Chickens, chooks, fowls, in all their Norfolk glory!

Chickens, chooks, fowls, in all their Norfolk glory! - Upon arriving at Norfolk Island, visitors are immediately struck by an observation which can often catch you by surprise – the numerous broods of feral chickens freely roaming the island. These colourful birds can be spotted going about their daily business of scratching and pecking against virtually every picturesque backdrop the island has to offer. Is there a First Fleet Connection?When Bruce Baskerville arrived on Norfolk Island in 2008 to take up his position as site manager for the island's historic buildings and ruins in the Kingston Arthur’s Vale Historic Area, he was intrigued by the feral chicken population. Having previous experience with poultry and connections to heritage breed enthusiasts, Baskerville noticed something distinctive about these birds. He explained, “I knew a lot of people who bred heritage and endangered species. The island's chickens didn't look like ordinary domestic fowls – they looked like something else."This observation sparked a fascinating historical hypothesis. Baskerville knew that the First Fleet, which established the British colony in Australia, had made significant stops in Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town on its journey to New South Wales in 1788. At both ports, chickens were brought aboard for dual purposes – immediate consumption during the voyage and as breeding stock for the new colonies. Given that Norfolk Island was established as a British settlement less than two months after Sydney, these same chickens would have been among the first European livestock to reach the island.When Norfolk Island was temporarily abandoned in 1813, it's possible that some of these chickens were left behind, establishing a feral population that has continued for over two centuries. If true, this would make the island's chickens something extraordinary – living artifacts of the First Fleet, carrying a distinct genetic lineage that connects directly back to the founding of European settlement in the South Pacific. The tantalizing theory of First Fleet chickens finds contextual support in Norfolk Island's remarkable preservation of other artifacts from this  historical period in the island’s chronological timeline. The Sirius Museum houses an impressive collection of First Fleet items being particularly significant because HMS Sirius, the flagship of the First Fleet, met its fate in 1790 when it was wrecked just offshore from Norfolk Island. In the decades since the shipwreck, an extraordinary array of artifacts have been recovered and painstakingly restored, which can be viewed by visitors at this museum.While Norfolk Island's feral chickens may hold potentially historical significance, their presence is not without controversy from an environmental perspective. As an introduced species on an island with unique and vulnerable native flora and fauna, these birds occupy a complicated ecological position that requires thoughtful management approaches.>>>>Have a listen to an interview by the late Toon Buffett in 1983 with Neil Hermes from ParksChickens are called ‘fowl’ on Norfolk, as well as chooks. An old Island expression translated by Beryl Nobbs Palmer describes the actions of a fowl when drinking. It takes the water into its beak and in the same motion, throws its head backwards, the old Norf’k saying is: ‘I moosa fowl!’ which means ‘If I don’t get something to drink, I’ll be swallowing like a fowl!’.>>> Have a listen to the late Archie Bigg, as shares his poem: Cockadoodlebloomendo in 2018Sponsored by Baunti Tours www.bauntitours.com > When booking with Baunti Tours, mention 'Podcast' to receive a 10% discount on tours. email: [email protected] phone: (International +6723) 23693To call from Australia: (02) 91368062