Archaeologists, Martin Gibbs and Caitlin D’Gluyas, will be on the Island from 11-22 June 2025 for a field trip working with KAVHA and some university students. The research team have offered to present a free public talk about convict history and archaeology, in part also to align with the 200 year anniversary and with the support of the Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology (ASHA). The event will be live streamed by Zoom for other ASHA members in Australia and New Zealand.
The presentation is scheduled from 5 PM to 6:30 PM on Saturday 14 June. Doors open at 4:30 PM for tea and coffee and light refreshments.
The Convict Archaeology of Norfolk Island
Prof. Martin Gibbs (The University of New England), Tom Sapienza (KAVHA) and Dr Caitlin D’Gluyas (The University of Queensland)
A reputation as a harsh punishment station for recidivist British convicts has long held the centre stage for Norfolk Island’s convict past, owing mostly to this vibrant history and the visible archaeological ruins. As we mark the bicentenary of the second convict settlement (1825–1855), this presentation reconsiders the Island’s convict history through archaeological research. Rather than retelling familiar tales of punishment and isolation, we delve into the material traces left behind—structures, landscapes, and artefacts—that speak to the industries, adaptation of the Island environment and social complexities of settlement life. Our research brings renewed attention to the often-overlooked First British Settlement (1788–1814), revealing how its foundations shaped the Island’s later use.
Drawing on the framework of the Landscapes of Production and Punishment Project used across Van Diemen’s Land and New South Wales, we present new interdisciplinary research that situates Norfolk Island within broader colonial, environmental and carceral contexts. Through this archaeological lens, we introduce a project in development that combines mapping, remote sensing, existing archaeological data and survey to understand this complex landscape.