Discover Kingston

The Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area (KAVHA) is a large open-air site covering approximately 250 hectares and is a major focus for exploring the area’s heritage.

KAVHA and historic Kingston

KAVHA is recognised as a nationally significant convict settlement. The associated period of convict transportation to eastern Australia ran from 1788 to 1855. At the same time, KAVHA is one of eleven sites in the Australian Convict Sites serial World Heritage property, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List on 31 July 2010. This designation gives the historic site a clear historical and cultural context.

Individual sites along Quality Row also have different uses: No. 10 is a house museum, No. 9 is a research centre and No. 1 is the golf club house. If you plan to visit No. 9 or No. 1 specifically, confirm their current use in advance. This keeps your plans focused on the specific sites without confusing their different functions.

Details in the original area of the cemetery include the stone gate, corner posts and limestone memorial stones. At Emily Bay, archaeological assemblages and structural remains have been interpreted as a rudimentary marae—a religious structure characteristic of Eastern Polynesian culture. Describing this as an interpretation preserves the distinction between the visible remains and how they have been understood.

Ruins, walks and activities on the water

A walking tour leads through the ruins of the New Gaol and the Prisoner's Barracks. Check current track conditions before your visit. Another perspective is offered by the track up Longridge Road to Flagstaff Hill: from there, you can photograph Kingston from above. The two options have different emphases—the ruins on one hand, and the view of Kingston from above on the other—and can help you decide what to focus on during your stay.

You can swim, snorkel, paddle and surf in the clear waters and reefs of Emily Bay and Slaughter Bay. This adds water activities to the historical attractions. If these are the main focus of your trip, you can include these bays as a distinct part of your Kingston plans; the activities mentioned are swimming, snorkelling, paddling and surfing.

More experiences on Norfolk Island

The wider Norfolk Island destination offers additional nature and culture experiences. The 290-metre Palm Glen Track connects the Palm Glen Circuit Track with the Red Road Track and passes native Norfolk Island palms among giant tree ferns. When choosing an outing, this route offers a specific connection between two named tracks and a description of the vegetation along the way.

Fletcher’s Mutiny Cyclorama also tells the story of Norfolk Island: it depicts scenes from the Bounty’s voyage, the mutiny on board and the settlement of the island. Island Feast offers a different cultural focus. It explores traditional Tahitian cooking methods in earth ovens, known as “ahima’a”, and how Pitcairn Islanders adapted these dishes. Historical depictions and food culture are thus presented as different themes within the wider destination.

For a view of the night sky, the Mount Pitt lookout is a suitable spot for stargazing after dark. The experiences described also differ in their focus: KAVHA and the ruins offer a heritage experience, the tracks connect named routes or lead to views of Kingston, and Mount Pitt is intended for evening stargazing.

Discover more destinations: Cascade, Burnt Pine

For the full travel overview: Norfolk Island.