In the late 1867 Captain Hippolyte Sebert founded the Village of Prony to begin the work of cutting trees to supply building material for Noumea. In 1873 the prison administration took over from the army and installed 150 convicts in this prison. The convicts were locked up here at night and during the day they cut trees and dragged the massive tree trunks to waiting coastal luggers that carried the wood to Noumea for construction. In 1887 the convicts were replaced by political exiles of France. In 1911 the trees were gone and the prison was closed.Today there is a small group of vacation homes built in the ruins of the old prison. Pleasure yachts come from Noumea and around the world to explore the many anchorages of the Baie du Prony. For details of the anchorages of New Caledonia, visit the Cruising Guide to New Caledonia.
