{"id":9397,"date":"2022-04-17T04:00:40","date_gmt":"2022-04-17T11:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/?p=9397"},"modified":"2022-04-17T10:34:30","modified_gmt":"2022-04-17T17:34:30","slug":"pitcairn-islands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/pitcairn-islands\/","title":{"rendered":"Pitcairn Islands"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/h2>\n

The Pitcairn Islands, officially the\u00a0Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands,\u00a0also known as\u00a0British Polynesia, is a group of four volcanic islands in the southern\u00a0Pacific Ocean<\/a>\u00a0that form the sole\u00a0British Overseas Territory<\/a>\u00a0in the Pacific Ocean. The four islands\u2014Pitcairn,\u00a0Henderson<\/a>,\u00a0Ducie<\/a>, and\u00a0Oeno<\/a>\u2014are scattered across several hundred kilometers of ocean and have a combined land area of about 18 square miles (47 km2<\/sup>). Henderson Island accounts for 86% of the land area, but only Pitcairn Island is inhabited. The islands nearest to the Pitcairn Islands are\u00a0Mangareva<\/a>\u00a0(of\u00a0French Polynesia<\/a>) to the west and\u00a0Easter Island<\/a>\u00a0to the east.<\/p>\n

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Pitcairn Islands on the Globe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pitcairn is the least populous national jurisdiction in the world.<\/sup>\u00a0The\u00a0Pitcairn Islanders<\/a>\u00a0are a biracial ethnic group descended mostly from nine\u00a0Bounty<\/i>\u00a0mutineers<\/a>\u00a0and a handful of Tahitian captives \u2013 as is still apparent from the surnames of many of the islanders. This famous mutiny and its aftermath have been the subject of many books and films. As of January 2020, there were only 47 permanent inhabitants.<\/p>\n

History:<\/h2>\n
\n

Polynesian settlement and extinction:<\/span><\/h3>\n

The earliest known settlers of the Pitcairn Islands were\u00a0Polynesians<\/a>\u00a0who appear to have lived on Pitcairn and Henderson, and on Mangareva Island 540 kilometres (340\u00a0mi) to the northwest, for several centuries from at least the 12th century.<\/sup>\u00a0They traded goods and formed social ties among the three islands despite the long canoe voyages between them, which helped the small populations on each island survive despite their limited resources. Eventually, important natural resources were exhausted, inter-island trade broke down and a period of civil war began on Mangareva, causing the small human populations on Henderson and Pitcairn to be cut off and eventually to become extinct.<\/p>\n

Although archaeologists believe that Polynesians were living on Pitcairn as late as the 15th century,<\/sup>\u00a0the islands were uninhabited when they were rediscovered by Europeans.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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West side of the Pitcairn Islands<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

European discovery:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Ducie and Henderson Islands were discovered by Portuguese sailor\u00a0Pedro Fernandes de Queir\u00f3s<\/a>, sailing for the Spanish Crown, who arrived on 26 January 1606. He named them La Encarnaci\u00f3n (“The Incarnation<\/a>“) and San Juan Bautista (“Saint\u00a0John the Baptist<\/a>“), respectively. However, some sources express doubt about exactly which of the islands were visited and named by Queir\u00f3s, suggesting that La Encarnaci\u00f3n may actually have been Henderson Island, and San Juan Bautista may have been Pitcairn Island.<\/sup><\/p>\n

Pitcairn Island was sighted on 3 July 1767 by the crew of the British\u00a0sloop<\/a>\u00a0HMS\u00a0Swallow<\/i><\/a>, commanded by Captain\u00a0Philip Carteret<\/a>. The island was named after midshipman\u00a0Robert Pitcairn<\/a>, a fifteen-year-old crew member who was the first to sight the island. Robert Pitcairn was a son of British Marine Major\u00a0John Pitcairn<\/a>, who later was killed at the 1775\u00a0Battle of Bunker Hill<\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0American War of Independence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Carteret, who sailed without the newly invented\u00a0marine chronometer<\/a>, charted the island at\u00a025\u00b002\u2032S<\/span>\u00a0133\u00b021\u2032W<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>, and although the\u00a0latitude<\/a>\u00a0was reasonably accurate, his recorded longitude was incorrect by about 3\u00b0, putting his coordinates 330\u00a0km (210\u00a0mi) to the west of the actual island. This made Pitcairn difficult to find, as highlighted by the failure of captain\u00a0James Cook<\/a> to locate the island in July 1773.<\/sup><\/p>\n

