News Release

New Pitcairner

ANGWIN, Calif., USA, March 29, 2005 ------- Pitcairn Island has had something of a population explosion with the birth in Auckland, New Zealand, on March 22, 2005, of Ryan Randy Christian, whose sister, Emily Rose Christian, born on Pitcairn just 17 months ago, was the first child born on the remote island in 17 years.

Born to Nadine and Randall Christian at 1:10 a.m., March 22, Ryan weighed in at 7 pounds, 8 ounces, and is described as “a most beautiful little boy” by an Auckland-based Pitcairn administrative worker, according to a report reaching the Pitcairn Islands Study Center in the San Francisco Bay area.

Ryan is a ninth generation descendant of Fletcher Christian, who led the famous mutiny on HMS Bounty in 1789, and later sought a safe hiding place on Pitcairn Island.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable with obstetrical training of medical personnel on Pitcairn, Mrs. Christian opted for delivery by more experienced personnel in Auckland. She and young Ryan expect to return to Pitcairn soon to be reunited with their other family members.

On September 14, 2003, Mrs. Christian gave birth to Emily Rose Christian, the first child born on Pitcairn in 17 years. That birth was assisted by a well-trained obstetrical nurse who was resident on the island at the time but is no longer there.

About 50 people live on Pitcairn Island today. The tiny isle is located close to mid-way between Panama and New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean. The island’s greatest population was 233 in the 1930s.

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Pitcairn Islands Study Center, 1 Angwin Ave., Angwin, CA, USA. Herbert Ford, 707-965-6625, 707-965-2047, Fax: 707-965-6504, Email: hford@puc.edu, Website: http://library.puc.edu/pitcairn