautiful setting, old buildings, and ruins make it a very special place.

Early Polynesian History
The First European Settlement
The Second Settlement
The Third Settlement
Important Buildings
See also

Early Polynesian History

Europeans were not the first people to live on Norfolk Island. Stone tools have been found at Emily and Slaughter bays within KAVHA. Digs by archaeologists have shown that Polynesians changed the land in the Emily Bay area. They found old tools and building remains that look like a basic marae. A marae is a religious structure common in East Polynesian culture. Scientists believe Polynesians lived here between AD 1200 and AD 1600.

The First European Settlement

Arthurs Vale, where the first farming happened on the island.

Captain James Cook RN discovered Norfolk Island in 1774. Six weeks after the First Fleet arrived in Sydney, Norfolk Island was settled on March 6, 1788. Cook had reported that the island had rich soil and tall pine trees. These trees were perfect for making ships' masts. He also found native flax, which could be used for canvas. Governor Philip wanted to settle the island quickly to get these important naval supplies.

Lieutenant Philip Gidley King RN arrived on the ship Supply. He brought nine male and six female convicts, plus seven staff members. They set up a settlement called Kingston. They planted crops in the nearby valley, Arthurs Vale. Unlike Sydney, the crops in Kingston grew very well. To help with food shortages in the new colony of New South Wales, Governor Philip moved about one-third of Sydney's population to Kingston.

A lot of land was cleared for farming. Both convicts and free settlers worked on small farms. The land behind Kingston was cleared to keep watch and prevent convicts from escaping. The population of the first settlement reached its highest point in May 1792, with 1,156 people. By 1804, free settlers outnumbered convicts. Convicts made up 23 percent of the total population of 1,084. When the settlement was abandoned in 1814, its buildings were destroyed.

The Second Settlement

In 1824, Norfolk Island was re-occupied. This happened after a report suggested that transportation of convicts wasn't scary enough. The island was meant to be a "great hulk or penitentiary." This meant it would be a very tough place for convicts who had re-offended after being transported. This "secondary punishment" was designed to make people fear transportation and stop crime in Britain and the colonies.

Captain Turton and a group of 50 soldiers, 57 convicts, six women, and six children re-occupied the island on June 6, 1825. The settlement was again built around Kingston. Some buildings from the first settlement were rebuilt. Old farming areas were used again, and new areas were cleared. But this time, the settlement was very different.

The second settlement on Norfolk Island was designed to be extremely harsh. It became known as one of the toughest places in the convict system.

Life for Convicts

Convicts worked from sunrise to sunset. They farmed using hoes and spades, as there were no plows or working cattle. Their living spaces were crowded and dirty. They also had a poor diet, sometimes only one meal every 48 hours. This led to poor health and many deaths. The harsh treatment was meant to break their spirit. Strict punishments were common, even for small mistakes. Sentences could also be made longer.

The most difficult convicts from New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land were sent to Norfolk Island. These men had become very tough from the system. Even more punishment often made them more defiant. The idea of punishment by death did not stop them.

The leaders in charge of Norfolk Island were part of a very strict system. Some commandants, like Captain James Morisset, Major Joseph Childs, and John Price, were known for being very severe. Uprisings and revolts happened often. These usually led to more punishments. During Morisset's time as commandant (1829–34), Norfolk Island became known as "hell on earth." By 1833, the island's fearsome reputation was well known in Britain.

A New Prison Idea

Only one commandant, Alexander Maconochie, brought a more humane approach to the second settlement. He was in charge for four of its 30 years. He started the Merits System of Penal Discipline. This system meant that prisoners could earn their freedom if they worked hard and behaved well. However, his ideas failed for several reasons. One reason was that his superiors did not approve of his reforms. Under Maconochie, conditions for prisoners improved. But they quickly got worse again under the next commandant, Major Joseph Childs.

The Final Years

In the later years of the second settlement, prisoners started arriving directly from Britain. They served the first part of their punishment under a new system called probation, which began in 1843. The harshness of the place continued. In 1847, Catholic Bishop Robert Wilson reported to the British Parliament about the terrible conditions on Norfolk Island. His report helped bring an end to the island being used as a penal settlement. It slowly closed between 1847 and 1855. Some convicts were released with "tickets of leave," which allowed them some freedom. Others were sent to Port Arthur to finish their sentences. On December 29, 1853, an official order ended Norfolk Island's use as a penal settlement. A small group stayed on the island to look after the farms and animals. They waited to hand over the island to the new settlers from Pitcairn Island. These settlers began the third phase of the island's history.

The Third Settlement

The descendants of the Bounty mutineers on Pitcairn Island had outgrown their home. So, the British government decided to move them to Norfolk Island. The entire Pitcairn community arrived at Kingston Pier on June 8, 1856.

Their descendants make up almost a third of Norfolk Island's population today. They still speak the Pitcairn language. For them, KAVHA is very important. They have used it continuously since their arrival for living, working, worshiping, and having fun. KAVHA is special because a unique Polynesian/European community has lived there and practiced their traditions for over 150 years.

Important Buildings

Some of KAVHA's major buildings include:

The 1829 Government House. This is one of the oldest and most complete government houses in Australia. It has amazing views of the settlement.
The Old Military Barracks and officers quarters, built between 1829 and 1834. High walls surround them, making them look like a military fortress.
The New Military Barracks, started in 1836. It also has a fortress-like design.
The Commissariat Store, from 1835. This is the best remaining colonial (before 1850) military store in Australia.
The elegant Quality Row houses. These were homes for military and civil officers. The military buildings are on higher ground. This allowed them to watch over the convict area, which was closer to the water and lower down.

You can also find the remains of two convict jails at KAVHA. There are also walls and remains of the prisoners' barracks (1828–48) with the Protestant chapel. These show how ideas about prisons changed over time. The first jail was built like a barracks. The remains of the new prison (1836–40, 1845–57) show a rare "radial design," where sections spread out from a central point.

Other archaeological remains include the blacksmith's shop (1846), lumber yard, water mill, and the crankmill (1827–38). The crankmill is the only known human-powered crankmill built in Australia before 1850. There's also the salt house (1847), the windmill base (1842–43), and lime kilns. The landing pier (1839–47) and sea wall are two of Australia's earliest large engineering works. The Protestant and Catholic clergyman's quarters show the role of religion in trying to reform convicts.