Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L01891:body:0:p22
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Character Range: 72216–74994

Hunter. William Neate Chapman's 1796 Plan of the Town of Sydney shows the settlement. In
October 1796, King left Norfolk Island in the command of officers of the New South Wales Corps. They
reduced public works and expanded private trade, particularly distilling. In June 1800, Major Joseph
Foveaux took command and began a building campaign that included new barracks, storehouses, a stone
gaol and improvements to landing facilities. At the end of 1800, there was a convict conspiracy and two
ringleaders were arrested and hanged without trial. In 1803/1804, Foveaux built a new Government House
away from the landing place at the site of the current Government House.

Former convicts and the military were granted land for private use across the Island. Two villages—
Queenborough (formerly Charlotte Field) and Phillipburgh (formerly Cascade)—had been formed adjacent
to areas that were free of trees. On 23 September 1803, Foveaux left Norfolk Island for Port Jackson
where he and Governor King discussed the future of the Norfolk settlement. In 1803, a group of now free
settlers petitioned to remain on Norfolk Island. Eventually it was recognised that Norfolk Island could not
support itself independently of Port Jackson, and that the expense and danger of sending freight was too

great.

In late 1804, Captain John Piper of the New South Wales Corps became Commandant. A series of five
evacuations to Van Diemen's Land took place in the years 1807 and 1808, reducing the population to 255.
In 1810 orders were given for the settlement's closure; removal of the remaining settlers commenced in
February 1813. By March 1813 only a caretaker population of 43, including three soldiers, remained to
slaughter and salt the remaining livestock. This work was completed on 28 February 1814, and the final
act was to destroy the buildings by fire so others could not use them. In February 1814 the brig Kangaroo
sailed for Sydney with the remnants of the Norfolk community. The Island was unoccupied for the next
eleven years.

Section 3: The Place

Authorised Version F2016L01891 registered 09/12/2016

Jean Rice Architect | CONTEXT | GML Heritage

3.3.4 Second (Penal) Settlement 1825-1855

In August 1822, Commissioner Bigge reported on how transportation could again be made a deterrent
to crime and recommended that Norfolk Island be re-opened. On 22 July 1824, Earl Bathurst
instructed Governor Brisbane to re-occupy the Island on the principles of a 'great hulk or penitentiary' as
a means of secondary punishment, with the absence of the hope of mitigation being the main
object. Governor Darling's object was that it was to be a place for the most extreme punishment, short of
death.

A party, under the command of Major Robert Turton of the 40" Regiment, landed on