Pitcairn Islanders
Pitcairn Islanders, also referred to as Pitkerners and Pitcairnese, are the native inhabitants of the Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory including people whose families were previously inhabitants and maintaining cultural connections. Most Pitcairn Islanders are descendants of the Bounty mutineers.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 800-1,000 worldwide | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Pitcairn Islands | 47 (2021) |
| Norfolk Island | 484 (2016) |
| Australia | 262 (2016) |
| New Zealand | 48 (2018 birthplace) |
| United Kingdom | 30 |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| Seventh-day Adventist Church | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
The mainstream Pitcairn culture is a mixture of British (specifically English, Cornish, Manx and Scottish) and Polynesian (specifically Tahitian) cultures derived from the traditions of the settlers that landed in 1790, plus a few that settled afterwards. As of 2021, there are a total of 47 people inhabiting the island.
There is also a Pitcairnese diaspora, particularly in Norfolk Island, New Zealand and mainland Australia. Fearing overcrowding, in 1856 all 194 Pitkerners immigrated to Norfolk Island aboard the Morayshire (including a baby born en route) but 16 of them returned to Pitcairn on the Mary Ann in 1858, followed by a further four families in 1864.