European settlement:<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
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The mutineers turning Bligh and part of the officers and crew adrift from HMS Bounty on 29 April 1789<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In 1790, nine of the mutineers from the\u00a0Bounty<\/i>, along with the native Tahitian men and women who were with them (six men, eleven women, and a baby girl), settled on Pitcairn Island and set fire to the\u00a0Bounty<\/i>. The inhabitants of the island were well aware of the\u00a0Bounty’s<\/i>\u00a0location, which is still visible underwater in\u00a0Bounty Bay<\/a>, but the wreckage gained significant attention in 1957 when documented by\u00a0National Geographic<\/a><\/i>\u00a0explorer\u00a0Luis Marden<\/a>. Although the settlers survived by farming and fishing, the initial period of settlement was marked by serious tensions among them.\u00a0Alcoholism<\/a>,\u00a0murder<\/a>, disease and other ills took the lives of most mutineers and Tahitian men.\u00a0John Adams<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Ned Young<\/a>\u00a0turned to the\u00a0scriptures<\/a>, using the ship’s\u00a0Bible<\/a>\u00a0as their guide for a new and peaceful society. Young eventually died of an\u00a0asthmatic<\/a>\u00a0infection.<\/p>\n

Ducie Island was rediscovered in 1791 by Royal Navy captain Edwards aboard\u00a0HMS\u00a0Pandora<\/i><\/a>, while searching for the\u00a0Bounty<\/i>\u00a0mutineers. He named it after\u00a0Francis Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Baron Ducie<\/a>, also a captain in the Royal Navy.<\/p>\n

The Pitcairn islanders reported it was not until 27 December 1795 that the first ship since the\u00a0Bounty<\/i>\u00a0was seen from the island, but it did not approach the land and they could not make out the nationality. A second ship appeared in 1801, but made no attempt to communicate with them. A third came sufficiently near to see their house, but did not try to send a boat on shore. Finally, the American sealing ship\u00a0Topaz<\/i>, under\u00a0Mayhew Folger<\/a>, became the first to visit the island, when the crew spent 10 hours on Pitcairn in February 1808. Whalers subsequently became regular visitors to the island. The last recorded whaler to visit was the\u00a0James Arnold<\/i> in 1888.<\/p>\n

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Pitcairn landing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A report of Folger’s discovery was forwarded to the\u00a0Admiralty<\/a>, mentioning the mutineers and giving a more precise location of the island:\u00a025\u00b002\u2032S<\/span>\u00a0130\u00b000\u2032W<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/sup>\u00a0However, this was not known to Sir\u00a0Thomas Staines<\/a>, who commanded a Royal Navy\u00a0flotilla<\/a>\u00a0of two ships, HMS\u00a0Briton<\/i>\u00a0and HMS\u00a0Tagus<\/i>, which found the island at\u00a025\u00b004\u2032S<\/span>\u00a0130\u00b025\u2032W<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> (by meridian observation) on 17 September 1814. Staines sent a party ashore and wrote a detailed report for the Admiralty.\u00a0By that time, only one mutineer, John Adams, remained alive. He was granted amnesty for his part in the mutiny.<\/sup><\/p>\n

Henderson Island was rediscovered on 17 January 1819 by British Captain James Henderson of the British\u00a0East India Company<\/a>\u00a0ship\u00a0Hercules<\/i>. Captain Henry King, sailing on\u00a0Elizabeth<\/i>, landed on 2 March to find the king’s\u00a0colors<\/a>\u00a0already flying. His crew scratched the name of their ship into a tree. Oeno Island was discovered on 26 January 1824 by American captain George Worth aboard the whaler\u00a0Oeno<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n

In 1832 having tried and failed to petition the British government and the\u00a0London Missionary Society<\/a>;\u00a0Joshua Hill<\/a>, an American adventurer arrived. He reported that by March 1833, he had founded a Temperance Society to combat drunkenness, a “Maundy Thursday Society”, a monthly prayer meeting, a juvenile society, a Peace Society and a school.<\/sup><\/p>\n

British colony:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Traditionally, Pitcairn Islanders consider that their islands “officially” became a British colony on 30 November 1838, at the same time becoming\u00a0one of the first territories to extend voting rights to women<\/a>. By the mid-1850s, the Pitcairn community was outgrowing the island; its leaders appealed to the British government for assistance, and were offered\u00a0Norfolk Island<\/a>. On 3 May 1856, the entire population of 193 people set sail for Norfolk on board the\u00a0Morayshire<\/i>, arriving on 8 June after a difficult five-week trip. However, just eighteen months later, seventeen of the Pitcairn Islanders returned to their home island, and another 27 followed five years later.<\/p>\n

