PITCAIRN ISLANDS

Ten square miles of rock in the middle of nowhere, over 3000 miles from both New Zealand, Panama and just about anywhere really. As well as Pitcairn there are three smaller uninhabited islands, only one of which (Ducie) is named.

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1767: Captain Philip Carteret of HMS Swallow first sights Pitcairn, but decides not to land due to adverse weather conditions.

1789: Led by First Mate Fletcher Christian, the crew of HMS Bounty mutiny against the tyrannical rule of Lieutenant William Bligh (though possibly the dusky charms of the beautiful maidens on recently-visited Tahiti may have had something to do with it as well!). He was dumped into a rowing boat with eighteen men, whilst the rest of the crew sailed back to Tahiti. Amazingly, Bligh successfully navigated his boat 3600 miles to the safety of Timor. He became governor of New South Wales in 1805.

1790: Fearful of reprisals (rightly, as things turned out!), some of the mutineers, including Christian, leave to find another island (taking some of the dusky maidens with them, of course!). Eventually Midshipman Robert Pitcairn sights one, and they set up in their new home.

1792: Ten of the mutineers who stayed on Tahiti are captured and tried. Three are executed.

1805: Bligh becomes governor of New South Wales.

1808: Bligh is recalled to Great Britain after his tyrannical governance of New South Wales causes (another) mutiny.

1808: Bligh is made an admiral!

1814: HMS Briton and HMS Tagus call at the islands, and find the rebels' new home. The British, preoccupied with finishing off the Napoleonic Wars, decide to take no action against the men there. Yet.

1831: The growing population is relocated en masse to Tahiti, but the move fails to work out, and they return the same year.

1856-1858: The British government move the whole population to Norfolk Island, but in spite of its better resources some of the islanders again opt for a return after two years.

1940: Better times for the islanders, as the Post Office starts issuing stamps (thus bringing the interest of stamp-collectors) and it becomes strategically important during World War Two.

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