NORFOLK ISLAND TO-DAY

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 338, 20 January 1937, Page 8

NORFOLK ISLAND TO-DAY

AUCKLANDER’S IMPRESSIONS. Norfolk Island is described as a pleasant place in which to live by Mr. D. Long, formerly of Auckland, who has been visiting Wellington after five years’ residence on the island, w ich contains about 8500 acres, eight miles long by four miles across, with a coastline consisting mostly of sheer cliffs. Mr. Long said the pcpulation now numbered about 1000 souls, a drop from 1200 having been registered since the depression.

Of the 1000 people on the island, probably about 700 were natives, half-caste descendants of *he mutineer* of H.M.S. Bounty, transferred to Ncrfolk Island in 1855, when Pitcairn became oengested. The chief source of subsistence was t e growing of bananas and beans, but since an embargo was placed on importing Norfolk Island produce in-v New Zealand, the islanders had had a lean time.

New Zealand was quite a good market, and the islanders got a a OOu d( al of their requirements on. New Zealand, but it was all ended by the trouble between the New Z aland and Australian Governments. Now the settlers were going in for pas-sion-fruit culture, for whic> the Island was well adapted. Sur.mer temperatures went as hig’- as 85 degrees, and in the winter were seldom below 50 degrees—with nj frosts.