New Caledonia As Penal Colony

OVERVIEW

Discover the notorious details of Noumea’s early settlement by touring a former French penal colony where the founding convicts were held in harsh living conditions. In 1864, when the ship Iphigénie arrived from France with 248 convicts to build the penitentiary on Nouville Peninsula, Noumea was called Fort-de-France. Being isolated and fairly unpopulated, it was the ideal location for a penal colony as the convicts had little chance to escape. While walking around the remains of the penitentiary, you can easily imagine the severity of life behind the bars, especially since the prison population swelled to more than 9,600 by the end of 1883. You will also have the opportunity to see the penal colony’s chapel, bakery, administrative building and hospital, which later became part of a psychiatric asylum. Even though some of the buildings have been renovated, the penal colony is still an austere environment, meant for little more than punishment.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Tour a 19th-century penitentiary where convicts were held in extraordinarily harsh conditions.
• Gain an understanding of how Noumea was founded as a French penal colony.
• See penitentiary buildings that lend insight into the cruelties of life for those incarcerated.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.