HMS\u00a0Thetis<\/i><\/a>\u00a0visited Pitcairn Island on 18 April 1881 and “found the people very happy and contented, and in perfect health”. At that time the population was 96, an increase of six since the visit of\u00a0Admiral de Horsey<\/a>\u00a0in September 1878. Stores had recently been delivered from friends in England, including two whale-boats and\u00a0Portland cement<\/a>, which was used to make the reservoir watertight. HMS\u00a0Thetis<\/i>\u00a0gave the islanders 200\u00a0lb (91\u00a0kg) of biscuits, 100\u00a0lb (45\u00a0kg) of candles, and 100\u00a0lb of soap and clothing to the value of \u00a331, donated by the\u00a0ship’s company<\/a>. An American trading ship called\u00a0Venus<\/i>\u00a0had recently bestowed a supply of\u00a0cotton seed<\/a>, to provide the islanders with a crop for future trade.<\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n

Pitcairn islanders, 1916<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In 1886, the\u00a0Seventh-day Adventist<\/a>\u00a0layman\u00a0John Tay<\/a>\u00a0visited Pitcairn and persuaded most of the islanders to accept his faith. He returned in 1890 on the missionary schooner\u00a0Pitcairn<\/i><\/a>\u00a0with an ordained minister to perform\u00a0baptisms<\/a>. Since then, the majority of Pitcairn Islanders have been Adventists.<\/sup><\/p>\n

The islands of Henderson, Oeno and Ducie were annexed by Britain in 1902: Henderson on 1 July, Oeno on 10 July, and Ducie on 19 December.<\/sup>\u00a0In 1938, the three islands, along with Pitcairn, were incorporated into a single administrative unit called the “Pitcairn Group of Islands”. The population peaked at 233 in 1937.<\/sup>\u00a0It has since decreased owing to emigration, primarily to Australia and New Zealand.<\/sup><\/p>\n

Sexual misconduct in modern times:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Three cases of imprisonment for sex with underage girls were reported in the 1950s.<\/p>\n

In 1999 Gail Cox, a police officer from\u00a0Kent<\/a>,\u00a0UK<\/a>, served on a temporary assignment on Pitcairn, and began uncovering allegations of sexual abuse. When a 15-year-old girl decided to press\u00a0rape<\/a>\u00a0charges in 1999, criminal proceedings (code-named “Operation Unique”) were set in motion. The charges include 21 counts of\u00a0rape<\/a>, 41 of\u00a0indecent assault<\/a>, and 2 of\u00a0gross indecency<\/a>\u00a0with a child under 14. Over the following two years, police officers in\u00a0Australia<\/a>, New Zealand, and the\u00a0United Kingdom<\/a> interviewed every woman who had lived on Pitcairn in the past 20 years, as well as all of the accused men. Pitcairn Public Prosecutor Simon Moore (an Auckland Crown Solicitor who was the first lawyer appointed to the position by the British government for the purposes of the investigation) held the file.<\/p>\n

Australian<\/a>\u00a0Seventh-day Adventist<\/a> pastor Neville Tosen, who spent two years on Pitcairn around the turn of the millennium, said that on his arrival, he had been taken aback by the conduct of the children. But he had not immediately realized what was happening. “I noticed worrying signs such as inexplicable mood swings,” he said. “It took me three months to realize they were being abused.” Tosen tried to bring the matter before the Island Council (the legislative body which doubles as the island’s court), but was rebuffed. One Councillor told him, “Look, the age of consent<\/a> has always been twelve and it doesn’t hurt them.”<\/p>\n

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Adamstown, the only settlement on the Islands<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A study of island records confirmed anecdotal evidence that most girls bore their first child between the ages of 12 and 15. “I think the girls were conditioned to accept that it was a man’s world and once they turned 12, they were eligible,” Tosen said. Mothers and grandmothers were resigned to the situation, telling him that their own childhood experience had been the same; they regarded it as just a part of life on Pitcairn. One grandmother wondered what all the fuss was about. Tosen was convinced, however, that the early sexual experience was very damaging to the girls. “They can’t settle or form solid relationships. They did suffer, no doubt about it,” he said emphatically.<\/p>\n

