There's more to Norfolk Island There's more to Norfolk Island

Built in 1835, the Commissariat was responsible for supplying food and other necessities to convicts and jailers in Norfolk Island’s penal compound.

These days, the upper levels of the old Commissariat building have been converted into a church. Its role in our history is not forgotten, however, with the basement serving as an exhibition space for Norfolk Island Museums’ archaeological collections.

Many of the objects on display here bring the cruel reality of life in Norfolk Island’s penal colony into sharp relief. You’ll see a cat o' nine tails (a multi-tailed whip), leg irons and part of the grinding mechanism from the nearby Crankmill, where prisoners were forced to perform backbreaking labour.

Exhibition space featuring a broken stone plaque and display cases of assorted artefacts.
Exhibition space with display cabinets presenting assorted artefacts.
Display cabinet holding many glass bottles in various conditions and colours.
Close up shot of old metal chains within a museum.
Broken blue glass artefacts on a display shelf.
Several figurines of British soldiers in red uniforms on a display shelf beside a portrait of the British officer.

Visitor Information

Operating Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11am-3pm

Cost: $10 (single entry); $35 (museums pass)

Getting Here: In Kingston, on the corner of Quality Row and Middlegate Road. A 5-10 minute drive from Burnt Pine.

Top tips for the Commissariat

  • Hear Pitcairn hymns during a Sunday evensong service in All Saints Church, above the Commissariat museum.
  • Buy a Norfolk Island Museums Pass for multiple entries into all four museum venues and access to two guided tours.
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Explore more museums at Kingston UNESCO World Heritage Site

No. 10 Quality Row

No. 10 Quality Row

Turn back to Norfolk Island’s convict chapter at No. 10 Quality Row, now a museum. Learn about the home’s inhabitants as you wander through the restored interior.
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Pier Store

Pier Store

Learn about the mutiny on the Bounty and our Pitcairn history at Pier Store, located within the Kingston UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Research Centre No. 9 Quality Row

Research Centre No. 9 Quality Row

Set in a restored Georgian house, the Research Centre serves as a looking glass into the Norfolk Island of yesteryear.
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Royal Engineer's Office

Royal Engineer's Office

The Royal Engineer's Office is a great place to start your investigation into Norfolk’s storied past
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Sirius Museum - Protestant Chapel

Sirius Museum - Protestant Chapel

Learn about the seafaring saga of the Sirius, which wrecked just off the coast of Norfolk Island at the Sirium Museum within the Protestant Chapel.
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Your Norfolk experience starts here