Falkland Islands - Keppel Island Missionary Settlement

Abandoned missionary settlement on Keppel Island, West Falklands

Thursday, November 2 - Keppel Island, West Falklands

A wet and windy Zodiac transport to the landing site at Keppel Island

Our next adventure was an afternoon visit Keppel Island, in the West Falklands. We planned to take a 3 mile hike across the island to finish at a beach where we would have a beach barbecue. An abandoned missionary farm settlement is located at our arrival landing site.  Its history is controversial, nested in colonial attitudes about indigenous populations at the turn of the last century.

Landing site on Keppel Island; abandoned missionary farm buildings at the site

The island is covered in gorse - with profuse golden flowers blooming in spring

We landed at low tide - somewhat slippery footing climbing up from the beach

Our daily update describes Keppel Island as follows: “Keppel Island takes its name from the British First Lord Sir Admiral Keppel.  In the middle of the 19th century, Keppel Island became home to a missionary settlement that was determined to understand the people of the Fuegian Yaghan in a setting that was more welcoming, climatically, than their native land.  They brought the Fuegians to this site.  The Fuegian natives taught some of their language to the missionaries and learned some English and farming techniques in return.  While the mission was active, well over 150 Fuegians were brought to the settlement.  In their homeland, disease and competition for the land from European settler dramatically reduced the native population.  .Eventually the society decided to dispose of the settlement and in 1911 it was sold to Bean Bros of nearby Pebble Island.  After changing hands twice more, the farm ceased to operate in 1992.  The island is celebrated for its rich and varied wildlife.  It is just opened to tourism this year, and is under new ownership.  We’re the first group to visit.”

The Fuegian Yaghans were an indigenous people that lived in the Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South American.  The European colonialists had moved into their territory and decimated their population and way of living.  This Keppel Island missionary farm was an attempt to relocate about 150 of the Fuegians and put them to "productive work" in accepted European modalities.  It was an experiment that failed - and over the years, it continued as a farm until about 30 years ago.  We hiked around the abandoned buildings, before heading across the island to our meeting location to return to the ship.

Exploring the missionary farm buildings

Abandoned pastures and fences that once supported sheep farming

Keppel Island cemetery

Beach landing site at low tide

Hillsides covered in golden blooming gorse