Bloody Bridge, near Kingston. Norfolk Island.
S 29° 03.390 E 167° 58.250
58J E 789270 N 6782110
Bloody Bridge derives its name from an overseer who was murdered and walled-up in the stone work of the bridge by rebellious prisoners who were later buried outside the cemetery boundary in a communal grave.
Waymark Code: WM6G5F
Location: Norfolk Island
Date Posted: 05/29/2009
Views: 5
Bloody Bridge was built during the Second Settlement by convict labour, in order to ensure a route over the stream even when it was in flood.
The reason for its name is unclear, but it is thought to be based on a story about the death of a convict work-gang overseer.
A truly gruesome tale is that of the picturesque stone Bloody Bridge. An attractive structure in itself the bridge was literally built on the body of a vicious tyrannical overseer. The half starved, cruelly shackled convicts were forced to labour on the bridge with every step impeded by their leg irons. The convicts were half-crazed by their suffering and goaded by their overseer
Driven beyond endurance one day, they slew their overseer. To escape detection and severe retribution, the convicts walled him up in the bridge. Their pretended ignorance of the missing overseer’s whereabouts may have been believed were it not for the blood that began to seep accusingly through the still wet mortar between the stones.
The next day the replacement overseer saw blood oozing from the mortar.
The stone bridge is situated on the coastal road just west of the cemetery at the scenic Cemetery Bay near Kingston.
Physical Location (city, county, etc.): Norfolk Island.
Road, Highway, Street, etc.: Coast Road.
Water or other terrain spanned: Water.
Architect/Builder: Built by Convict labour..
Construction Date: Built during the Second Settlement
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