Norfolk Island Museum

The Pier Store
Open:   Monday - Sunday 11am-3pm
Located beside Kingston Pier

The Pier Store houses two collections:

HMS Sirius artefacts – the story of the flagship of the First Fleet and its wrecking in 1790 at Slaughter Bay is told on the lower story. Artefacts include a two ton anchor, carronades, canon balls, brass sextant, coins and personal items belonging to the crew and convicts at the time of the sinking. A 25 minute video “Search for the Sirius” details the recovery of the artefacts during 3 expeditions in the 1980’s.

Pitcairn and Norfolk Islands Gallery – on the upper floor the history of Norfolk’s Third Settlement – the Pitcairn Islanders - is told. Artefacts include a canon from the Bounty and the Bounty kettle, which was used on Pitcairn Island for everything from cooking to producing liquor. The story of the mutiny is told here and the settlement of the Pitcairners on Norfolk. The Melanesian Mission, whaling industry and island culture are also displayed.

The Commissariat Store

Open: Monday - Saturday 11am-3pm
Located under All Saints Church

The collection in this museum takes you through all Settlements on Norfolk Island:

The Polynesian settlement prior to European arrival between 750 and 1450
The First Penal Settlement between 1788 and 1814
The Second Penal Settlement between 1825 and 1855
The Third Settlement by the Pitcairn Islanders from 1856

Many of the artefacts on display have been recovered during archeological digs on the island. The story of digs on the Island and the processes of archaeology are also told. A 50 minute video “A Norfolk Legacy” is shown on demand. This wonderful video gives an insight into Norfolk culture and industry by Norfolk Islanders telling their own stories.

No. 10 Quality Row

Open: Monday - Sunday 11am-3pm
Located on Quality Row

Built in 1844 this house was built for the Foreman of the Works. Thomas Seller was it’s first occupant and was also responsible for overseeing the building of many of the houses along Quality Row.

When the Pitcairn Islanders arrived in 1856 Isaac and Miriam (nee Young) Christian and their 15 children moved in. The house continued to be lived in right up until 1988 when it was restored to its 1844 state and became a museum. The house has many original features and now tells the story of Thomas Seller and life on Quality Row during the 1840s. Artefacts on display include original furniture from the period including a desk from the Engineers Department and convict made tables. Ceramics on display are those recovered during archaeological digs of the privy pits.

Flagship of the First Fleet

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 ...

The World of Norfolk

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”...

Shipwrecked March 19, 1790

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.

Artefacts Recovered

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...