Military Room
EVERYDAY LIFE ...... About two sacred tubers......
Yam and tarot are the Kanak’s staple food. These tubers are sacred. The planting, the growth and the harvest of these tubers is the routine of their everyday life. AROUND THE CLAN Social life......
Before the arrival of Europeans, Kanak lived in family groups called clans; each clan was established on its own territory. A tribe is either formed of one and only clan, or of many clans sharing a common territory and speaking the same dialect. CIRI TERRITORY ...... Before the Europeans......
The lands of La Foa, Moindou, Farino and Sarraméa are known as the CiRi territory. This vast territory was occupied by many clans including Chief Ataï’s clan. FIRSTS EUROPEANS
In CiRi territory......
Many exploration missions displayed the natural assets of Uaraï: a good anchorage, a passable river, lands to cultivate. In 1871, Governor Gaultier de la Richerie decided to establish the prison there. TRANSPORTATION
The decree of May th the 30 of 1845......
The 30th of May 1854, Emperor Napoleon the 3rd, decided by law, to transport the hard labor sentenced convicts in overseas colonies. Convicts were to accomplish their hard works here. The deserving convicts would obtain a job or the grant of a piece of land. In total, about 22 000 convicts, or transported, straw hats as they were called; were sent to New Caledonia.
THE PRISON IN
NEW CALEDONIA ...... The reason of a choice......
The 2nd of September 1863, New Caledonia became a place of transportation, the substitute of French Guyana which climate was too hard to bear and where many wild animals lived. ON BOARD CONVOYS
...... Long journey......
Each ship transported about 300 convicts onto a journey that could have last from 3 to 6 months. The first 248 convicts landed from the Iphigenia the 9th of May 1864. HARD LABORS
...... What for ? ......
Minor larcenies weren’t enough to be sentenced to hard labor. Motives were more serious as more than half of these men were guilty of crimes, crimes attempts or murders. LONG SENTENCES
...... For long exile......
Convicts sentenced to more than 7 years of hard labor were numerous. They couldn’t leave New Caledonia, even when freed. However, all the convicts could benefit from a remission of sentence for good conduct. SETTING THE PRISON
...... The central penitentiary......
Governor Guillain chose Nou Island, located in front of Nouméa, to make the convicts build the central penitentiary. THE PRISON ADMINISTRATION
...... A limitless power......
The prison administration gathered all the people in charge of the prison organization. At the top was a powerful figure: the headmaster of the Penitentiary and under his orders was many military warders as well as the native Police. OTHER CONDEMNED
Deported and relegates......
Other convicts were sent to New Caledonia: political prisoners known as the “communards”, and the “relegates” who were no more than thefts, repeat offenders. GOVERNOR GUILLAIN
...... A Figure
Governor Charles A humanist in charge Guillain was to of the transportation welcome the first convicts. He gave them his words that in exchange of their total obedience and hard work, they will then go back as free men in the colony. GOVERNOR GUILLAIN
...... Founder of Bourail...... In 1867, when establishing Bourail, Governor Guillain hoped that this center, belonging to concessionaires, will become a genuine village inhabited by both genders. The women were either convicts too, or spouses that came by to be with their husbands. GOVERNOR GAULTIER DE LA RICHERIE
...... A Figure Governor Gaultier de la Richerie accepted deserving convicts to work for the free An authoritarian and population. He welcomed critical spirit the first’s spouses of the convicts that came to marry them, and took care of the political prisoners and settled them in Ducos and Ile of Pines. On the other hand, this wasn’t favorable to the development of Bourail’s colonial prison center. GOVERNOR GAULTIER DE LA RICHERIE ...... Founder of Teremba......
By 1871, Governor Gaultier de la Richerie chose Teremba fort to establish a military post, and a transported convict’s camp. The odds were for this place to become the main city of the penitentiary domain from Bourail to Canala. This impracticable project ended when he left in 1874. THE DECREE OF TH OCTOBER THE 8
OF 1871 ...... The first penitentiary delimitation
The decree of October the 8th of 1871, delineated the transportation territories for the four penitentiaries of Nou island, Bourail, UaraÏ, and Canala. THE PAPER OF FEBRUARY THE TH 19 OF 1872 ...... Penitentiary’s organization......
In a paper from the 19th of February 1872, Governor Gaultier de la Richerie defined the type of buildings and telegraphic lines works to be realized on the three bush penitentiary domains. GRANT
...... A space of freedom
Convicts could obtain a few hectares of bush lands to cultivate, or a few hundred square meters in a village for craft activities. These temporary grants would become permanent 5 years after their release. THE CONCESSIONARY
. . . A new colonist......
