Nouville Peninsula

  • Presqu'île de Nouville
NOUMEA, 98800, NOUVELLE-CALEDONIE

A story linked to the prison time


This landmark in the history of New Caledonia keeps some vestiges of the past, as a testimony of the prison era that has transcended time.
Formerly called Nou island, it becomes the property of the English James Paddon merchant who moved there in 1851. He conducted his business and built a lime kiln, a shop, a carpenter's shop for construction of boats and developped cattle breeding.

For its part, France facing difficulties to populate this new colony on the other side of the world, decided to establish a penal colony in order to create a penal settlement. The Nou island seems ideal for this project and negotiations began with Paddon so that he would let  his land against other lands.

The deal is done and once the administrative part settled, the penitentiary construction work begin in 1863.

The first convoy of convicts in 1864 carries 250 convicts. In all, it's 75 boats that will run to supply the territory in men. Living conditions are difficult and they are requisitioned for large-scale work for the construction of country roads, administrative buildings, church, embankments ...

The closure of the prison took place in 1931, after which most of the buildings of the prison era fell into disuse.

In 1972, a dam was built to connect the island to the mainland, passing it to the status of artificial peninsula.


What remains of that era

Today, the prison remains are nearly gone is some places and still alive in others returned to life having found a new use.
This is the case of the current Island Theatre: originally built for the church of the prison, it becomes a sewing and shoe workshop for the penitentiary and then store food. It had many other uses before becoming the cultural center.

The old bakery has become the prison museum which will reopen in 2018.
The house of the director of the penitentiary and the convicts dormitories are still standing despite having changed vocation.

Today the Nouville peninsula is the home to the University of New Caledonia and the state mental hospital that housed the prison hospital in the past.
Strangely, it kept a prison vocation in the tradition of its past with the current East Prison Camps.

This visit, which plunges into Caledonia prison past that forged its history, is recommended with a guide, who will revive the past by sharing many details.

Languages - French

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