3 July 1767: Pitcairn Island is discovered

Pitcairn Island is a lonely lump of rock stuck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 3,500 miles from the nearest continent, and 350 miles from the nearest inhabited place, Mangareva, in French Polynesia.

It has an area of just 18 square miles, it has no airport and just one supply boat, the MV Silver Supporter, which offers visitors four, 11, or 18 days on the island.

For a while, it was inhabited by Polynesians. But by 1450, they had all upped and left, abandoning the island to the birds, until this day in 1767, when the HMS Swallow sailed by, and a 15-year-old midshipman by the name of Robert Pitcairn spotted it.

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Pitcairn was duly added to the charts, but in the wrong place its latitude was right, but the longitude was off by some three degrees, equivalent to over 200 miles.

It remained undisturbed until the mutinous crew of the HMS Bounty, along with their Tahitian companions, turned up in 1789, and settled.

The population flourished, nearing 200 by the mid-19th century. But since then, it has declined. According to a 2021 census, only 49 permanent reisdents and five expatriates live on the island.

The island relies on financial aid from Britain, which amounted to £4.32 million in 2022-23. In May 2022, a cost extension value of the same amount was granted, which took the total budget support to £8.64 million.

This aid covers healthcare, education, transportation and shipping, among other reasonable assistance needs by those who live on the island.

While the island mainly benefits from tourism, other streams of income include the sale of honey, fish, artisan products, and Pitcairn merchandise.

Most people of working age are employed by Pitcairn's government via the Pitcairn Public Service. According to the official website, the current hourly pay for government jobs is NZ$10.00 per hour (or £4.44).

As of August 2024, no further settlement applications are being accepted for Pitcairn Island.

Also on this day

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