Thought this was interesting.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...tcairn-the-Pacific-island-with-free-land.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...tcairn-the-Pacific-island-with-free-land.html
Free land?
- Thread starter crosslandkelly
- Start date
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It needs a different mindset to successfully live on an island with such a long commute to anywhere else.
I know Scottish islanders who have no intention of ever living on small islands again. From the lack of easy healthcare to the simple lack of choice of purchasing what you want, when you want, it all really does need a huge adjustment.
If there is no near employment prospect for your children either, or tertiary education, that's another down.
Personally I think it could be a very rich life, a very contented and satisfying life, but a very physical life.
It must be incredibly tempting to many people though….surely ?
M
I know Scottish islanders who have no intention of ever living on small islands again. From the lack of easy healthcare to the simple lack of choice of purchasing what you want, when you want, it all really does need a huge adjustment.
If there is no near employment prospect for your children either, or tertiary education, that's another down.
Personally I think it could be a very rich life, a very contented and satisfying life, but a very physical life.
It must be incredibly tempting to many people though….surely ?
M
I was thinking much the same, a lovely place to spend an early retirement, and live the dream, but then the wife woke me up. 
I've been reading. It's not that pleasant.
At present no child is allowed to visit the island without a lot of paperwork.
"The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not currently allow their staff based on Pitcairn to be accompanied by their children."
When most of the children who go away to school in New Zealand do not return, there's some reason at the root.
I hope the community get it sorted out, but it has all rather tarnished them for generations.
M
At present no child is allowed to visit the island without a lot of paperwork.
"The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not currently allow their staff based on Pitcairn to be accompanied by their children."
When most of the children who go away to school in New Zealand do not return, there's some reason at the root.
I hope the community get it sorted out, but it has all rather tarnished them for generations.
M
Now, anyone remember the kid that wanted to live 'off the grid' a while back, 7 or 8 weeks? Didnt like a few home truths and we lost him? maybe someone should PM him?
I was trying hard to be discreet. It would be appreciated if we all remember that the forum is to be kept safe enough to be read in schools.
Societies (and a relatively cut off island population is it's own society) and their mores often do not change on a par with major population centres.
I am no apologist, but to quote one of the middle aged women, "That's the way it's always been on Pitcairn". What we find aberrant and abhorant is still commonplace in other societies world wide. It's mostly only in the first world that twelve and thirteen year old girls are still 'children'.
Thing is though, that what can't change dies.
So, they're trying to change; those who were found guilty have mostly served their sentences. One can only hope that the lessons learned actually are taking root in younger generations.
Personally I reckon that if they can't tempt their own island folks to come back at all, then they're on a very sticky wicket.
M
Societies (and a relatively cut off island population is it's own society) and their mores often do not change on a par with major population centres.
I am no apologist, but to quote one of the middle aged women, "That's the way it's always been on Pitcairn". What we find aberrant and abhorant is still commonplace in other societies world wide. It's mostly only in the first world that twelve and thirteen year old girls are still 'children'.
Thing is though, that what can't change dies.
So, they're trying to change; those who were found guilty have mostly served their sentences. One can only hope that the lessons learned actually are taking root in younger generations.
Personally I reckon that if they can't tempt their own island folks to come back at all, then they're on a very sticky wicket.
M
A reasonably well balanced article here, but note that there is fairly explicit comment about the abuse scandal.
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/12/16/pitcairn_island_an_idyll_haunted_by_its_past.html
It's always difficult to move in to a small community. Even right here in England if you move into a small village down in Devon you'll be regarded as an outsider and so probably will your children.
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/12/16/pitcairn_island_an_idyll_haunted_by_its_past.html
It's always difficult to move in to a small community. Even right here in England if you move into a small village down in Devon you'll be regarded as an outsider and so probably will your children.
I am personally not a big fan of the pacific. I rather have that ,,free land'' some where in Europe or northern America, but that's just me.
What I found difficult is to getting along with every one on the island. It is a small community and even 1 person can make ur life very unpleasant on this very small island, and there's not much places where u could go.
But this guy Tom Neale take it in to the next leve he spent 16 years on an island alone, read his story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Neale
What I found difficult is to getting along with every one on the island. It is a small community and even 1 person can make ur life very unpleasant on this very small island, and there's not much places where u could go.
But this guy Tom Neale take it in to the next leve he spent 16 years on an island alone, read his story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Neale
Coming of Age in Samoa by Margaret Mead has been criticised but its findings suggested that the Pitcairn problems might have been viewed differently. What is disturbing is the cavalier way the Pitcairners were passed over to a New Zealand judiciary rather than being tried by an English one as we insisted that they were subject to English law. Amusing that the accused were the ones operating the boat ferrying the judges etc.
Indeed. Particularly such a small and close knit society as Pitcairn (I believe it consists of just four families?)
I was also wondering about jury selection. If the jury comes from the island, could you find impartial jurors? On the other hand if the jury comes from elsewhere, could you really find "peers" of the accused? Somebody with similar cultural norms? (especially troubling since said cultural norms seem to be the root of the problem)
Its such a small island, so inbred in more ways than one that I suspect its time we just let it go as a community.
Its an interesting place and the people are different because it's such a different way of life. I was there 15 years ago and know a little of the history. Going to live out there would be a challenge I think, the people I met were all very nice but you would always be an outsider. Getting ashore was interesting and if you fall ill or get into trouble your a long way from 'home' and little or no back up. We visited other islands similar to Pitcairn and a guy died the day before we got there. What did he die off, constipation. We raced in after getting radio contact with them and heard about this poor guy but too late.
They told us on Pitcairn they travelled to Henderson island for wood, I'm sure they had gps when we were there but before that it was celestial nav and a star spanner. Henderson island is not big and wouldn't be hard to miss. Their boats are basically jumbo sized whalers(boat design not the role) made of aluminium, they were well handled. The top of the island is their allotments, not like ours though there's were full of pineapples, papaya, lemons. They sold us some of their honey which, because the bees went for the fruit trees, just tasted fruity and sweet lovely.
I don't think tracing each family tree would be particularly pleasant but that's life on a small rocky outcrop left over from a vast volcano rim. I daresay the people who brought the judges on their boats out were also those who were pushing for prosecution. But there wouldn't have been many others able to handle the boats it's a tricky patch I wouldn't even call it a harbour. I seem to remember being told they had to build the jail before being incarcerated in it but that may have been a joke.
I enjoyed my day and the people were lovely but live there, I struggled with the size of the IOM!
They told us on Pitcairn they travelled to Henderson island for wood, I'm sure they had gps when we were there but before that it was celestial nav and a star spanner. Henderson island is not big and wouldn't be hard to miss. Their boats are basically jumbo sized whalers(boat design not the role) made of aluminium, they were well handled. The top of the island is their allotments, not like ours though there's were full of pineapples, papaya, lemons. They sold us some of their honey which, because the bees went for the fruit trees, just tasted fruity and sweet lovely.
I don't think tracing each family tree would be particularly pleasant but that's life on a small rocky outcrop left over from a vast volcano rim. I daresay the people who brought the judges on their boats out were also those who were pushing for prosecution. But there wouldn't have been many others able to handle the boats it's a tricky patch I wouldn't even call it a harbour. I seem to remember being told they had to build the jail before being incarcerated in it but that may have been a joke.
I enjoyed my day and the people were lovely but live there, I struggled with the size of the IOM!
