Pitcairn is a small, 4.5 km² archipelago in the South Pacific. A
small colony lives here, some of whose ancestors, in addition to
Polynesians, were mutineers of the famous Bounty. Pitcairn is now a
British overseas territory.
On December 23, 1787, the British
Admiralty ship HMS Bounty set sail with orders to bring cuttings of
the breadfruit tree from Tahiti to the West Indies in the Caribbean.
After a stay of around five months, the ship made its way back and
made a stopover along the way. After a major argument between the
lieutenant and the crew, a mutiny broke out near Tonga. The
lieutenant and other crew members were abandoned on a barge and the
crew set off alone with the Bounty.
While the lieutenant
reached the Dutch port of Kupang on the island of Timor, 5,800
kilometers away, after 41 days with his barge to warn the Admiralty,
the mutineers landed with the Bounty on the small atoll of Tubuai
with the aim of building a fortress there. After this failed due to
fighting with the indigenous population, the mutineers returned to
Tahiti. Fearing that they would soon be picked up and arrested by
the Admiralty, the core of the group, along with some Polynesians
from Tahiti, decided to set out and look for an island where they
could hide, while other members of the crew decided to to stay in
Tahiti (where they were actually arrested).
The mutineers
sailed purposefully to the island of Pitcairn. Although this had
been spotted by a British ship 20 years earlier, it had never been
entered; It was in the middle of the Pacific, far from any trade
route, and due to the inaccuracy of the maps at the time, it seemed
unlikely that the mutineers would be found there. On January 15,
1790, they actually reached Pitcairn Island, ran the ship aground,
unloaded all of its cargo, and then burned the ship to prevent
escape from the island.
On the island, the mutineers found
traces such as tools and statues that indicated an earlier
Polynesian culture on the island, but at the time of settlement the
island was uninhabited and the Polynesian culture was already
extinct. The existing flora (including coconut palms and breadfruit
trees) seemed to make life on the island economically viable.
However, life on the island was anything but easy and the cultural
differences between the British mutineers and the Polynesians led to
regular skirmishes. When two British warships docked off Pitcairn on
December 17, 1814, only one of the mutineers was still alive; all
the others had either been killed violently or had become addicted
to alcohol. The crew refrained from bringing him before a British
maritime tribunal, especially since he was now deeply rooted in the
community as a Bible-believing Christian.
Pitcairn was
evacuated twice: once in 1831 to Tahiti and once in 1856 to Norfolk
Island. While the stay in Tahiti was short-lived, two thirds of the
population chose to remain permanently on Norfolk Island, with only
a third returning to Pitcairn two years later. In 1887 Pitcairn
officially became a British colony. In 1890, Pitcairn Island was
converted by a Seventh-day Adventist missionary ship. All island
residents were baptized and to this day the entire population
belongs to this free church.
Pitcairn always remained a
remote island, only between the world wars was the island more
frequently visited due to shipping traffic through the Panama Canal.
After the Second World War the ships gradually disappeared again.
Recently the island has suffered from strong migration; many young
people hope for a better future in Australia, New Zealand or Great
Britain.
Pitcairn is today the last British overseas
territory in the Pacific and, with just under 50 inhabitants, the
least populated self-governing territory on earth. Although cruise
ships regularly call at Pitcairn, visits to the island are quite
rare. This is due to the small number of island residents who would
be overwhelmed by such visits.
Map of Pitcairn Islands 2.png
The widely scattered Pitcairn Islands include the
following islands:
Main island Pitcairn (only inhabited
island)
Oeno Island with Sandy Island
Henderson Island: The
island is approximately 10km long and 5km wide. There are 10 endemic
plant species and 4 endemic bird species on the uninhabited island.
It has been a UNESCO natural heritage site since 1988.
Atoll
Ducie
Pitcairn Island Museum, Adamstown PCRN 1ZZ. The island's museum is
still relatively young. Finds from the original Polynesian settlement as
well as relics of the Bounty such as the ship's Bible are exhibited
here.
The Bounty's anchor was lifted out of the sea and can now be
seen in front of the community center. In the future, one of the ship's
cannons, which was also raised from the sea, will also be exhibited.
On December 23, 1787, the British Admiralty ship HMS Bounty put to
sea with orders to bring cuttings of the breadfruit tree from Tahiti to
the West Indies in the Caribbean. After a five-month stay, the ship made
its way back, making a stopover along the way. After a major argument
between the lieutenant and the crew, there was a mutiny near Tonga, the
lieutenant was abandoned along with other crew members on a launch and
the crew set off alone with the Bounty.
