The Colonisation Landscapes of Lord Howe Island, Tasman Sea, Australia
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Farmers, Fishers and Whalemen The colonisation landscapes of Lord Howe Island, Tasman Sea, Australia Kimberley Ann Owens (BSocSci, Hons) April 2008 A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the Australian National University i Statement of Authorship and Sources Declaration I declare that this thesis describes original research carried out by myself and has not been submitted in any other form for another degree or diploma at any other university or other institution of tertiary education. Where other individuals have provided expert input, they are acknowledged specifically in the relevant sections of the text. Information derived from the published or unpublished work of others has been acknowledged in the text and a list of references is given. Kimberley Ann Owens Date Statement of Access Declaration I, the undersigned, the author of this thesis, understand that the Australian National University will make it available for use within the university library and, by microfilm or other means, allow access to users of other approved libraries. All users consulting this thesis will have the sign the following statement: In consulting this thesis I agree not to copy or closely paraphrase it in whole or in part without the written consent of the author; and to make proper public written acknowledgement for any assistance that I have obtained from it. Beyond this, I do not wish to place any restriction on access to this thesis. Kimberley Ann Owens Date ii Acknowledgements There are so many individuals and organisations have contributed to the undertaking of this PhD, that individual thanks would be lengthy and still inadequate in many ways. A special thanks to my friends and family for their understanding, tolerance and support during the ridiculous amount of time taken to complete the project and my various periods of non-communication and hermit-like existence. Similarly, great thanks and appreciation to my supervisor Atholl Anderson for his advice and patience; and to Sharon Donohue for her great patience with overdue paperwork and the like. Also much appreciation to Pim Allison for her input and the opportunity to get a better handle on historic artifact assemblages. A great thanks to many community members from LHI without whom the project could not have gone ahead, my field volunteers who gave their time freely at considerable personal expense, and to many professionals at ANU and elsewhere who have happily given their time and expert opinion on various big and little things. In full acknowledgement that lists are inadequate, nonetheless the following people receive my thanks for the many big and small favours, tasks and mini projects they have willingly taken on for my benefit – thank you all. Department of Archaeology and Natural History, RSPAS, ANU Staff and Students Professor Atholl Anderson Dr Sue O’Connor Dr Mike McPhail Mr Paul Brugman Mr Darren Boyd Ms Janet Finn Ms Sophie Collins Dr Mattieu Prebble Mrs Sharon Donohue Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, ANU Staff Dr Pim Allison Professor Colin Groves Field Staff Ms Zandria Farrell Mr Thomas Harvey Mr Julian Travaglia Mr Hugh Watt Lord Howe Island Board Members and Staff Mr Esven Fenton Mr Gower Wilson Mr Bruce McFadyen Mrs Judy Riddle Mr Sean Thompson Mr Terry Wilson Mr Geoff Kelly Mr Gary Millman Christo and work crew iii Lord Howe Island Museum Committee and Staff Mr Chris Murray Mr Ian Hutton Mrs Robyn Warner Mr Barney Nichols Lord Howe Island Community Members Mr Brian Busteed Mr Peter Busteed Mr Jim Fitzgerald Mrs Ysobel Heffernen Mr Ian Lucas Ms Daphne Nichols Mr Peter Phillips Mrs Ilma Sainsbury Mrs Cindy Shick Mr Ray Shick Mr Barry Thompson Mr Des Thompson Mr Michael ThompsonMr Jim Whistler Mrs Lois Whistler Mrs Thelma Wilson Ms Rhonda Wilson Mrs Annette Young Mr Brian Young National Parks and Wildlife Service Staff Dr Rodney Harrison Library staff at the Hurstville Office New South Wales Heritage Office Staff Ms Isabel Cobas Dr Siobhán Lavelle Dr Timothy Smith Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority Staff Dr Wayne Johnson Casey and Lowe Pty Ltd Dr Mary Casey Sydney University Staff Dr Martin Gibbs University of Manchester Staff Dr Eleanor Casella University of Durham Staff Dr Keith Dobney iv Abstract A small dot of land in the middle of the Tasman Sea, Lord Howe Island presents an interesting and unique opportunity to examine several archaeological and historical questions relating to the colonization of islands, settlement landscapes, and the development of isolated communities. Through a combination of historical research and archaeological investigation, this project seeks to investigate the processes of development and change that were operating in the LHI settlement landscape and to arrive at an understanding of how these processes may or may not have significance for the understanding of other island colonization events, particularly prehistoric ones. Extensive background historic research utilizing various published and unpublished sources; community consultation and gathering of local knowledge; surveys of six historically known sites and excavation of four; and the synthesis of the historic and archaeological data in the creation of settlement landscape maps and identifications of resource use over time were employed as mechanisms of understanding the processes of colonization on a Pacific island, and allowed an assessment of its usefulness as an analogue for similar historic and prehistoric scenarios. The consequential thesis that is presented here outlines these research tasks and results and culminates in the general conclusion that Lord Howe Island is both a useful example and comparative case for other studies while paradoxically being subject to its own unique historic context, and is therefore limited to useful generalities rather than specifics. v Contents Statement of Authorship and Sources .......................................................... i Statement of Access ........................................................................................ i Acknowledgements ........................................................................................ ii Abstract ......................................................................................................... iv List of Figures .............................................................................................. vii Chapter One - “…this quiet, isolated, but picturesque little spot”: Project Overview ........................................................................................... 1 Study Area ............................................................................................................... 2 Climate .................................................................................................................... 5 Geology ................................................................................................................... 5 Flora and Fauna ....................................................................................................... 7 Historical Overview .............................................................................................. 12 Management and Heritage Listings ...................................................................... 13 Previous Studies .................................................................................................... 14 Research Questions and Aims ............................................................................... 16 Methodology ......................................................................................................... 17 General Progression of Thesis .............................................................................. 20 Chapter Two - Physical, Historical and Cultural Islands: Research Background ................................................................................. 21 Landscapes: constant yet ever-changing, ephemeral yet pervasive ...................... 22 Island Colonisations: voyages of discovery and change ....................................... 25 Colonisation Impacts in Polynesia: hunters, gatherers, farmers and fishers .................................................................................................................... 28 European Island Colonisations in the Pacific: patterns of colonial change .......... 37 Pioneers and Plunderers: whalers and sealers in the Pacific in the 19th century ................................................................................................................... 46 Isolation: agent of change, adaptation, stability and stagnation........................... 52 Chapter Three - From Cook to Hitler and Beyond: Historical Context ....................................................................................... 56 Discovery and Descriptions .................................................................................. 56 South Sea Whaling ................................................................................................ 61 First Settlers .......................................................................................................... 66 Second Wave Settlement....................................................................................... 71 Growing Settlement and Whaling Decline ........................................................... 75 Tertiary Settlement Infrastructure and the Development of the Palm Industry ................................................................................................................