About the bread – it could well have been ‘ship’s biscuit’ if it was 1788, only a few months after settlement. A bakery for ‘the public’ was in operation very quickly at Sydney, with its own dedicated bakers, but I doubt the same in Norfolk with only thirty or so colonists. So yes, the wheat was probably for sowing, and once the crops were established & harvested the grain would have to be ground using hand mills, which would have been no easy task. No ‘Wonder-white’ in those days – but very high in fibre and naturally low GI – but I’m sure this wasn’t seen as a benefit of any kind.

thanks for the evocative quotes Bruce, Jacqui

Lt Gov King on Norfolk Island noted in his journal (4th June 1788) that “At sunrise hoisted up the colours, in observance of the anniversary of His Majesties Birth Day and gave each of the people some liquor to drink His Majesties health and at their request excused them from any work in the afternoon”. He doesn’t say more about food that day, but entries either side of the day show they were planting plantain suckers (taken from the rivulet, now Windmill Creek), bananas and limes (that he had brought with him) in ‘the plantation’ (in Arthurs Vale), clearing ground and sowing wheat of the north east side of the hill (presumably Mt George, now Flagstaff Hill), and sending the boat out to fish on days when the weather allowed (they caught 30 fish on the 5th, species not stated, on the 15th the boat overturned and one man drowned). The weather on the Birth Day was “Fresh gales and cloudy”. Entries close to this day record that he had only a few casks each of meat, bread and flour left, and put the men on to a 2/3 ration (women remained on their original allowance – which was 2/3 of the men’s allowance). The next day (5th June) the people were ‘served’ 1/2 their allowance of pork, and 1 peck (about 4 kgs?) of wheat, and then two days later (7th June) 2 pecks of wheat each (although this last entry may be seed wheat for sowing?). Not sure what the bread was in the casks – perhaps ship’s biscuit?