While the lieutenant and
his barge reached the Dutch port of Kupang on the island of Timor, 5800
kilometers away, after 41 days to warn the Admiralty, the mutineers
landed with the Bounty on the small atoll of Tubuai with the aim of
building a fortress there. After this failed due to fighting with the
indigenous population, the mutineers returned to Tahiti. Fearing that
they would soon be apprehended and arrested by the Admiralty, the core
of the group, along with some Polynesians from Tahiti, decided to go and
search for an island where they could hide, while other members of the
crew decided to stay in Tahiti (where they were actually arrested).
The mutineers sailed single-mindedly to the island of Pitcairn.
Although this had been sighted by a British ship 20 years earlier, it
had never been entered; it was in the middle of the Pacific far from any
trade route and due to the inaccuracy of the maps of the time it seemed
unlikely that the mutineers would be found there. On January 15, 1790,
they actually reached the island of Pitcairn, ran the ship aground,
unloaded all the cargo, and then burned the ship to prevent escape from
the island.
The mutineers found traces such as tools and statues
on the island, which already indicated an earlier Polynesian culture on
the island, but at the time of settlement the island was uninhabited and
the Polynesian culture had already died out. The existing flora
(including coconut palms and breadfruit trees) seemed to make life on
the island economically viable. However, life on the island was anything
but easy and, above all, the cultural differences between the British
mutineers and the Polynesians regularly led to skirmishes. When two
British warships docked off Pitcairn on December 17, 1814, only one of
the mutineers was alive; all others had either been violently killed or
had become addicted to alcohol. The crew refrained from trying him
before a British sea court, especially since he was now deeply rooted in
the church as a Bible-believing Christian.
Pitcairn was evacuated
twice: once to Tahiti in 1831 and once to Norfolk Island in 1856. While
the stay in Tahiti was short-lived, two-thirds of the population chose
to remain on Norfolk Island permanently, with only a third returning to
Pitcairn two years later. In 1887 Pitcairn officially became a British
colony. In 1890, the island of Pitcairn was converted by a Seventh-day
Adventist proselytizing ship. All islanders were baptized and to this
day the entire population belongs to this free church.
Pitcairn
has always remained a secluded island, only between the world wars the
island was visited more frequently due to the shipping traffic through
the Panama Canal. After the Second World War, the ships gradually
disappeared again. In recent times, the island has suffered from a high
rate of emigration; many young people hope for a better future in
Australia, New Zealand or Great Britain.
Pitcairn is now the last
British overseas territory in the Pacific and at the same time, with
just under 50 inhabitants, the most sparsely populated self-governing
territory in the world. Although cruise ships regularly dock at
Pitcairn, visits to the island are fairly infrequent. This is due to the
small number of islanders who would be overwhelmed by such visits.
Since Pitcairn does not have an airport, the area can only be reached
by boat. From the pier you can walk or take a quad bike to the island's
capital, Adamstown.
The government of the Pitcairn Islands has
its own ship that connects Pitcairn with the island of Mangareva (French
Polynesia) every three months on a weekly basis. The departure times
(usually Tuesdays) are coordinated with the weekly Air Tahiti flight
from Tahiti to Mangareva. However, if you are traveling from further
away, especially from German-speaking countries, you may have to spend
several nights in Tahiti before you can continue your journey.
The price of 5,000 New Zealand dollars for the crossing is almost
exorbitant when compared to the prices charged for trips to similarly
remote islands. If you have the opportunity to rent a ship in French
Polynesia, it will usually be significantly cheaper. The journey from
Mangareva to Pitcairn takes two days.
No visa is required for a
stay of up to 14 days, but you must provide proof of international
health insurance that covers the costs of any necessary repatriation. If
you plan to stay longer, you must apply for a visa online in advance.
Quads have established themselves as a means of transport on the island, not least because of the unpaved roads and the sometimes long distances. Of course you can also explore the island on foot, but sturdy shoes are absolutely necessary.
The island mainly sells souvenirs to tourists, including
models of the Bounty. Recently, the island has also been trying, more or
less successfully, as a honey producer.
Pitcairn produces its own
commemorative coins at irregular intervals, which are mainly collectors'
value and hardly suitable as a means of payment. The island's stamps are
of philatelic interest.
Self-sufficiency prevails, the local gastronomy is limited to a few cafés, which only open once a week. The cuisine on Pitcairn consists mainly of fish products, everything else has to be imported from New Zealand and French Polynesia and is accordingly expensive.
