Maconochie’s Rum: Norfolk Island Liqueurs
Telling stories and celebrating a place, a part of history, a culture is commonplace now through beverages, cocktails, spirits, juices and more. At Norfolk Island Liqueurs, the Forrester family have been doing just that for over 30 years.
The Forrester family’s connection with Norfolk Island dates as far back as 1791 when Robert Forrester was transported to the island to farm as a free settler. He had been transported to Australia as a convict a few years earlier with the First Fleet in 1788 and completed his convict tenure in Sydney. For his good work on Norfolk Island, he was later granted 1000 acres at Windsor NSW.
It wasn’t untill1983 that John Forrester
– a fifth generation descendant of Robert – settled on Norfolk Island with his wife Joyce and purchased the property now known as ‘Forrester Court’. Within a short period of time the family had begun manufacturing bespoke liqueurs, a craft that is today continued by John’s son, Brad. With a distinctive wax dipped top, their bottles are unmistakable and come in 15 fantastic designs and flavours, each with their own connection to Norfolk’s many stories. It would take a whole magazine to describe all of Norfolk Liqueurs range, so we’ve decided to single out just one – Maconochie’s Rum.
Alexander Maconochie was one of thirteen Governors of Norfolk Island during the notorious second British Settlement from 1825 – 1855, but his legacy to the world is immeasurable. History remembers Maconochie as the ‘Father of Reform’ and his system of allowing prisoners to earn rewards for good behaviour is widely regarded ad the basis on which modern penal reform is built. It was on Norfolk Island that Maconochie’s system was pioneered.
However, this approach was clearly ahead of its time and Maconochie’s methods fell out of favour with his superiors. He was replaced after only four years. His ideology would not become commonplace until long after his death. Maconochie was replaced by the vicious Joseph Childs in 1844 and a brutal reign returned to the island.
During Maconochie’s time on Norfolk Island he decided to mark Queen Victoria’s birthday by allowing a quantity of spirits from his own stores to be apportioned to the prisoners, together with bread and meat, to drink to Her Majesty’s health.
Nearly 200 years later, in 2006, John Forrester would present a bottle of ‘Maconochie’s Rum’ at a luncheon at Buckingham palace with Queen Elizabeth II in celebration of her 80th birthday – A fitting full circled celebration of Maconochie’s time on Norfolk Island.
Born in Edinburgh, Maconochie was first a naval man. He became a midshipman as a teenager, and he fought in the Napoleonic wars where he was imprisoned for two years. He clearly knew what it was like to be a prisoner, and as a sailor it seems fitting to apportion a Rum Liqueur to his name – after all, the uplifting value of a ‘rum ration’ is likely to be one he knew only too well.
Machonochie’s Rum is a dark naval rum with a splash of coffee. In 2021 Maconochie’s Rum won a Silver award at the London Spirits competition. Discover more at the Norfolk Island Liquor Bond and the Norfolk Island Liqueurs tasting room on Cascade Road. Always drink responsibly.
____
Image Credit: Robin Nisbet
____
Article content disclaimer: Article first published in Discover Norfolk, Volume 08 Issue 01, 2025. Please note that details of specific travel, accommodation and touring options may be outdated. References to people, places and businesses, including operating days and times may be have changed. References to Government structure and Government businesses/entities may no longer be applicable. Please check directly with businesses and/or Government websites directly rather than relying on any information contained in this article before you make travel arrangements.
