Nouville Penal Colony Site
Bagne de l'île Nou (Nouville)
The main penal prison site where France exiled convicts in the 19th century, with its prison buildings, chapel and a converted theatre telling the story of colonial penal transportation.
The Nouville Peninsula was formerly Île Nou (Nou Island). From 1864 to 1897 France sent more than 20,000 convicts and Paris Commune political prisoners to New Caledonia, and this was the site of the main penal prison. Surviving remains include prison buildings, a convicts’ chapel and bakery, and the Théâtre de l’Île, a theatre converted from a convict workshop. Exhibition rooms explain the penal system and prisoners’ lives. Opening hours are limited, so check in advance. The peninsula also has a university and Kuendu Beach, about a 15-minute drive from the city center, and it can easily be fitted into an itinerary.
Opening hours
Site open all day; exhibition hall hours vary, confirm on site
Nearby sights
- Kuendu Beach
- Maritime Museum of New Caledonia
- Port Moselle Market
- Place des Cocotiers
- Nouméa City Museum
- Museum of New Caledonia
- St Joseph's Cathedral
- Baie des Citrons