The University of New England has led an ambitious pilot fieldwork project on Norfolk Island that brought together students and staff from UNE, the University of Queensland and the University of Southern Queensland in a unique collaboration combining archaeology, history, and heritage studies.
Led by Professor Martin Gibbs, the project offered participants hands-on training in archaeological techniques, digital heritage recording, and historical analysis—all while contributing to a deeper understanding of one of Australia’s most significant colonial sites.
The expedition was designed as a proof of concept for a future program of interdisciplinary research and student training, orchestrated by members of the Department of Archaeology and History which has a number of Australian Research Council grants exploring the interpretation and promotion of Australia’s cultural heritage.
Over the course of two weeks, the team explored sites connected to both the First and Second Settlements on Norfolk Island, including early farming areas, the original Government House, and the old and new gaols.
“This project is about training students through real-world research, while also helping to fill serious gaps in our knowledge of Norfolk Island’s early colonial history,” said Professor Gibbs. “We’re piecing together a complex historical landscape—one shaped by convict labour, fragile agriculture, and colonial survival strategies—using a combination of archaeological science, archival research, and digital tools.”
Students were involved in all stages of the work, from setting up and running remote sensing surveys to cataloguing previously unstudied artefacts and contributing to the development of immersive digital experiences of heritage sites. Equipment used in the field included magnetometers and resistivity meters to locate potential sub-surface features—despite some challenges, including the failure to get ground-penetrating radar equipment onto the island due to customs restrictions.
Working closely with local heritage professionals including site archaeologist Tom Sapienza and museum curator and collections manager Marie Evans, the team conducted geophysical surveys across several high-priority areas. These included four grids around the original Government House site—still heavily trafficked today—as well as near the Second Settlement’s gaol precinct. In each case, the goal was not just to find structures, but to better understand where features were likely to be located, enabling more targeted future excavation and conservation.
One area of particular interest was a site up in Arthur’s Vale, which may include the remains of the island’s first granary and mill. Dr Richard Tuffin, who guided the investigation, explained how a mix of historical mapping, topographic interpretation and geophysical data allowed the team to pinpoint potential remnants of these critical early structures.
“If confirmed, these features will be key to understanding food production and distribution in the colony’s earliest years—and may even yield samples of the island’s first crops,” he said.
Artefact analysis was another key aspect of the project, as students worked through material from earlier public works projects, many of which had never been systematically studied. Items included faunal remains such as seabird bones linked to the colony’s early food shortages, as well as domestic refuse potentially associated with known yard spaces.
Meanwhile, digital documentation was underway inside the Second Settlement’s gaol, where a student-led team used 3D cameras and panoramic imaging to create an interactive online model of the site.
“The idea is to build a virtual experience that can be explored from anywhere in the world,” explained student Emma, who led the imaging work. “We want people to get a sense of what it might have felt like to walk through the gaol in the 1820s, and to learn from that.”
Reflecting on the project, Professor Gibbs noted the value of embedding students directly in research that has public, academic and community impact.
“This is about teaching through doing, and about building a research culture that’s collaborative, cross-disciplinary, and engaged with place,” he said. “We’re not just training future researchers—we’re also contributing to how Norfolk Island understands and presents its own remarkable history.”
UNE student Patrick Roberts who is studying Archaeology and History for an Advanced Diploma of Arts said the fieldwork on Norfolk Island was unlike anything he’d done before.
“I’ve been about history at UNE, and now I’m walking through it. It felt like we were contributing to something meaningful. It’s made me think differently about what you can do with a degree in history and archaeology.”