Road Lengthened

Mechanisation

Brings New Life

To Pitcairn

Life has taken on a new look for the people of Pitcairn Island, all because of two tractors which were landed on the island last year ( PIM, May, 1965, p. 73).

NOW the island has a road which is going further every month and plans are being made on Pitcairn as they have never been made before.

There are hopes that an electricity supply can be extended to every house on the island, plans for irriga tion dams, and the possibility of establishing a broadcasting station and a co-operative store.

These developments are envisaged under a plan for 1966-68, which Ratu George Uluilakeba, executive officer of the South Pacific Office in Suva, discussed with the Island Council during a recent visit to the island.

The South Pacific Office is re sponsible for the administration of Pitcairn.

The 1966-68 plan is centred around the new road, the first part of which —from the landing at Bounty Bay to the settlement on the cliff above —was opened last year with the aid of the two tractors.

The road is steep and can only be used in good weather, so the islanders now want to buy a stone-crusher to improve it.

Road Lengthened

Since the beginning of the year the road has been pushed ahead a further 66 chains, and although it had not been thought possible to build one to West Harbour on the north-west end of the island, this has now been done.

The road has opened up some arable pockets of land which the islanders could not previously reach with their wooden wheelbarrows.

Wheels are becoming increasingly important on the island. In addition to the two tractors, there are two motor-cycles which arrived last January, and almost all of the 20-odd schoolchildren have a bicycle.

Three more motor-cycles are on order, and a landrover-type vehicle may also be bought.

Meanwhile, Pitcairn’s economy has been lifted from the doldrums of a few years ago and is now fairly sound.

Although the only passenger ships to call are the Shaw Savill ships Gothic and Ceramic, which arrive at six-weekly intervals, the islanders have found a thriving market for their carved wood souvenirs on the ships of the American “Deep Freeze” expedition to the Antarctic which call fairly frequently.

Souvenirs are also exported to the United States and other parts of the world.

The sale of postage stamps con-

tinues to play an important part in Pitcairn’s economy, and every new issue finds a steady demand in the philatelic world.

Problems

The power scheme, however, pre sents its problems. The islanders will have to find a trained man to run it and maintain the machinery, It is hoped that the power scheme may bring some of the young Pit cairners back from New Zealand.

A few of these people, who migrated to New Zealand a year or two back, have already returned be

forfTe d m li£e in New Zea,and Experiments are being made on dams which can be used for irriga tion. It is hoped to launch a pilot plan, and if this is successful then a bigger plan will follow.

Despite a fairly high rainfall, the island is still prone to water shortages, for there is a fast run-off.

A reafforestation scheme, a major project for the replanting of the inland valleys, has been launched.

With these plans either in hand or under active consideration, Ratu George considers that the islanders are now really looking ahead. “Progress is slow but sure,” he said.