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Expanded History

History of Saint Helena

From antiquity to the modern era — the historical eras, key events, and narrative that shaped Saint Helena.

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Overview

St Helena was discovered on St Helena day (21 May) 1502 by the Portuguese navigator Joan da Nova. In 1658 Richard, Lord Protector, authorised the British East India Company to colonise and fortify the island. Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to St Helena in 1815 and remained there until his death in 1821. St Helena became a Crown Colony in 1834. The Zulu Chief, Dinizulu, was exiled to the island in 1890 and up to 6000 Boer prisoners were held there between 1900 and 1903.

Historical Eras

The major periods of {country}’s history at a glance.

  1. Portuguese Discovery

    1502 – 1658

    Portuguese navigator João da Nova discovered the uninhabited island on Saint Helena's feast day, 21 May 1502. For over a century it served as a remote resupply point for Portuguese vessels on the spice trade routes, with no permanent settlement established. The island's strategic mid-Atlantic position made it a valuable waypoint long before formal colonization.

  2. East India Company Rule

    1658 – 1834

    Lord Protector Richard Cromwell authorized the British East India Company to colonize and fortify Saint Helena in 1658, establishing the island as a key staging post for British commercial and naval power in the South Atlantic. The era's defining episode was the exile of Napoleon Bonaparte, banished here following his defeat at Waterloo in 1815 and remaining until his death in 1821. The island flourished as a vital port of call during this period.

  3. Crown Colony Era

    1834 – 1869

    Saint Helena was transferred from East India Company control to direct British Crown administration in 1834, formalizing imperial governance over the island. The period saw the island serve as a point of detention for notable political exiles, including Zulu chief Dinizulu from 1890, and housed up to 6,000 Boer prisoners of war between 1900 and 1903. The island remained an important Atlantic waypoint and administrative outpost of the British Empire.

  4. Decline & Isolation

    1869 – 1939

    The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 drastically reduced maritime traffic around the Cape of Good Hope, stripping Saint Helena of its strategic commercial importance virtually overnight. The island's economy contracted sharply, and population decline became a persistent challenge. During this period the island's infrastructure turned inward, with former facilities repurposed domestically, including a penal establishment operating from 1867 and a prison farm functioning until official closure in 1932.

  5. Modern Saint Helena

    1939 – present

    The British Crown reclaimed administrative control of key island assets in 1939, and Saint Helena gradually shifted toward a subsidized Crown dependency economy. The island gained renewed international attention with the construction of Saint Helena Airport, which opened in 2016, ending centuries of near-total reliance on sea transport. Today Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha form a single British Overseas Territory, with tourism and heritage linked to Napoleon's exile serving as key economic drivers.

Timeline Preview

The first 6 key events. View the full chronology on the timeline page.

  1. 1826

    Named St Helena after Aboriginal exiled on Island.

    Named St Helena after Aboriginal exiled on Island.

  2. 1867

    Declared Penal Establishment.

    Declared Penal Establishment.

  3. 1921 – 1932

    Became prison farm for low security prisoners.

    Became prison farm for low security prisoners.

  4. 1932

    Official Prison closure.

    Official Prison closure.

  5. 1933

    Opened to the public.

    Opened to the public (under responsibility of Brisbane City Council) First passenger ferry service established from Wynnum Pier (Closed 1934).

  6. 1939

    BCC handed Island back to State Gov’t. Leased as dairy farm to 1973.

    BCC handed Island back to State Gov’t. Leased as dairy farm to 1973.

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