Cushana Warren-Peu, The Loneliest Child In The World

‘Cushana, aged six when this picture was taken, was the only child living on Pitcairn Island during my stay,’ says Adam. ‘She is the youngest of five, but all of her elder siblings had left for New Zealand to finish their schooling. Cushana is ferried to and from Pulau School by the island police officer, Brenda Christian, or by her mother, Charlene. At no time is she allowed to wander unaccompanied, and she is never left alone with island men.’ ‘Her childhood is very different to that of the older Pitcairners, who describe a youth with no rules and absolute freedom. If Cushana’s world is controlled by the blue Pacific that circles the island, her life is dictated by the apparent threat of her neighbours.’ ‘Cushana has a “safe adult” list, and is instructed to only associate with those on it. On an island of just 42 people, Cushana’s contact list is limited. When she grows up, she wants to travel to London, see snow, and meet the Queen.’

Islander Keane Warren. At the time of Adam’s visit, Warren was the stand-in pastor, but he passed away shortly after this picture was taken in 2015. In a blog post, Adam described Warren as one of her favourite Pitcairn residents, a man who ‘never judged me or questioned my motivations’.

Olive Christian is the wife of Steve Christian, former mayor of the island. Adam stayed with the couple at their home during her time in Pitcairn. Olive’s two sons, husband, father and brother were all convicted in the sexual abuse trials.

‘Young fell in love with Brian Young (later convicted) and they married. Brian is the only convicted man living off island, because he was granted special medical dispensation to access New Zealand. The poster was left in her house after she had abandoned her home. It was ripped down soon after this picture was taken.’ ‘This Clark Gable poster was left behind by Kari Young, a Norwegian lady fascinated by the Bounty mutiny and Clark Gable in particular,’ says Adam. ‘She wanted to visit Pitcairn and harangued British authorities to grant her visit.’

As well as her own work, Adam has included archival images in her book. Both of these pictures show Brenda Christian, Steve Christian’s sister and the island’s community police officer. The archive was used to highlight the colonialism and structural mismanagement that led to an environment where abuse was allowed to thrive.