History Of

A Popular

Norfolk Island

Sydney writer Frank Clune,

with 59 books to his credit, has chosen to tell the story of Nor folk Island for his 60th—and he hasn’t made a bad fist of it, either.

NOT this time the literary rambler down by-ways and dead-ends; not this time the irritating padder of chapters and incidents; not even (not much anyhow) the outrageous name dropper of yore, continually re minding his readers that all doors were opened to him and that he is thus giving them the real stuff.

The Norfolk Island Story, unlike his previous work, Journey to Pit cairn, which is a companion volume, sticks to the job in hand, within reason, and thus we get 300 pages of the discovery and subsequent history of this Australian island territory 900 miles north-east of Sydney.

He’s done a lot of work, much delving into archives and published literature, and given us a detailed account of Norfolk as the second British settlement in the South Seas (it was occupied in 1788); Norfolk as a convict prison with a reputation of horror; Norfolk as a home for the Pitcairners (who arrived in 1856).

There are occasions in this his torical narrative when other historians will beg to differ, for he is inclined to make assumptions on the facts, or accept other people’s opinions when a little more research might have thrown a different light on the point,

Readable

But he sources his material, and as usual his bibliography is good, and those who want to debate may do so.

The general reader will find it all very readable, if perhaps a little too long and detailed in sections.

On modern Norfolk, which covers only a chapter or two, Clune’s facts are not so hot, mainly because the visit he made to the island to bring himself up to date was in 1964.

Gordon Williams is not now Govern ment Secretary; Roger Nott is nol now Administrator; the cable now by passes Norfolk; Air New Zealand, nol

Qantas, flies to Auckland, etc.-

SI

(The Norfolk Island Story

Angus and Robertson. $5.50.)