Norfolk Island Museum hosted the Dancing in Fetters exhibition from 21 May to 2 August, with a special week of activities 19-27 May.
It was amazing how much local content the Museum was able to add the exhibition including the stories of convict musicians and dances. The highlight was the story of concert on 25 May 1840 when the convicts were allowed to celebrate Queen Victoria’s 21st birthday with music, song, play acting, and dance.
Read more about Convict Culture week on Norfolk island when we which Celebrated Maconochie’s Frolic.
The Norfolk Island Museum reveals the amazing and multi-layered stories from the past. Famous for its colourful history, the island was first settled by Polynesians, then in 1788 by the British who later made it a convict hellhole. Since 1856 it has been home to the descendants of the Bounty mutineers.
Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area is one of 11 historic sites that form the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property. The Australian Convict Sites was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2010. Collectively, the sites are representatives of the global phenomenon of the forced migration of convicts.