Sexual assault trials of 2004:<\/span><\/h4>\n
<\/div>\n

In 2004, charges were laid against seven men living on Pitcairn and six living abroad. This accounted for nearly a third of the male population. After extensive trials, most of the men were convicted, some with multiple counts of sexual encounters with children.<\/sup>\u00a0On 25 October 2004, six men were convicted, including\u00a0Steve Christian<\/a>, the island’s mayor at the time.<\/sup><\/sup><\/sup>\u00a0In 2004, the islanders had about 20 firearms among them, which they surrendered ahead of the\u00a0sexual assault trials<\/a>.<\/sup> After the six men lost their final appeal, the British government set up a prison on the island at Bob’s Valley. The men began serving their sentences in late 2006. By 2010, all had served their sentences or been granted home detention status.<\/p>\n

In 2016,\u00a0Mike Warren<\/a>, Pitcairn mayor from 2008 to 2013, was convicted and sentenced to 20 months imprisonment for possession of child pornography.<\/p>\n

Geography:<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n

The Pitcairn Islands form the southeasternmost extension of the geological\u00a0archipelago<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0Tuamotus<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0French Polynesia<\/a>, and consist of four islands:\u00a0Pitcairn Island<\/a>,\u00a0Oeno Island<\/a>\u00a0(atoll with five islets, one of which is Sandy Island),\u00a0Henderson Island<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Ducie Island<\/a>\u00a0(atoll with four islets).<\/p>\n

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Map of the Pitcairn Islands Group<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Pitcairn Islands were formed by a center of upwelling magma<\/a>\u00a0called the\u00a0Pitcairn hotspot<\/a>.\u00a0Pitcairn Island<\/a>\u00a0is a volcanic remnant primarily formed of\u00a0tuff<\/a>, where the north side of the cone has been eroded. Pitcairn is the only permanently inhabited island. Adamstown, the main settlement on the island, lies within the volcanic basin.<\/sup>\u00a0Pitcairn is accessible only by boat through Bounty Bay, due to the island’s steep cliffs.<\/sup>\u00a0Henderson Island, covering about 86% of the territory’s total land area and supporting a rich variety of animals in its nearly inaccessible interior, is also capable of supporting a small human population despite its scarce fresh water, but access is difficult, owing to its outer shores being steep limestone cliffs covered by sharp coral. In 1988, this island was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.<\/sup>\u00a0The other islands are at a distance of more than 100\u00a0km (62\u00a0mi) and are not habitable.<\/p>\n

Pitcairn Island has no permanent water source; however, the island has three seasonal semi-permanent springs.<\/p>\n

Economy:<\/h2>\n

Agriculture:<\/span><\/h3>\n

The fertile soil of the Pitcairn valleys, such as Isaac’s Valley on the gentle slopes southeast of\u00a0Adamstown<\/a>, produces a wide variety of fruits, including bananas (Pitkern:\u00a0plun<\/i>),\u00a0papaya<\/a>\u00a0(paw paws<\/i>),\u00a0pineapples<\/a>,\u00a0mangoes<\/a>,\u00a0watermelons<\/a>,\u00a0cantaloupes<\/a>,\u00a0passionfruit<\/a>,\u00a0breadfruit<\/a>,\u00a0coconuts<\/a>,\u00a0avocadoes<\/a>, and\u00a0citrus<\/a>\u00a0(including\u00a0mandarin oranges<\/a>,\u00a0grapefruit<\/a>, lemons and\u00a0limes<\/a>). Vegetables include\u00a0sweet potatoes<\/a>\u00a0(kumura), carrots,\u00a0sweet corn<\/a>, tomatoes,\u00a0taro<\/a>,\u00a0yams<\/a>,\u00a0peas<\/a>, and\u00a0beans<\/a>.\u00a0Arrowroot<\/a>\u00a0(Maranta arundinacea<\/i>) and\u00a0sugarcane<\/a>\u00a0are grown and harvested to produce arrowroot flour and\u00a0molasses<\/a>, respectively. Pitcairn Island is remarkably productive and its benign climate supports a wide range of tropical and temperate crops.<\/sup> All land allocation for any use including agriculture is under the discretion of the government. If the government deems agricultural production excessive then it may tax the land. If the agricultural land has been deemed not up to the standards of the government it may confiscate and transfer the land without compensation.<\/p>\n

