Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to travel to Norfolk Island with my aunt to meet with members of the Norfolk Island Regional Council and discuss plans to support the digitisation of the island’s historical records. Our role is to help facilitate fundraising for this work through our newly established Heritage Preservation Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving and improving access to important historical collections.
It was an incredibly rewarding trip, both professionally and personally. My aunt has a direct family connection to First Fleet settlers, which gave the experience special significance for us. What really stood out, however, was how deeply this work resonates throughout the entire community.
Our discussions with the Council centred on practical ways to protect and preserve the island’s records, which document its various settlement periods. Digitising these collections is about more than safeguarding the past; it’s about ensuring these stories remain accessible to families, researchers, and future generations.
Spending time with locals really brought this home. Hearing people speak about their own family connections made it clear these records aren’t just historical documents, they’re deeply personal. Whether tied to the earliest settlement or later generations, there’s a genuine sense of pride and connection to the island’s past.
We were also fortunate to be there over Foundation Day, marking the establishment of the island’s first European settlement in 1788. We attended the Foundation Day lunch, which had a lively mix of locals and tourists, giving us a great sense of how the island shares its history while still holding onto its meaning for the community.
A real highlight was a private tour of Government House, which added another layer to the experience and gave valuable context to the conversations we were having.
Overall, it was a fantastic trip, both in progressing a clear path forward for fundraising through our foundation and in reinforcing just how important this work is. Preserving Norfolk Island’s history isn’t just about safeguarding records, it’s about keeping stories, connections, and a shared sense of identity alive for generations to come.