Norfolk Island is located in the Coral Sea, about half way between New Caledonia and the North Island of New Zealand. It is currently an external territory of Australia, and has a population of about 1500.
While Norfolk had had a Polynesian population, it had been deserted by the time the Europeans discovered it. Britain started a small penal colony on the island in 1788, but the bulk of the population came from a relocated group of Pitcairn Islanders. Pitcairn had been settled by mutineers from the Bounty and its population grew over time to reach levels that were unsustainable. The British government helped relocate part of the population to Norfolk, where their descendants now form the majority of the population. Great Britain transferred authority to Australia in 1914.
Since then, it had been governed as an external territory, and was granted self rule in 1979. Difficulties of governance due to the very small population led the Australian government to repeal the status of autonomy in 2016. This new status as a mere district of Australia without direct rule nor specific representation in parliament has been resented by a majority of islanders.
More on Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island in 2022
