NORFOLK ISLAND'S
NATURAL BOUNTY

A portfolio of original illustrations by Sorrel Wilby.

"An understanding of the natural world and what's in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fullfillment"

Sir David Attenbourgh

TREAD LIGHTLY

The decline of Earth’s biodiversity is not inevitable; indeed, Norfolk Island has entered a new age of scientific endeavour that has seen vulnerable species rebound. From the twin summits of Mt Pitt and Mt Bates to the ocean depths beyond Emily Bay, new discoveries abound. Through this archive of artworks I hope to encourage people in my community and beyond to connect to Norfolk’s natural environment, so they may understand & appreciate it more deeply.

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Coridromius norfolkensis, endemic plant bug

Norfolk Island Palm Bug, Latebracoris norfolcensis

Norfolk Island Palm seeds with the NI palm Bug, Rhopalostylis baueri with Latebracoris nor

Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar, Danaus plexippus

monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus,drying wings

nymph stage of the Kikihia convicta, our endemic cicada

Green Moth, Agathia jowettorum, head detail

Norfolk Island Swallowtail, Papilio amynthor

from the Emerald Moth family, Comostola pyrrhogona spp

LOOK CLOSELY

A lot of the wonder that exists within the Norfolk realm is difficult for locals and visitors to encounter; insects that hide on the forest floor, fungi that only appear after rain, endemic snails that are critically endangered & notoriously hard to find. Some species have succumbed to local extinction, yet thrive on neighbouring Phillip Island; a notoriously hard place to access even when the weather is benign.

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Lord Howe Island Gecko, Christinus guentheri

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GO GREEN

From our soaring, emblematic pines to the smallest of our filmy ferns, Norfolk Island is awash with green. Some of our plants are cherished for their beauty or rarity - others as a resource for building, weaving and cooking. Many of our endemic species flourish, while others have needed a healthy dose of community action and conservation intervention to ensure their long-term survival. Acknowledging the colonial artists who have come before me and whose work continues to inspire, please enjoy a contemporary take on our bounty of beautiful botanicals.

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Common Kangaroo Apple, Solanum laciniatum

Phillip Island Hibiscus, Hibiscus insularis

Mountain Rush, Screw Palm, Freycinettia baueriana

A form of Crispy Bird's Nest Fern, Asplenium australasicum in cultivation

Anther with pollen from a White Oak flower, Laguanaria patersonia subsp. patersonia

DIVE IN

Snorkelling over the reef is one of my family's favourite pastimes. Watching baby sunset wrasse exploring their playground plate corals... counting urchins hiding in the bommies... keeping an eye out for Doris - the insta-famous turtle the whole community brought back from the brink. Dive in here for all my latest drawings inspired by Emily Bay and the infinite wonder of the ocean beyond.

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Strawberry cod, Cephalopholis spiloparaea

The shell of a dead Purple Rock Crab, Leptograpsus variegatus

Splendid Hawkfish, Notocirrhitus splendens

Painted Latchet, Pterygotrigla andertoni

Bubble-tip Anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor

Red pencil urchin, Heterocentrotus mamillatus

TAKE FLIGHT

I live in the most easterly house on Norfolk Island, so I am blessed with a ringside seat when it comes to viewing the sunrise and displays by Norfolk's best known natural wonders: the seabirds. Forest birds and vagrant wetland species also visit quite regularly, snacking on insects in our garden or cruising over the paddocks beyond. Fly into this section of my page to see my latest drawings of all of Norfolk's feathered friends.

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Norfolk Island Robin, Petroica multicolor multicolor

Red-tailed Tropic bird, Phaethon rubricauda

Nesting Red-tailed Tropic Bird, Phaethon rubricauda

Shining Bronze Cuckoo, Chalcites lucidus

Long-billed White-eye, Zosterops tenuirostris

Feral Chickens, Gallus gallus domesticus

Buller's Albatross, Thalassarche bulleri

Norfolk Island green parrot, Cyanoramphus cookii

Whale bird, Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscatus

Nuffka, Sacred Kingfisher, Todiramphus sanctus norfolkiensis

Pacific Emerald Dove, Chalcophaps longirostris

Nuffka, Sacred Kingfisher, Todiramphus sactus norfolkiensis

Golden Whistler, "Tamey", Pachycephala pectoralis xanthoprocta

Grey Fantail,Rhipidura albiscapa pelzelni

Grey Fantail, Rhipidura albiscapa pelelni

Californian quail, Callipepla californica

Adult and juvenile Crimson Rosella, Platycercus elegans,

white faced heron, Egretta novaehollandiae

Pacific robin, Petroica multicolor multicolor

Norfolk Boobook Owl, Ninox novaeseelandiae undulata

Australasian Swamp Hen, Porphyrio melanotus

HONOUR THE PAST

In 2023 I was awarded a Churchill Fellowship, allowing me to travel abroad - chasing specimens of species our small island has lost to extinction. It was an incredible journey, tinged of course with sadness... but also a remarkable privilege. A chance to reframe the future, by revisiting the past. An opportunity to highlight just how fragile our natural environment is and the need to ensure history is not repeated. We need to work together to protect what's left of our biodiversity, to conserve it for future generations to enjoy.