On bush land grants, convicts practiced mixed farming, to feed themselves, but also to commercialize it. On villages, convicts used to practice their former jobs, such as bakers, carpenters, or cobblers… FARMS AND FARMING
Formation establishments......
To facilitates the colonial development, the prison administration created farms and farming penitentiaries that were to form concessionaires’ and to lead crop tests. Each establishment owned its garden center and its cattle. FIRST CLASS
. . . . . On the way to rehabilitation......
“First class” transported convicts, the more obedient ones, could obtain a grant of land, in the colonial penal center. CHILDREN Penitentiary ...... Internships......
Children from 3 to 18 years old that arose from these marriages were placed in internships, boys in Bourail, and girls in Fonwhary. WOMEN
On freewill exile......
When on his own land, the convict could found a home and family, either his wife and children came from the parent state, or he could marry a female prisoner or the daughter of another land owner. THE PATH
A strategic priority......
It was Governor Gaultier de la Richerie who gave the order to open routes to link Teremba to Bourail on the North, Canala on the East and Nouméa on the South. A telegraphic line was set too between the penitentiary and the administrative center: Nouméa. THE NETWORK PROGRESS ...... A long term-job......
In 1874, muleteer* ways between the 3 penitentiaries were completed. But their widening for it to become roads, progressed slowly. In 1875, only 30 out of the 309 convicts from Teremba, worked every day on the road network. It was only by 1882, and at the arrival of Governor Pallu de la Barriere, that the colonial road network truly developed. *Muleteer: small path on which only a mule or a donkey can go through.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TEREMBA ...... Site and buildings Between 1871 and 1877, convicts built the major buildings of the penitentiary: the house of the commander, housing for the warders and servicemen, shed houses for the convicts… it was only after the Kanak insurrection of 1878 that a military fort was built inside the penitentiary. THE POPULATION OF TEREMBA ...... Militaries, warders, condemned......
All kind of people worked and lived inside the penitentiary: the commander, about twenty servicemen, about thirty warders and the prison administration agents, sometimes accompanied with their family, a teacher, a chaplain, few Kanak and about 120 to 300 convicts. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FONWHARY (1875-1892) ...... A farming center near Teremba
The site of Teremba being unsuitable and inappropriate for crop, the farming penitentiary was moved southern, in the valley of Fo Gacheu. It was then called “farming penitentiary of Fonwhary” as the nearby river. Under the impulsion of Theodore Lécart, many cultivation tests were done. FIRST GRANTS . . . . . Convict settlers on CiRi soil......
In 1875, the first concessionaires from the farming penitentiary received their lands. Those placed in Fonwhary, became the neighbors of Chief Ataï‘s tribe. Other settled in the valley of la Foa were a village was created.
MISSIONARIES
...... Beyond men’s judgment......
Chaplains* in charge of the religious support of the convicts were sent in Teremba in 1872. Every Sunday mass was celebrated in a big cob chapel.
*chaplain: priest working for the prison or the hospital.
KANAK AND COLONISTS FACING EACH OTHER 1877 : the year of the delimitation......
Within the increasing number of convicts and free colonists, Europeans needed more and more space for farming and cattle breeding. The Government then came to the delimitation of tribes that started on the East coast in 1876 and went on in Uarai in 1877. Many Kanak’s chiefs disapproved, such as Ataï who directly addressed the Governor Olry by showing him two small bags: one fulfilled with soil, the other fulfilled with pebbles. Emptying the first bag at the Governor’s feet, he said: “this is what we possessed”. Then, emptying the other bag filled with pebbles, he said “this is what you left to us”. MOINDOU’S FARMING CENTER
...... A mixed colonization attempt......
The village of Moindou, founded in 1873, 6 km from Teremba, welcomed colonist families from Lorraine or Alsace that flee from France after the defeat of Napoleon the 3rd against the Prussians. They created, with few political prisoners of the village, a group of volunteer combatants during the insurrection of 1878. Go outiside
UARAÏ BAY’S HYDROGRAPHY Anchorage near the island of Teremba......
When entering Uaraï bay, big ships for which water wasn’t deep enough were to cast anchor next to the island of Teremba. Then, men and goods boarded on rowboats and small steamboats to reach the penitentiary wharf. SHIPS ...... From gunboats to steam cutters......
It was first the military ships in 1871, then the civilian ships from 1873, that ensured each week the connection between Noumea and Teremba. The use of barges and steamboats favored the sailing up from the La Foa River to the village quay.
