Britain wanted a settlement able to send stores toward India if supplies from Britain were cut off. Timber and flax were among the naval resources identified in the New South Wales proposal. Norfolk Island became a planned subsidiary colony because observers believed its timber could provide masts and decking. The comparison with teak cautions that strength alone did not make timber suitable for masts. Colonial strategy depended on the actual working properties of materials as well as their apparent abundance.
Notable Point · 27:11-31:27
Naval stores and Norfolk Island timber
Plans for naval stores linked New South Wales flax and timber with a more cautious appraisal of Norfolk Island wood.