It is best to book accommodation before you arrive via the official tourism website. You have the choice of either staying with a host family and eating and living together, or renting a self-catering cottage. Prices are usually billed per day and not per night.
There is no work on Pitcairn. Special staff needed on the island (such as doctors or technicians) are provided by New Zealand.
The island
of Pitcairn has recently been rocked by an abuse scandal that made
national media coverage. For this reason, underage children are now
banned from entering the island, and the British Home Office has also
instructed its staff not to bring any minors onto the island.
Apart from that, the island is perfectly safe.
New Zealand sends a doctor to Pitcairn, there is also a small hospital for dental treatment and radiology. However, the island is unprepared for specific medical emergencies and it can take weeks to get to a well-equipped hospital, so be in good physical condition.
Electricity is rationed on Pitcairn and only
available a few hours a day.
There are no radio or television
stations on Pitcairn and no cell phone service. Sometimes even amateur
radio is widespread. Internet does exist, but there is only one 1 Mbit
line for the entire island, so it is unsuitable for HD streaming.
A probably not entirely serious joke: the entire island is covered
by Google Street View. If the cost of the crossing is too high, you can
at least travel the island virtually.
According to archaeological research, the islands of Pitcairn and
Henderson were probably settled from Mangareva around 1000 AD. Despite
their remoteness, together with Mangareva they formed an extensive
exchange system with demonstrable connections to the Tuamotu and Austral
Islands. Pitcairn supplied high-quality fine-grained basalt and volcanic
glasses, which were used as tools because of their sharp edges; Sea
turtles and red bird feathers probably came from Henderson. Around 1450
this exchange system collapsed. Social tensions on Mangareva due to
overpopulation and lack of resources are believed to be a possible cause
for this. It is also believed that as a result of deforestation on the
islands, large canoes could no longer be built. The populations of
Pitcairn and Henderson, now left to their own devices, probably survived
for a few more generations. Around 1600 Henderson was abandoned; The
island of Pitcairn, which offered better living conditions, was probably
abandoned in the course of the 17th century. When the islands were first
visited by Europeans, they were already uninhabited.
The first
European to discover parts of the Pitcairn Islands was the Portuguese
navigator Pedro Fernández de Quirós, who was in Spanish service. During
his Pacific expedition that began in Callao in December 1605, he sighted
an island on January 26, 1606, which he initially called "Luna Puesta",
in his memorandum of 1609 to King Philip III. but called it “La
Encarnación”. Three days later he reached another island, which he named
“San Juan Bautista”. Both islands were not examined in detail and were
soon forgotten again. The former island is believed to be the atoll of
Ducie, rediscovered in 1791 by Edward Edwards, captain of the HMS
Pandora, in search of the Bounty mutineers and his patron, the Earl of
Ducie , was named. The second island discovered by Quirós is probably
identical to Henderson Island, which was rediscovered in January 1819 by
James Henderson, the captain of the Hercules, and named after him.
The first European ship to call at Pitcairn Island was HMS Swallow
under Captain Philipp Carteret. He named the island after his midshipman
Robert Pitcairn, who first sighted the island on July 2, 1767.
The most recently discovered part of the Pitcairn Islands from a
European perspective is the Atoll Oeno, which was probably sighted by
James Henderson in 1819 but was not given a name. In December 1823 or
January 1824, George Worth, captain of the whaler Oeno, discovered the
atoll and named it after his ship.
The British-Tahitian
settlement of the island of Pitcairn took place on January 15, 1790. On
April 28, 1789, parts of the crew of the ship Bounty mutinied and took
command. The mutineers returned to Tahiti, where the ship had previously
stayed for a few months. Their leader, Fletcher Christian, did not want
to stay in Tahiti for fear of being arrested. After an unsuccessful
attempt to settle on Tubuai, they returned. Secretly at night, Christian
left Tahiti again with only eight men, around a third of the mutineers.
Of the natives, twelve women and six men joined. The plan was to find an
uninhabited island, destroy the ship and spend the rest of their lives
there, never to be seen by Europeans again.
After two months of
combing the Cook, Tonga and eastern Fiji Islands in vain for a place to
stay, Christian relied on a description of Pitcairn by Captain Carteret,
who was present at the discovery in 1767 but was unable to enter the
island due to heavy surf . It promised ideal conditions for survival: a
river serving as a source of fresh water and fertile vegetation. In
addition, the maps of that time were very inaccurate. It was therefore
extremely unlikely that a British ship would find the island and arrest
the mutineers, which would have meant their certain death.
