Australian Museum to Launch Scientific Expedition on Norfolk Island

The former military barracks in Kingston in the Australian territory of Norfolk Island. Lawrence Bartlett/AFP via Getty Images

The Australian Museum will conduct a comprehensive environmental survey of Norfolk Island, 1700 km northeast of Sydney, over the next two years.

Working with the local community, Parks Australia, the Australian Institute of Botanical Science and the Auckland War Memorial Museum, the Australian Museum (AM) aims to learn more about the flora and fauna on Norfolk Island and to increase understanding of pre-European habitation of the Island through an archaeological dig.

Where is Norfolk Island, and Why is it Important?

Norfolk Island is one of Australia’s most isolated communities and one of its oldest territories.

Located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, Norfolk Island is 1,412 kilometres directly east of Evans Head in New South Wales. Together with the neighbouring Phillip Island and Nepean Island, the three islands collectively form the Territory of Norfolk Island, which had 2,188 inhabitants living on a total area of about 35 km2, according to the 2021 census by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Location of Norfolk Island. Screenshot/Google maps

The first known settlers in Norfolk Island were East Polynesians, who had departed when Great Britain settled Australia in 1788. The Island served as a convict penal settlement from 1788 until 1855, except for an 11-year hiatus between 1814 and 1825 when it was abandoned. In 1914, the UK handed Norfolk Island over to Australia to administer as an external territory.

The remote Island boasts a diverse and abundant array of birds, insects, reptiles, and marine life. However, many are rare and endangered species unique to the Island and surrounding area, according to an introduction on the website of AM.

Kim McKay, AO, director and CEO of the Australian Museum, said Norfolk Island has notable historic sites offering a unique heritage seldom found elsewhere in Australia and around the world.

“For nearly two centuries, the Australian Museum has conducted expeditions to document, collect, and examine our land and fauna, which has led to great advances in our geographic knowledge,” McKay said.

“With the depth and breadth of our scientific knowledge, backed by our valuable collections, we are uniquely placed to help inform future management of these areas and contribute to our understanding of the origins of Norfolk Island and how its ecosystems function within the greater global environmental picture.”

Norfolk Island landscape. Pixabay

The AM’s Norfolk Island expedition will be divided into three phases:

• 2022: Phase 1: Terrestrial biodiversity survey and archaeological excavations.
• 2023: Phase 2: Shallow marine biodiversity survey.
• 2024: Phase 3: Deep water marine biodiversity and oceanographic survey.

The first phase began on Oct. 24, with a combined team of more than 20 experts seeking to answer scientific questions such as whether there are any undescribed species on the Island and if the elusive Gould’s Wattled Bat, which is endemic to the Island, continues to dwell there.

Archaeologists will research the pre-European history of Norfolk Island, particularly the occupation of the Island by Polynesians about 150 years before European settlement.

Local Community Key to the Expedition

The Norfolk Island community will be critical to the expedition, said Prof. Kris Helgen, the AM’s Chief Scientist and Director of the Australian Museum Research Institute.

“Our scientists are recognised internationally as experts in their fields, but local collaboration and consultation is essential in both the planning and research phases of scientific expeditions,” Helgen said. “On one previous expedition to the Solomon Islands, our scientists onlearnedarn about a rare species of rat because of a tip-off by residents.”

Norfolk Island tree. Pixabay

Helgen added that to conserve a species, scientists must first know it’s there.

“Conservation is at the heart of our expeditions and the work we do throughout the Australian Museum Research Institute,” he said.

“The AM’s Lord Howe Island surveys are one such example. The scientists’ findings contributed to improving the breeding program for the phasmid (stick insect) long thought to be extinct and provided important scientific evidence to support the eradication of invasive black rats from the Island.”

Scientists from the Australian Institute of Botanical Science will conduct botanical surveys to fill crucial knowledge gaps of Norfolk Island’s unique flora, focusing on weeds and non-threatened flora that has flowers or fruit.

Electricity Relief for Norfolk Island

The expedition comes at a time when the Australian Government is providing a temporary subsidy to Norfolk Island to relieve the impact of increased diesel fuel prices on electricity production costs and charges.

A $200,000 subsidy will be offered to Norfolk Island as an interim arrangement for its transition to renewable power, which is a part of the Australian Government’s $5.3 million investment in improvements to the Island’s electricity network, including the roll-out of solar infrastructure.

Norfolk Island landscape. Pixabay

“I acknowledge the pressures associated with increased power costs for both the Council and local residents and businesses. With a rise of 40 percent in diesel fuel prices in recent months, driven by domestic and global freight challenges,” Kristy McBain, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, said in a statement on Oct. 24.

“Having spent time on Norfolk Island, I understand the community’s challenges and want to support measures to alleviate the cost-of-living pressures where possible.”

“The remote location of Norfolk Island, compounded by freight and supply chain shortages on a global scale, means it was appropriate to look at temporary measures to address the significantly increased cost of power for consumers.”