Pitcairn after job seekers

Wanted: social worker for rocky outcrop in Pacific Ocean hit by child-abuse scandal. Those who dislike isolation need not apply.

It's not your typical job ad, and while the real wording's less blunt, the message is the same: the Government of the Pitcairn Islands wants a family and community adviser for the only inhabited island of the group - Pitcairn, population 53.

The role is one of two up for grabs on the British territory, halfway between New Zealand and Chile. The other is for Pitcairn's sole doctor.

The social worker role, which has been advertised in New Zealand, Australia and Britain, requires someone who is "self-sufficient and resilient enough to handle challenging situations in an isolated environment".

Wellington-based deputy governor Ginny Silva said New Zealand probably has a good pool of potential applicants who work in rural areas.

"If you're somebody who likes to go out clubbing every night, Pitcairn's probably not going to suit you."

Settled in the 18th century by Fletcher Christian's mutineers from HMS Bounty and their Tahitian consorts, Pitcairn was largely left alone until allegations of widespread child abuse surfaced 10 years ago.

A police investigation ended with nine men convicted of a range of sex offences after trials on Pitcairn and in New Zealand.

Six were jailed on the island in a purpose-built prison and all have since been returned to the community.

Since the trials, Britain has taken a more active role in running the four-island chain, posting a diplomat there to represent the Governor of Pitcairn, who is also British High Commissioner to New Zealand.

The current family and community adviser was among several social workers sent to Pitcairn after the trials.

Her replacement will join other government-funded officials, including the teacher, doctor and community police officer, in helping safeguard the island's nine children.

According to the Pitcairn website, the British Government sees child safety as being of "paramount importance" in the island's development.

But a recent review concluded that risks remained and non-resident children should not be allowed to visit or settle on the islands.

Silva said the review, which was carried out in March, was partly because all the convicted men were out of jail.

"They are back in the community but they are being monitored by the community police officer and they are undergoing treatment programmes."

The successful applicant for the social work role will earn between $70,000 and $90,000 depending on their skill level.

They can take a partner and both will get free accommodation, transport to and from the island from New Zealand and free return passage for 20 days of annual leave.

Applications close on October 30. Silva was unsure of the level of interest but said the teaching role recently attracted about 20 applications.

The 12-month contract for the island's doctor carries a salary of about $200,000 as part of a "very attractive package including a fully furnished house and all provisions".

"Why not take up the challenge of being one of the few who have heeded the call of a truly swashbuckling adventure?" asks the ad, placed by medical service provider International SOS.

Recruiter Hamish McLean says generating interest in challenging jobs in unusual locations is about accentuating the positive.

"For mining jobs on the West Coast, we really push the outdoor options - the hunting and the fishing," says McLean, who works for Rob Law Max. "It gets a good response, especially from overseas people."

McLean reckons a sense of adventure will attract people to the Pitcairn jobs.

While working for a London recruitment company, he was surprised how easy it was to recruit people to work in war-torn Iraq.

"It was about the money - they would get triple what they'd get in London - but it was about the adventure, too."

Because such jobs usually pay well, the economic recession has made it much easier to find applicants willing to move out of their comfort zone, added McLean.