Change.

Norfolk Island To

Aeroplanes And A New Port.

WHEN Pitcairn Island became too cramped to meet the growing re quirements of the descendants of the mutineers of H.M.S. “Bounty”, Queen Victoria displayed a singular interest in her new colony and relieved the tension by the bestowal of liberal concessions of land in Norfolk Island. By her graci ous gesture, the Queen transformed a straggling and incoherent camp of re fugees, in a small and lonely island, into a community of landed proprietors in what is now recognised as the Riviera of the S.W. Pacific.

Intermarriage with Europeans has gradually changed the character and physiognomy of the original settlers and given the race an individuality of its own, indigenous to Norfolk Island.

As might be conjectured from the idyllic environment in which they are set, ambition and initiative are not out standing characteristics, but for natural charm and spontaneous hospitality the islanders enjoy a reputation that would be difficult to surpass.

Attracted by the unique climate and the unconventional ways of this island Arcadia, there has been a steady influx of immigrants from Australia and New Zealand, until to-day the population of 1,200 is pretty well divided between islanders and mainlanders, as the in comers are called. These mainlanders acquired holdings either by purchase

from the Norfolk Islanders or by grants of Crown land, and in their new and pleasant surroundings they settled down as small farmer proprietors to exploit the agricultural resources of the island.

But, unfortunately, due to a variety of extraneous causes connected with export and an unfavourable tariff, their labours have not been very successful and, for the most part, they remain poor.

Under normal conditions, this island of perennial sunshine, with its cool and bracing climate, should have blossomed out as a premier health resort, while its historical and legendary associations should have invested it with a halo of romance and transformed it into a tourist wonderland. But an irksome sea journey, combined with a lack of land ing facilities, rendered Norfolk Island largely inaccessible to the travelling public and allowed the islanders to pursue their leisurely manner of life, comparatively free from outside inter ference.

By the construction of a breakwater across the small islets near the town ship of Kingston, Norfolk Island could long ago have been provided with a safe harbour and landing jetties. But the islanders could see that such a harbour would completely change the character of their ancestral home. They pre ferred to retain their isolation and re main in a convenient and blissful in accessibility.

But in spite of the inclinations of a people so happily circumstanced, Nor folk Island is about to lose its insular character, owing to the übiquitous aero plane connecting it with Australia.

Though rising out of the sea in solitary

grandeur, Norfolk Island is really the tail end of an archipelago stretching from New Guinea, through the Solo mons and New Hebrides islands, and forming a natural rampart to the vul nerable N.E. coast of Australia. The Archipelago occupies a position of strategic importance, and as a link in the chain of aviation outposts, Norfolk Island will acquire a growing signi ficance as one of the outer defences of the Commonwealth. The selection of a commodious and convenient site for an aerodrome and landing ground is al ready giving rise to much speculation among the islanders.

It is tolerably certain that civil avia tion will hug the heels of the Defence Board operations and provide the travel ling public with similar facilities for visiting the island. Instead of a pro tracted journey of five days by sea, the aeroplane will bridge the distance of 900 miles in a few hours, enabling passengers to breakfast in Sydney and

then have lunch on Norfolk Island.

But it is certain that the advent of the aeroplane will change the character of the island and the outlook of the islanders. Incidentally, it will provide them with a solution to many of the troubles and marketing difficulties against which they have contended so long. Instead of being impecunious exporters, expending their energies in furnishing agricultural products for an uncertain and unsympathetic market in

New Zealand or Australia, they will en joy a lucrative employment in catering for the requirements of a home market necessitated by the influx of visitors from overseas.

Long before the completion of the breakwater, which the new Adminis trator has in contemplation, Norfolk Island will have assumed the regal position which nature and fortune de signed for her as the Riviera of the South Western Pacific.—M.F.