History of Norfolk Island transportation to Van Diemen's Land had ceased in 1853 and was replaced by penal servitude in the United Kingdom. On 8 June 1856, the next settlement began on Norfolk Island. These were the descendants of Tahitians and the HMS "Bounty" mutineers, resettled from the Pitcairn Islands, which had become too small for their growing population. The British government had permitted the transfer of the Pitcairners to Norfolk, which was thus established as a colony separate from New South Wales but under the administration of that colony's governor. They left Pitcairn Islands on 3 May 1856 and arrived with 194 persons
Raine Island and waters of the Wuthathi people, who shared their interests in the area with the Erubam Le (Darnley Island), the Ugarem Le (Stephen Island) and Meriam Le ( Murray Island) Torres Strait Islanders During the 1890s the island was mined for guano. The waters around the island were treacherous for early European navigators. More than thirty shipwrecks can be found off the coast of the island including HMS "Pandora", a vessel that in 1791 was involved in the capture of a group of mutineers from the HMS "Bounty". As a consequence, the beacon was built by convict labour in 1844,