This stamp issue presents two historic sites from the second penal colony established on Norfolk Island between 1825 and 1855: the New Gaol, completed in 1847, and the Prisoners Barracks, completed in 1835. Both structures were quarried for buildings materials when the Pitcairn Islanders arrived as settlers, in 1856. So while only the arched entrance and perimeter walls of these sites remain standing, both symbolise the unforgiving conditions experienced by convicts sent to Norfolk Island.

The sites are part of a large collection of penal settlement buildings, ruins and archeological remains that comprise the Kingston and Arthurs Vale Historic Area (KAVHA), which sits on the southern side of Norfolk Island, on the Kingston coastal plain. KAVHA is part of the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property, which comprises 11 sites that tell evocative stories about Australia’s convict past.

Learn more about KAVHA and its history



Designer

Jo Mure, Australia Post Design Studio



Products released in this issue