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Treemap of Pitcairn Island Exports 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fish are plentiful in the seas around Pitcairn.\u00a0Spiny lobster<\/a>\u00a0and a large variety of fish are caught for meals and for trading aboard passing ships. Almost every day someone will go fishing, whether it is from the rocks, from a longboat, or diving with a spear gun. There are numerous types of fish around the island. Fish such as nanwee, white fish, moi, and opapa are caught in shallow water, while snapper, big eye, and cod are caught in deep water, and yellow tail and wahoo are caught by trawling.<\/p>\n

Minerals:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver and zinc have been discovered within the\u00a0exclusive economic zone<\/a>, which extends 370\u00a0km (230\u00a0mi) offshore and comprises 880,000\u00a0km2<\/sup>\u00a0(340,000\u00a0sq\u00a0mi).[57]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Honey production:<\/span><\/h3>\n

In 1998 the UK’s overseas aid agency, the\u00a0Department for International Development<\/a>, funded an\u00a0apiculture<\/a> program for Pitcairn which included training for Pitcairn’s beekeepers<\/a>\u00a0and a detailed analysis of Pitcairn’s bees and honey with particular regard to the presence or absence of disease. Pitcairn has one of the best examples of disease-free bee populations anywhere in the world and the honey produced was and remains exceptionally high in quality. Pitcairn bees are also a placid variety and, within a short time, beekeepers are able to work with them wearing minimal protection.<\/sup>\u00a0As a result, Pitcairn exports honey to New Zealand and to the United Kingdom. In London,\u00a0Fortnum & Mason<\/a> sells it and it is a favorite of\u00a0Queen Elizabeth<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Prince Charles<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0The Pitcairn Islanders, under the “Bounty Products” and “Delectable Bounty” brands, also export dried fruit including bananas, papayas, pineapples, and mangoes to New Zealand.<\/sup>\u00a0Honey production and all honey-related products are a protected monopoly.<\/sup> All funds and management are under the supervision and discretion of the government.<\/p>\n

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Pitcairn Island Honey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tourism:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Tourism plays a major role on Pitcairn. Tourism is the focus for building the economy. It focuses on small groups coming by charter vessel and staying at “home stays”. About ten times a year, passengers from expedition-type cruise ships come ashore for a day, weather permitting.<\/sup><\/sup>\u00a0As of 2019, the government has been operating the MV\u00a0Silver Supporter<\/i>\u00a0as the island’s only dedicated passenger\/cargo vessel, providing adventure tourism holidays to Pitcairn every week. Tourists stay with local families and experience the island’s culture while contributing to the local economy. Providing accommodation is a growing source of revenue, and some families have invested in private self-contained units adjacent to their homes for tourists to rent.<\/p>\n

Entry requirements for short stays, up to 14 days, which do not require a visa, and for longer stays, that do require prior clearance, are explained in official documents.<\/sup><\/sup> All persons under 16 years of age require prior clearance before landing, irrespective of the length of stay.<\/p>\n

Crafts and external sales:<\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/div>\n
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Pitcairn Islands Stamp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The government holds a monopoly over “any article of whatsoever nature made, manufactured, prepared for sale or produced by any of the inhabitants of Pitcairn Island”.<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0The flow of funds from these revenue sources are from customer to the government to the Pitcairners.<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0The Pitcairners are involved in creating crafts and curios (made out of wood from\u00a0<\/span>Henderson<\/a>). Typical woodcarvings include sharks, fish, whales, dolphins, turtles, vases, birds, walking sticks, book boxes, and models of the\u00a0<\/span>Bounty<\/i>. Miro (<\/span>Thespesia populnea<\/a><\/i>), a dark and durable wood, is preferred for carving. Islanders also produce\u00a0<\/span>tapa cloth<\/a> and painted Hattie leaves.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The major sources of revenue have been the sale of coins and postage stamps to collectors,\u00a0.pn<\/a>\u00a0domain names, and the sale of handicrafts to passing ships, most of which are on the United Kingdom to New Zealand route via the\u00a0Panama Canal<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0The Pitcairn Islands issued their first stamp in 1940. These became very popular with\u00a0stamp collectors<\/a>, and their sale became the dominant source of revenue for the community. Profits went into a general fund which enabled the island to be mostly self-sufficient. This fund was used to meet the regular needs of the community, and pay wages. Funds in excess of regular expenses were used to build a school and hire a teacher from New Zealand, the first professional teacher hired on the island. The fund was also used to subsidize imports and travel to New Zealand. At later points, the sale of coins and .pn domain names also contributed to the fund. Towards the end of the 20th century, as writing letters became less common and stamp collecting became less popular, revenue for the fund declined.<\/sup>\u00a0In 2004 the island went bankrupt, with the British government subsequently providing 90% of its annual budget.<\/p>\n

