The first European sighting of Lord Howe Island was in 1788, when British Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball gave it its name after the First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Howe.
It wasn’t until 1834 that the first settlers arrived, eight Maoris in total. The island became known as a place for whalers to stop for food and water. When the whaling industry subsided the islanders began to export their famous kentia palm, which was a prized ornamental plant in Europe and North America.
By 1893, a regular shipping service was visiting Lord Howe and the first tourists disembarked.
On 14 December, 1982, Lord Howe Island was officially inscribed on the World Heritage List. Its main industries remain tourism and the export of Kentia palms.
