Norfolk Island
Preserved but no longer current.
A South Pacific island belong- ing to Australia. It was discovered by Captain Cook in 1774 and was for many years a penal settlement for the most desperate convicts who had to be segregated from the other penal transportees in Australia. In 1856 Norfolk Island was colonized by the people from Pitcairn Island who were descended from the mutineers of the Bounty (#.v.).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Norfolk Island” mean?
A South Pacific island belong- ing to Australia. It was discovered by Captain Cook in 1774 and was for many years a penal settlement for the most desperate convicts who had to be segregated from the other penal transportees in Australia. In 1856 Norfolk Island was colonized by the people from Pitcairn Island who were descended from the mutineers of the Bounty (#.v.).
Is “Norfolk Island” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.