Transportation:<\/h2>\n

All settlers of the Pitcairn Islands arrived by boat or ship. Pitcairn Island does not have an airport, airstrip or seaport; the islanders rely on\u00a0longboats<\/a>\u00a0to ferry people and goods between visiting ships and shore through Bounty Bay.<\/sup> Access to the rest of the shoreline is restricted by jagged rocks. The island has one shallow harbor with a launch ramp accessible only by small longboats. <\/sup>A medical emergency requiring transport to a hospital in\u00a0Papeete<\/a>\u00a0involved a 335\u00a0nautical mile<\/a>\u00a0(540 km) trip in an\u00a0open boat<\/a>\u00a0to the island of\u00a0Mangareva<\/a>, then an\u00a0air ambulance<\/a>\u00a0flight 975\u00a0nautical miles<\/a>\u00a0(1570 km) to\u00a0Papeete<\/a>. It was organized by medical authorities in the\u00a0United Kingdom<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0New Zealand<\/a>, and\u00a0French authorities<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Mangareva<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Papeete<\/a>. The\u00a0British High Commissioner to New Zealand<\/a> said “It can be a hazardous sea voyage from Pitcairn to Mangareva. This is especially so for open long boats. However, I\u2019m pleased to say that all went well and both boats arrived safely in Mangareva mid-morning today, New Zealand time.”<\/p>\n

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The wreck of the Bounty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A dedicated passenger and cargo supply ship chartered by the Pitcairn Island government, the\u00a0MV\u00a0Claymore II<\/i><\/a><\/span>, was until 2018 the principal transport from\u00a0Mangareva<\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0Gambier Islands<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0French Polynesia<\/a>. The supply ship was replaced in 2019 by\u00a0MV\u00a0Silver Supporter<\/i><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Totegegie Airport<\/a>\u00a0in Mangareva can be reached by air from the French Polynesian capital\u00a0Papeete<\/a>.[114]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

There is one 6.4-kilometre (4\u00a0mi) paved road leading up from Bounty Bay through Adamstown.<\/p>\n

The main modes of transport on Pitcairn Islands are by four-wheel drive\u00a0quad bikes<\/a>\u00a0and on foot.[71]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Much of the road and track network and some of the footpaths of Pitcairn Island are viewable on\u00a0Google<\/a>‘s\u00a0Street View<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pitcairn Islands Flag:<\/h2>\n

The\u00a0coat of arms of the\u00a0Pitcairn Islands<\/a>\u00a0was granted by\u00a0royal warrant<\/a>\u00a0dated 4 November 1969. The\u00a0flag of the\u00a0Pitcairn Islands<\/a>\u00a0was adopted on 2 April 1984. The design was suggested by the\u00a0Pitcairn Island Council<\/a>\u00a0in December 1980 and approved by\u00a0Queen Elizabeth II<\/a>\u00a0in April 1984. The flag was flown on Pitcairn for the first time in May 1984, during a visit by the then Governor,\u00a0Sir Richard Stratton<\/a>\u00a0(1980\u201484).<\/p>\n

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Flag of the Pitcairn Islands<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands features a shield depicting the anchor and Bible from\u00a0HMS\u00a0Bounty<\/i><\/a>. This represents the ancestral history of the islanders, most of whom are descended from the sailors who mutinied on the\u00a0Bounty<\/i>\u00a0in 1789. The design of the shield is green and blue representing the island rising from the ocean. The helmet and crest are a flowering slip of\u00a0miro<\/a>\u00a0and a Pitcairn Island wheelbarrow.<\/p>\n

The flag of the Pitcairn Islands is a Blue Ensign with the Union Flag in the canton and the coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands in the fly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands was granted by royal warrant dated 4 November 1969. The flag of the Pitcairn Islands was adopted on 2 April 1984. The design was suggested by the Pitcairn Island Council in December 1980 and approved by Queen Elizabeth II in April 1984. The flag was flown on Pitcairn for the first time in May 1984, during a visit by the then Governor, Sir Richard Stratton (1980\u201484)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9658,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[8,59,26,5,6,7,29,30,44,60,13],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9397"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9397"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9655,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9397\/revisions\/9655"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}