Since the 1790s, a version of the story of ‘The Mutiny on the Bounty’ has remained in the public conscience. A story of 9 British mutineers aboard the HMS ‘Bounty’, sailing off to an uninhabited island to avoid being court-martialled back in England.
In the 1700s it took the newspapers by storm. Since the 1830s, it has been the subject of countless books. In the 1900s, it was the subject of five feature films. However, this told (and retold) story isn’t even the half of it.

So here to right that is Dr Pauline Reynolds, historian and barkcloth maker. Pauline has been looking beyond the mutineers, to the 13 Polynesian women who set sail aboard the HMS ‘Bounty’. Through her research of tapa (barkcloth), Pauline will share with you the untold story of her tupuna vahine (ancestors), the women of Hitiaurevareva, Pitcairn Island.

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Intro 00:04
The women who travelled on HMS Bounty 00:45
The true story of Mutiny on the Bounty 1:10
Why HMS Bounty went to Tahiti 2:47
Dr Pauline Reynolds' research into tapa barkcloth 5:20
Tapa of Mauatua, British Museum 6:21
How tapa barkcloth is made 8:27
Names of each side of a tapa barkcloth beater 11:43
Tiputa poncho from Hitiaurevareva (Pitcairn Island) 12:27
How a tiputa poncho is worn 12:51
Tracing the maker of a tapa piece 14:07
The legacy of the women of Hitiaurevareva (Pitcairn Island) 15:32
'Mauatua e' by Dr Pauline Reynolds 16:24

Featured works:

‘A View of Matavai Bay in the Island of Otaheite’, 1776
By William Hodges (1744–1797)
Oil painting
Yale Center for British Art

‘The Mutineers turning Lt Bligh and part of the Officers and Crew adrift from His Majesty’s Ship the Bounty’, 1790
By Robert Dodd (1748–1815)
Print
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

‘House of John Adams, Pitcairn Island’, about 1825
By Frederick Williams Beechey (1796–1856)
Drawing; pencil and watercolour
National Library of Australia, nla.pic-an2890321

Film excerpt from:
'Hina’s Granddaughters'
Sue Pearson – creative director, artwork, photography, sound, aute
Dr Pauline Reynolds - lyrics, music composition
Mike Bridgman - editing and animation
Ruby Clark - representation/embodiment of poem characters
Mauatua Fa’ara-Reynolds – vocalist and embodiment of Hina
This audio-visual artwork is part of a travelling exhibition by Pearson and Reynolds called Hina Sings ...