Select Page

Norfolk Island

Capital city: Kingston

Population: 1,748 (2016)

Land area: 34.6 km2

Official language: English, Norfuk

Legal system: English common law and the laws of Australia

Time zone: GMT+11

Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)

GDP: N/A

Main industries: Tourism, light industry, ready mixed concrete

Principal exports: Soybean meal, Norfolk Island pine seeds, Kentia palm seeds, activated carbon, centrifuges, pesticides, postage stamps

PDF version

Norfolk Island is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean about 1600 km northeast of Sydney. It is a magnificent Island with a deep and unique history.

Demographics

In 2016, it was reported that Norfolk Island had a population of 1,748, of which approximately 20% are of Pitcairn ancestry. Different languages are spoken on the island including English as the official language (44.9%), Norfolk (40.3%), Fijian (1.8%), and others (13%).

History

The island was first discovered in the 13th or 14th century by the East Polynesian seafarers. It was first settled by people of British descent at around the same time as Sydney was first settled in the late 1700s. The population includes descendants of the Pitcairn Island’s Bounty mutineers and people of Polynesian background, and people from elsewhere in Australia, New Zealand and other mainly Pacific Islands.

The claim was originated to the UK government. But in 1913, Britain agreed to hand over the administrative control to Governor of New South Wales and it was expressed on 30 March 1914 in a UK Order in Council. After the outbreak of World War II, it became a crucial military strategic point for Australia and New Zealand. There was an airport and served as a refueling depot.

Legal System and Government

The Commonwealth’s law-making power in relation to the Island (sections 52 and 122 of the Constitution) is not constrained, and the Commonwealth has the ultimate responsibility for the Territory’s governance and for ensuring representative democracy and proper financial management. In addition, it also remains responsible for ensuring that Norfolk Island laws do not conflict with Australia’s obligations under international law.

Economy

Tourism would be the key economic activity in Norfolk Island. A major attraction is Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area (KAVHA), a World Heritage listed former convict settlement. KPMG undertook the project on behalf of the Australian Government to release the Monitoring the Norfolk Island Economy report and baseline tool. It is reported that 40% of Norfolk Island’s economic activity is related to tourism and annual tourist arrivals were 29,700 in 2016-17.

Trade

In 2019, Norfolk Island exported a total of $2.7 million worth of goods, making it the number 223 exporter in the world. During the last five reported years, the exports of Norfolk Island have decreased by $1.63M from $4.33M in 2014 to $2.7M. Principal exports were led by soybean meal ($365k), sowing seeds ($244k), activated carbon ($208k), centrifuges ($174k), and pesticides ($153k). The goods were mostly exported to Philippines ($790k), Singapore ($552k), India ($381k), Belgium ($180k) and Australia ($136k).

Investment Opportunities

According to Australia’s budget 2021, the government is investing $380,000 (AUS Dollars) for tourism promotion and destination marketing, encouraging potential investors to explore the tourism, hospitality, and real estate business.

Sources

https://www.regional.gov.au/territories/norfolk_island/

https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/norfolk-island/

https://www.regional.gov.au/territories/publications/files/SGS_Norfolk_Island_Economic_Development_Strategy_Action_Plan.pdf

https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/marino/media-release/economic-tool-support-diversification-and-growth

https://oec.world/en/profile/country/nfk

https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/marino/media-release/budget-2021-delivering-norfolk-island

https://www.norfolkislrealestate.com/property/448/2-ferny-lane-norfolk-island-nsw

Privacy Preference Center

    Consent Management

    • Our privacy preferences aim to give you information on how we collect and process your personal data through this website, including any data you may provide through this website when you register, subscribe or make an enquiry.
    • We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If you wish to get an explanation as to how the processing for the new purpose is compatible with the original purpose, please contact us.
    • In relation to your personal data provided on the subscription and other enquiries, we will use such data for emailing, direct communications within the provision of legal services.
    • We do not use your personal data for activities where our interests are overridden by your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms (unless we have your consent or are otherwise required or permitted to by law).
    • If subsequently, we enter into a contract with you, we will need to process your personal data for the purpose of performance of a contract. Hence, it is important that the personal data we hold about you is accurate and current. Please ensure that the data you provide us is accurate.

    Necessary

    Cookies are small pieces of data, stored in text files, that are stored on your computer or other device when websites are loaded in a browser. They are widely used to “remember” you and your preferences, either for a single visit (through a “session cookie”) or for multiple repeat visits (using a “persistent cookie”). They ensure a consistent and efficient experience for visitors, and perform essential functions such as allowing users to register and remain logged in. Cookies may be set by the site that you are visiting (known as “first party cookies”), or by third parties, such as those who serve content or provide advertising or analytics services on the website (“third party cookies”). Both websites and HTML emails may also contain other tracking technologies such as “web beacons” or “pixels.” These are typically small transparent images that provide us with statistics, for similar purposes as cookies. They are often used in conjunction with cookies, though they are not stored on your computer in the same way. As a result, if you disable cookies, web beacons may still load, but their functionality will be restricted.
    • We use necessary cookies for technical reasons; some enable a personalised experience for both visitors and registered users; and some allow the display of advertising from selected third party networks. Some of these cookies may be set when a page is loaded, or when a visitor takes a particular action (clicking the “like” or “follow” button on a post, for example).
    • Many of the cookies we use are only set if you are a registered WordPress.com user (so you don’t have to log in every time, for example), while others are set whenever you visit one of our websites, irrespective of whether you have an account.
    • We rely on consent as the ground for using such cookies. We will only use cookies for the specific purposes referred to above. You have the right to withdraw consent at any time. This does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
    • You may refuse consent or withdraw your consent to the use of cookies at any time by disabling cookies. You may disable cookies by adjusting your browser settings accordingly. If you want to remove previously stored cookies, you may clear your browser’s cookies. Please refer to your browser’s help menu for instructions on how to disable and/or remove cookies.
    • Please note that if you disable cookies, our website may not function properly.
    • We will not disclose your personal data to any other third parties unless we are obliged to under a court order or other legislative or regulatory requirement.

    Cookies Used

    Required
    gdpr[allowed_cookies], gdpr[consent_types], wordpress_test_cookie

    Advertising

    • These cookies are set by us and our advertising partners to provide you with relevant content and to understand that content’s effectiveness. They may be used to collect information about your online activities over time and across different websites to predict your preferences and to display more relevant advertisements to you. These cookies also allow a profile to be built about you and your interests and enable personalised ads to be shown to you based on your profile.

    Cookies Used

    Required
    gdpr[allowed_cookies], gdpr[consent_types], wordpress_test_cookie

    Analytics

    • These cookies allow us to optimize performance by collecting information on how users interact with our websites, including which pages are visited most, as well as other analytical data. We use these details to improve how our websites function and to understand how users interact with them.

    Cookies Used

    Required
    gdpr[allowed_cookies], gdpr[consent_types], wordpress_test_cookie

    Other

    • Our website contains third party links, and also includes functionality allowing users to share our webpages on third party social media applications, including LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. If you follow a link to another website or share a webpage on third party social media applications, this may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control third party websites and we do not accept any responsibility or liability for their privacy and cookie policies. When you leave our website, we encourage you to read the privacy and cookie policy of every website you visit. • We may update this privacy and cookie policy from time to time to reflect our practices. • If you have any queries, contact us through: info@commonwealthchamberhk.com

    Cookies Used

    Required
    gdpr[allowed_cookies], gdpr[consent_types], wordpress_test_cookie