Polynesians lived on
Norfolk Island between 1200 and 1500, but the remote island was uninhabited by the time British explorer James COOK landed on the island in 1774. Two British attempts at establishing the island as a penal colony (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned.
In 1856, almost 200 Pitcairn Islanders -- descendants of the
Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions -- were relocated to
Norfolk Island because of overcrowding on the
Pitcairn Islands. Some returned to the
Pitcairn Islands over the next few years, but most settled permanently on
Norfolk Island and recreated their previous land tenure and governance structures.
Norfolk Island retained a great degree of local control until 1897, when it became a dependency of New South Wales. During World War II,
Norfolk Island was an airbase and an important refueling stop in the South Pacific. In 1976, an Australian judge recommended
Norfolk Island be incorporated fully into
Australia, which Norfolk Islanders rejected. After an appeal to the UN,
Australia granted limited self-government to
Norfolk Island in 1979.
With growing financial troubles during the 2000s,
Australia abolished the
Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly in 2015, reduced
Norfolk Island’s autonomy in 2016, and suspended the local council in 2020. Most services are provided by a mix of the Australian Capital Territory and the states of New South Wales and Queensland. These moves were unpopular on
Norfolk Island, which has sought to have its self-government restored and as of 2024, the Australian Government was working with
Norfolk Island to establish a new local governing body.