Sitting on a headland overlooking Emily Bay, the Salt House is one of several evocative ruins and heritage buildings, as well as older Polynesian sites, scattered around Kingston.

The Salt House dates back to 1846, when Norfolk Island’s second penal colony was in full, brutal swing. Once used to harvest and store salt, which was in turn used for preserving meat, the stone building is now a roofless ruin.

For a little more context, read the site’s information board. It describes the efforts of the penal colony to become self-sufficient and details the measly daily rations received by prisoners.