Bounty Islands Solander Islands. Captain William Bligh discovered the Bounty Islands en route from Spithead to Tahiti in 1788 and named them after his ship, HMS "Bounty", just months before the famous mutiny. The location of the islands were only roughly marked on charts. In early 1866 Commander W. H. Norman of HMCS Victoria was tasked with determining more accurately their position. He reported them as being latitude 47ˈ50 South and longitude 179ˈ00 East. Captain George Palmer, during the search for the "Matoaka" placed the islands at 47ˈ46ˈ24 South 178ˈ56ˈ45 East. Palmer also annexed the islands for New Zealand. During the 19th
Bounty Day Bounty Day Bounty Day is a holiday on both Pitcairn Island, destination of the HMS "Bounty" mutineers, and on Norfolk Island. It is celebrated on 23 January on Pitcairn, and on 8 June on Norfolk Island, the day that the descendants of the mutineers arrived on the island. It is named for the "Bounty", although the ship never saw Norfolk Island. Bounty Day is celebrated on Pitcairn Island on 23 January, in commemoration of the burning of the HMS "Bounty" by the mutineers in 1790. Model replicas, made by the islanders, are burned. Bounty Day is the national holiday of