From the Office of the Speaker 1 June 2012

Bounty Day and the Isle of Man

Bounty Day is almost upon us for another year and one week from today on 8 June we will be gathered on Kingston Pier to commence the days activities. The programme for Bounty Day will be published elsewhere and so we will just focus now on our Bounty Day link with the Isle of Man.

We all know that a Cultural Agreement between Norfolk Island and the Isle of Man was signed on 05 July 2011.  The Agreement included acknowledgement of the historical links between our respective Islands, links that were forged because of Fletcher Christian and William Bligh’s association with the Isle of Man, an association that led to the descendants of mutineers Christian, Adams, McCoy, Quintal and Young living on Norfolk Island today.  As part of our acknowledgment of the Cultural Agreement and the role that the Isle of Man played in our history the Manx flag will fly alongside the UK, Tahitian, Pitcairn and Norfolk flags, so we can march past them in the Bounty Day parade.

It is exciting news that the Norfolk Island flag will fly prominently in the Isle of Man on the 8^th June this year as their way of acknowledging our Anniversary Day.  The Isle of Man have shown great enthusiasm to honour the Cultural Agreement and our Anniversary Day, as not only will our Island flag be flying, they have asked for Norfolk Island Music to be sent over so it can be played on Bounty Day and the days leading up to it.  So far we have been able to send the late Eileen Snell singing My Beautiful Island Home, Trent Christian singing Welcome to Norfolk, Archie Biggs’s poem Morla el Duu and Graeme Connor’s song Pacifica which is very topical as it mentions Captain Bligh.

I would like to thank Mr Tom Lloyd AM for kindly providing me with a copy of the First Day Cover “The Mutiny on the Bounty 1789-1989” and stamps which were released on 28 April in 1989 which will join Isle of Man/Norfolk memorabilia held in the Committee Room of the Legislative Assembly.

The Isle of Man’s National Day, Tynwald Day, is celebrated on 05 July and I look forward to providing details of what our Island will do to honour their National Day this year.

Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and the Norfolk Island Youth Assembly

Elsewhere in this issue you will find an update of events being co-coordinated to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 11 to mark the 60 years of her reign. The official celebrations will commence on Monday the 4^th of June with a number of activities planned starting at the School where a new social networking site will be launched in the school library.  The site is designed to facilitate Norfolk Island’s Youth Assembly communicating with other youth organisations around the Commonwealth of Nations.

6 June 2012 – Ceremonial Sitting followed by a general Sitting of the House

The Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly will commemorate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee by conducting a Ceremonial Sitting at 10am on 06 June 2012.  This will be aired on VL2NI for all to listen to.  The Ceremonial Sitting will be followed by the normal Sitting of the House at 11am, which will be also be broadcast. 

To read the Notice Paper, Programme, Minutes of Proceedings and legislation tabled in the House go to www.info.gov.nf. Issued from the Office of the Speaker on 01 June 2012 and posted on the blog site http://yourparliamentyourvoice.blogspot.com