# Convict ships to Norfolk Island

Norfolk Island twice served as a penal colony, from March 1788 to February 1814, and from 1825 to 1853. During both periods the government in the Colony of New South Wales transferred convicts that had been brought to Australia on to the island.
At first the intent was to settle and develop the island. There appear to be no compilations of which vessels brought how many convicts from New South Wales to Norfolk Island, and when, during the 1788 to 1814 period. One vessel that did was Golden Grove, which brought 21 males and 11 females in October 1788. Rough seas and the absence of good landing sites made it difficult to supply and sustain the colony. By 1812 a new penal colony had been established at Hobart Town in Van Diemen's Land and it had received its first convicts from Britain. Norfolk Island no longer served any purpose and the last settlers and convicts were removed by February 1814. The last to leave left on 28 February on HM Colonial brig Kangaroo.
During the second period the penal colony was initially revived as a place of banishment for the worst convicts, those who had re-offended while in Australia. On 6 June 1825 Major Turton, along with 34 troops, six women and children, and 57 convicts, reoccupied the island. On 23 February 1827 there was the execution, in Sydney, of the ringleaders of a convict mutiny. The 66 prisoners going to the island on the brig Wellington had succeeded in overwhelming their guards, capturing the brig, and sailing her to New Zealand. There, however, they were arrested and brought back to Sydney aboard Sisters to stand trial.
Between 1828 and 1850 some dozen vessels made about 40 voyages shuttling convicts to and from the island. The first of these arrived on 8 November 1828 with 14 convicts, and the last arrived on 6 August 1850 with one. The most brought on any voyage was 106 on Louisa on 19 September 1831. The New South Wales Government State Archives & Records has a web page that lists vessels that shuttled to the Island and back. However the site explains 'these lists are not complete!' and for more details 'see the Convict Guide'. It does give the date of arrival of each voyage, and the number of convicts carried.
Then between 1840 and 1847 fourteen ships transported male convicts to Norfolk Island from the British Isles for the British Government.

## 1788-1807

| Vessel | Master | Date of arrival | Sailed from | Convicts embarked | Convicts landed |
| HMS Supply | David Blackburn | 6 March 1788 | Sydney | 15 | 15 |
| Golden Grove | William Sharp | October 1788 | Sydney | 32 | 32 |
| HMS Supply | David Blackburn | 2 March 1789 | Sydney | 27 | 27 |
| HMS Supply | David Blackburn | 3 December 1789 | Sydney | 14 | 14 |
| HMS Supply | David Blackburn | 29 January 1790 | Sydney | 24 | 24 |
| HMS Sirius | John Hunter | 13 March 1790 | Sydney | 161 | 161 |
| HMS Supply | David Blackburn | 13 March 1790 | Sydney | ? | ? |
| Surprize | Nicholas Anstis | 7 August 1790 | Sydney | ? | ? |
| HMS Supply | David Blackburn | 15 April 1791 | Sydney | 4 | 4 |
| Mary Ann | Mark Munroe | 15 August 1791 | Sydney | 134 | 134 |
| Salamander | John Nichol | 16 September 1791 | Sydney | 160 | 160 |
| Atlantic | Archibald Armstrong | 2 November 1791 | Sydney | 3 | 3 |
| Queen | Richard Owen | 2 November 1791 | Sydney | ? | ? |
| HMS Reliance | Commander Henry Waterhouse | 13 February 1796 | Sydney | 24 | 24 |
| HMS Supply | Lieutenant William Kent | April 1796 | Sydney | ? | ? |
| HMS Reliance | Commander Henry Waterhouse | November 1799 | Sydney | 5 | 5 |
| HMS Porpoise | Lieutenant William Scott | 7 Jan 1801 | Sydney | ? | ? |
| HMS Buffalo | Lieutenant William Kent | 9 May 1803 | Sydney | 9 | 9 |
| HMS Lady Nelson | Lieutenant James Symons | 24 June 1804 | Sydney | 11 | 11 |
Between 1807 and 1813 the government evacuated Norfolk Island, moving the colonists, convicts, guards, etc. to Van Diemen's Land (VDL). The vessels that carried out the evacuation were:
| Vessel | Master | Date of departure from Norfolk Island | Date of arrival | Destination | Number of passengers |
| HMS Lady Nelson | | 1807 | | Hobart Town | 35 |
| Porpoise | | 25 December 1807 | 17 January 1808 | | |
| HMS Lady Nelson | | 1808 | | Hobart Town | 25 |
| Estramina | Lt. Oxley | 15 May 1808 | 7 June 1808 | | |
| City of Edinburgh | Simon Pattison | 9 September 1808 | 2 October 1808 | | c.250 |
| HMS Lady Nelson | | January 1813 | | Port Dalrymple | 43 |
| Minstrel | John Reid | February 1813 | by 4 March 1813 | Port Dalrymple | 63 |

## 1840-1850

| Vessel | Master | Date of arrival | Sailed from | Convicts embarked | Convicts landed |
| Nautilus | H.F. Alloway | 1840 | Dublin | 200 | 178 + 21 Sydney |
| Augusta Jessie | J.S. Sparke | 27 March 1840 | Dublin | 161 | 129 + 34 Sydney |
| Mangles | William Carr | 18 May 1840 | Plymouth | 290 | 236 + 53 Sydney |
| Maitland | George (or John) Thompson | 7 February 1844 | Portsmouth | 199 | 199 |
| Blundell | Robert L. Hunter | 5 July 1844 | Woolwich | 210 | 210 |
| Agincourt | Henry Neatby | 9 November 1844 | Woolwich | 224 | 220 |
| Hydrabad | Alexander Robertson | 19 February 1845 | The Downs | 260 | 259 |
| David Malcolm | James Cable | 25 August 1845 | The Downs | 220 | 220 |
| Hyderabad | T.A. Castle | 2 September 1845 | | 250 | 250 |
| Mayda | May | 8 January 1846 | London | 199 | 195 |
| China | Livesay | 16 May 1846 | Woolwich | 200 | 199 |
| John Calvin | Hunter | 21 September 1846 | Woolwich | 200 | 199 |
| Tory | Lukey (or John) Young | 1847 | Dublin | 200 | 195 |
| Eliza | Daniel | 30 April 1850 | London | 60 | 56 + 4 Hobart |
The last convicts were removed to Tasmania in May 1853.