THE PRISON TERRITORY OF LA FOA ...... A thousand hectares domain...... The prison administration owned a wide territory in La Foa. This territory was divided into 7 bush sections: Fonwhary, La Foa, Méaré, Thia, Pierrat, Farino, and Tendéa, and in 2 village sections: Thia and La Foa where the village is established. It was mainly the convicts who occupied the lands, but also, free colonists in the village and on properties located nearby the penitentiary domain. FROM FARMING PENITENTIARY TO BOARDING SCHOOL . . . . . An establishment for concessionaires' daughters
In 1892, the prison administration decided to close the farming penitentiary of Fonwhary, and to turn it into a girl boarding school. New buildings were erected as dormitories, studying rooms, and a chapel. The school started for the first time in 1894. FONWHARY BOARDING SCHOOL (1894-1919) ...... Education for colonization......
It was at first religious, then secular teachers who lead the boarding school of Fonwhary. The boarding school welcomed girls from 3 to 18 years old. On the morning they attended arts and arithmetic’s classes. On the afternoon they concentrated on practical works, gardening, cooking or sewing classes. The boarding school closed for good in 1919...... CONCESSIONAIRES......
Each concessionary could benefit from a remission of his sentence for good conduct, and could enriched himself on working. He could make his family live correctly within good cotton or coffee harvests, and within the ownership of goats, pigs, and hens. But those who didn’t succeed were sent back to prison...... FREE MEN......
Some freedmen, who didn’t benefit from lands, chose to live in thefts groups, such as the “Frères de la Cote” group (the “Coastal Brothers”), who terrorized the area of La Foa. But for most free men it was easy to find a job on the breeding farms, on mines or in merchandising...... MALABARS......
The “Malabars” were Indian workers that came from the island of La Reunion to cultivate sugar cane. Dozens settled for good in La Foa by 1880...... FREE SETTLERS......
Free colonists, from Noumea, could also obtain lands on the region of Uarai. Some were retired persons who asked for hectares of good soil to cultivate next to the village, other were businessmen who wanted huge properties of 100 hectares, used for cattle breeding, in Pocquereux and Oua Tom...... KANAK......
After the insurrection of 1878, many tribes of the CIRI territory disappeared. Those of Grand Couli, Sarramea, and Koindé remained. New tribes such as Oui Poin were created, others such as Oua Tom, Poquecquereux or Moméa were rebuilt.
THE CAMP BRUN
...... The “ slaughterhouse camp”......
Undisciplined convicts were sent to camp Brun. The treatments inflicted by the warders and the native police were so cruel that the camp was nicknamed “the slaughterhouse camp”. Some convicts didn’t hesitate to wound themselves deliberately; they crushed their leg or arm, even blind themselves in the eyes, to escape the camp. GOVERNOR FEILLET ...... The closure of the convict system. . . . .
In 1894, a new Governor arrived in the colony. His name was Paul Feillet. He had two targets: to develop free colonization, and to close the prison. The last convict’s convoy disembarked in Nouméa in 1897. FEILLET’S COLONIZATION . . . . .Important means in favor of the free colonization......
Thanks to propaganda from the parent state, Governor Feillet succeeded in attracting 500 families of free colonists who settled in Voh, Sarraméa, Poindimié, even next to La Foa, to begin in the coffee cultivation. In order to cultivate, they needed large lands that they obtained by grouping the tribes into smaller reserves: this was known as the billeting. FEILLET’S OPPONENTS
...... A growing protest......
Governor Feillet was an authoritative figure who, because of his decisions, would get angry with many people: such as the prison administration who lost its power, colonists who couldn’t get money from the penitentiary anymore or catholic missionaries charged of defending the Kanak. THE END OF THE PRISON ADMINISTRATION (1906-1931) . . . . The end of the convict system in New Caledonia. . . . .
Between 1901 and 1922, the prison administration lost little by little its power and the number of convicts diminished. Its lands and buildings were sold, as well as the camps in La Foa in 1911, Teremba in 1919, and Fonwhary in 1922. It was only by 1931 that New Caledonia was no longer considered as a penitentiary colony. THE WEIGHT OF THE PENAL COLONIZATION ...... A numerous descendants......
In the New Caledonian population of today, there are many those who have a convict or guard ancestor. Is proves that the penal colonization was important in the populating’s story of New Caledonia SERVICEMEN’S ROOM
It was here, on the blockhouse floor that servicemen were living. They owned 4 rooms for the noncommissioned officers, and a dormitory for 25 soldiers. The ground floor, within loopholes on the walls, was used to store their equipment. When the garrison left, in 1885, the buildings slowly degraded.