Noumea, city of multiple architectural styles, testimony of past movements. The first wooden colonial houses coexist with the Art Deco cottages of the 30s made of straight lines and zigzags, or the cylindrical volumes and flat roofs of the 60s.
Former penal colony, the archipelago has many remnants of the prison. Some of these buildings have been renovated and re-designated, like the Theatre of the island, or Territorial Archives in Noumea.
This heritage, sometimes a reminder of tragic stories, can be visited using the service of a specialized guide. Such places are the galleys of Nouville, the peninsula of Noumea, and Fort Téremba, located in Moindou in the region of Bourail. This monument was built in 1880. At that time, it was a real village spreading on 11 hectares, which included the magnificent house of the Commander, the houses of the supervisors and of the prisoners, a church, a school, a telegraph office, bakery, workshops, a brick kiln and a limekiln.
The third essential step in the itinerary: the village of Prony, in the south this time, where since 1864, the prisoners cut wood for the construction of Port de France, the former name of the capital.
An essential thread in the history of the Caillou, nickel is symbolic of Caledonian Heritage. Whether industrial, human or cultural, it has scarred the mountains and rivers and influenced the entire history of the archipelago.
Nickel is the lifeblood of New Caledonia. Nicknamed “King Nick”, the ore has been mined since the late nineteenth century and was responsible for bringing in successive waves of labour.
Three mine operators are based in New Caledonia, making this small area, one of the five largest producers of nickel in the world, but also one of the most innovative in the research for a synergy between economic development and protection of the environment.
The prison
Nickel
