With the arrival of more prisoners the settlement soon boasted a population of 1,000 at which figure it remained for the next 15 years. In 1803, the English Goverment gave orders to abandon the settlement and it was not until 1813 that this was finally accomplished. From 1813 to 1826 the island remained unoccupied when it was decided to send convicts guilty of additional crimes in NSW, to a place of solitary confinement. Again Norfolk was settled with convicts and their guards and within a few years became known as, "a hell in paradise". The second settlement continued until 1855 and in May of that year the last of the convicts and Guards left for Tasmania.
In 1853 the people of Pitcairn Island, descendants of the Bounty mutineers had, because of problems being to experienced on Pitcairn appealed to the British Government to relocate them. Norfolk Island , a lot larger than Pitcairn was about to be vacated and on 3rd March 1856 the whole population of Pitcairn embarked on the " Morayshire" bound for Norfolk Island.
On 8th June 1856 they landed at their new home-40 men, 47 women, 54 boys and 53 girls-a total of 194 persons. This was the three settlement of the island and origination of the people that live here today. The current population of approximately 2000 people is made up of 1/3 Pitcairn descent, 1/3 New Zealand and 1/3 Australian.
1960-1962 Definitive Issues
1962-1963 Definitive Issue- Fish Series & 1964 Views
1938- First Flight Empire Air Mail Service, Qantas & East West
1975- Spirit of Rotary Club & Air New Zealand
Other Interesting Covers of Norfolk Island
Whales of Norfolk Island
Shipwrecks of Norfolk Island 1982 Issue