Pitcairn has been a British crown colony since 1838. In 1902, on the
instructions of the British Consul of Tahiti, R. T. Simons, a cutter
sailed from Pitcairn to Oeno, Henderson and Ducie in order to annex the
islands to the British Kingdom. The territory has been on the UN list of
non-self-governing territories since 1946.
In the 1980s, an
American multimillionaire attempted to acquire the islands from the
United Kingdom for tourist use. So, among other things, an airfield to
be built on Henderson. What is rather strange is the project of a
micronation called the “Principality of Freedonia” announced in 1992,
which tried in vain to buy the Pitcairn Islands from the United Kingdom.
In 2004, dozens of cases of child abuse came to light. Twelve men,
six of them islanders and another six living abroad, were subsequently
found guilty in the specially established Pitcairn Supreme Court. The
convicts then built their own prison, as there had never been one
before. After the last prisoner was released in 2009, the building was
converted into a guest house.
COVID-19 reached the island on July
16, 2022. See main article COVID-19 on Pitcairn
The Pitcairn Islands are located in the southern Pacific, scattered
over an area that stretches more than 600 kilometers from east to west.
Oeno is located around 430 kilometers east of the Gambier Islands, Ducie
is approximately 1,550 kilometers west of Easter Island.
The
islands are peaks of volcanoes rising from the seabed at a depth of
about 3500 to 3800 meters. They are links to two chains of deep
seamounts that run roughly in an ESE-WNW direction, the formation of
which is attributed to hotspot volcanism. Oeno, Henderson and Ducie are
part of the Southern Tuamotu Chain. Due to the drift of the Pacific
Plate to the northwest, the age of the islands increases from east to
west. Ducie in the east emerged 8 million years ago, Oeno in the west 16
million years ago. In between lies the largest island in the archipelago
with an area of around 43 km², the upscale atoll of Henderson, which is
13 million years old (all values with an uncertainty of ±1 Ma).
The significantly younger island of Pitcairn, which was formed in
several eruption phases around 0.93 million to 0.45 million years ago,
is the eponymous part of the Gambier-Pitcairn Chain, which runs parallel
around 100 kilometers to the south. The island reaches a height of 347
m, making it the highest point in the archipelago. Pitcairn is also the
only inhabited island in the archipelago.
The current uplift of
Henderson at an annual rate of 0.1 mm is causally linked to the
formation of Pitcairn Island. Their increasing weight led to an uplift
of the seafloor beneath Henderson through lithospheric bending.
Compared to the Pitcairn Islands' total land area of 49 km², its
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is huge, covering an area of more than
836,000 km².
Pitcairn's residents are predominantly descendants of the Bounty
mutineers and their Polynesian wives. The islands of Oeno, Henderson and
Ducie are uninhabited.
The residents are almost all Seventh-day
Adventists.
The main settlement and only settlement in the
Pitcairn Islands is Adamstown, where around 35 residents live. The place
is named after the last surviving Bounty mutineer, John Adams. In 1948,
Adamstown still had 220 residents, but the population has been falling
steadily for decades as younger, well-educated islanders are mostly
emigrating to New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom due to a
lack of professional prospects.
The Pitcairn Islands are the last remaining British overseas
territory in the Pacific Ocean.
The head of state of the Pitcairn
Islands is the British monarch. He is represented by the British High
Commissioner in New Zealand, who is also ex officio Governor of the
Pitcairn Islands. This has been Iona Thomas since 2022. The Pitcairn
Islands are semi-autonomous; the interests of the island's population
are represented by an elected mayor as head of government.
There is a civil service obligation for all able-bodied residents to
carry out repair work on the infrastructure and repairs on public
buildings if necessary, as there are no VAT or income taxes for public
financing.
On the inhabited main island of Pitcairn, a telephone
network with a New Zealand area code is operated by Pitcairn Telecom,
which also enables an internet connection. There are two government
satellite phones available for emergencies. There is no mobile phone
network on Pitcairn.
Satellite antennas enable the reception of
television and radio programs. A maximum of two channels can be
broadcast to households at the same time.
A radio station in
Adamstown operates official radio communications, for example for
communication with supply ships.
In November 2022, three Starlink
receiving stations were installed on Pitcairn, giving the island
broadband internet access for the first time.
Between 7 a.m. and
10 p.m., electrical energy is provided by diesel generators on the only
inhabited island in the Adamstown settlement. The diesel fuel required
for operation is imported. In 2006, a wind turbine was planned with the
aim of ensuring electrical power supply around the clock. The project
was canceled in 2013 due to high costs.