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Christmas Island

Christmas Island, located in the Indian Ocean, between latitude 10 degrees 25' and 10 degrees 34' south, and longitude 105 degrees 34', 360 km south of Java, near the Cocos-Keeling Islands and 1,400 km north-west Australia (800 miles south of Singapore). Currently under the Australian government, the island was annexed to the Straits Settlement in 1888 and consequently administered via Singapore. It is mined for its rich phosphate deposits. This island is not to be mistaken for the Christmas Island located in the Pacific Ocean, 2,000 km south of the Hawaiian Islands, where nuclear tests had been conducted. That island was discovered on Christmas eve of 1777 by Captain Cook.

Description
The island, 18 km north to south, 21 km from east to west, is formed out of remnants of an extinct volcano and part of a sea-ridge known as Christmas Rise. Its main feature is a central plateau which rises to low hills or descends either as steep cliffs or terraces into the sea. Its steep ridges culminate in Murray Hill which rises to 356 m high. Other hillocks include Headridge Hill at 335 m and Rose Hill at 320 m. Guano deposits by seabirds have slowly formed the rich phosphate deposits on the island which later drew phosphate miners to the island and placed it on the international map. The island is also well-known for its unique flora and fauna.

History
It was named by Captain William Mynors when he sighted the island on Christmas Day of 1643 as the Royal Mary was heading home from the East Indies. However, records of 1615 by the master of the Thomas, Richard Rowe show it was sighted much earlier. Anchorage at the island proved difficult and it was only two centuries later before a survey of the island was undertaken by Captain Aldrich on the HMS Egeria. When rich phosphate was discovered, the British India Company placed the island under the authority of the Straits Settlement with Singapore as its base. A company was established to dredge the phosphate which consequently brought people to the uninhabited island by 1898. These included Chinese from China brought through Singapore, Malays from the Cocos cluster, Indians brought as indentured labour; and Caucasians, initially Englishmen and later Australians, who headed the company. A village and a shipping point was set up at Flying Fish Cove, and the residents developed a small railway to haul the phosphate.

On 31 March 1942, the Japanese invaded the island. The Europeans were imprisoned whilst the 1000 or so Malays and Chinese were rounded up from the jungles and made to work in the mines. However, by 1943 a lack of food supply lines led the Japanese to abandon mining and the miners were sent to prison camps in Indonesia.

After the war, the island's jurisdiction fell under the Colony of Singapore. However, by 1948, the mining business came under the Australian and New Zealand governments. Many from Singapore along with other labourers continued to move to the island to support the mining business. With Singapore's independence imminent, the British proposed that Christmas island be separated from Singapore's jurisdiction by 1957. With potential losses from phosphate earnings of up to 170,000 pounds a year, Singapore was offered 2.9 million pounds (S$20 million) compensation, negotiated up from 1.25 million pounds by her governor. The island was handed over to Australia on 6 June 1957, becoming a separate entity for some time between 31 December 1957 until the transfer was effected on 1 October 1958.

Today, the island has become a holiday resort, although mining of phosphate still continues.

Time-Line
1615 : Richard Rowe, sailing on the Thomas first sighted Christmas Island.
25 Dec 1643 : Captain William Mynors named the island on Christmas Day after sighting it whilst homeward bound on the Royal Mary.
1688 : William Dampier and his party returning to Sumatra were the first to make a recorded landing. They searched the island for water and coconuts.
1857 : Captain Grenfell on the frigate Amethyst attempted to explore Christmas Island but was deterred by the steep cliffs. The Cocos Islands nearby were incorporated into the British Straits Settlement.
Jan 1887 : Captain Maclear on the surveying vessel Flying Fish again failed in an attempt to explore the island.
Oct 1887 : Captain Pelham Aldrich on the HMS Egeria finally succeeded in sending an exploratory party inland, taking some flora, fauna and geological specimens.
1888 : Upon finding the island rich with phosphate, John Murray (Dr) wrote a paper suggesting annexation. The British administration placed the island under the jurisdiction of the Straits Settlement in that year. Andrew Clunies-Ross and Malays from the Cocos set up a village at the Flying Fish Cove.
1891 : The island was placed under a joint 99-year lease to both George Clunies-Ross, brother of Andrew, and John who set up a company to mine the phosphates and gather timber.
1897 : Both George and John set up the Christmas Island Phosphate Company Ltd, splitting the 1,500 shares in half.
1900 : The first consignment of phosphate was shipped out. Christmas Island was incorporated into the Straits Settlement with Singapore as its administrative authority.
1942 - 1945 : During World War II, Christmas Island was occupied by the Japanese. Phosphate mining was stalled as staff hid essential parts. However, a mutiny by Indian troops garrisoned there resulted in the imprisonment of the European staff. The island was surrendered to the Japanese in early 1942 who then attempted to export the phosphate but its only shipment was torpedoed a few kilometres from the island. By 1945, the occupying Japanese forces departed but most of the island's residents had been removed to Surabaya since December 1943.
1946 : Christmas Island came directly under Singapore as the Straits Settlement was changed to the Colony of Singapore.
1948 : Both New Zealand and Australia acquired assets of the Christmas Island Phosphate Company and renamed it the following year as the Christmas Island Phosphate Commission, set up to operate shipping and mining in the island.
1957 : With Singapore's independence imminent, the British propose that Christmas Island be separated.
10 Jun 1957 : Official announcement made of the transfer of Christmas Island's jurisdiction to Australia.
31 Dec 1957 : Christmas Island was detached from Singapore and governed as a separate British Crown Colony.
1 Oct 1958 : The British Government transferred Christmas Island to Australia, effective 1 October 1958. Inspite of this, Malayan currency remained in use for some time after. Today, 1 October is celebrated as "Territory Day".
1980s : A casino was built in an attempt to attract Singaporeans and others in Southeast Asia, to generate a tourist industry on Christmas Island.

Variant Names
Dutch name: Moni, as found on a map by Pieter Goos, published in 1666.
Other names: Isle de Noel, Natividad.



Author
Bonny Tan



References 
Bentley, J. (1979). The story behind the stamp: Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Islands (Indian Ocean), Australia Antar[c]tic Territory, Norfolk Island decimal stamps: Complete issues to 1980 (pp. 11-29). Bathurst (N.S.W.): Robert Brown and Associates.
(Call no.: R 769.569699 BEN) 

Gibson-Hill, C. A. (1949). The early history of Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean (pp. 67-93). Singapore: Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society.
(Call no.: R 969.9 JMBRAS)

Gray, H. (1981). Christmas Island naturally: The natural history of an isolated oceanic island, the Australian territory of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean (pp. 11-12, 64-109). Geraldton, W.A.: H. Gray.
(Call no.: 508.94 GRA) 

The new encyclopaedia Britannica Micropedia (pp. 283-284). (1998). Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica.
(Call no.: R 031 BRI) 

Singapore Legislative Assembly. (1957-1958, August). Debates: Official report (1st Legislative Assembly, 2nd sess., pt. 2, cols. 2023-2024). Singapore: Legislative Assembly.
(Call no.: R 328.5957 SIN) 

Singapore Legislative Assembly. (1957-1958, January). Debates: Official report (1st Legislative Assembly, 2nd sess., pt. 3, cols. 2825-2826). Singapore: Legislative Assembly.
(Call no.: R 328.5957 SIN)

Williams, M., & Macdonald, B. (1985 ). The phosphateers: A history of the British Phosphate Commissioners and the Christmas Island Phosphate Commission (pp. 439-443). Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press; International Scholarly Book Services.
(Call no.: RSING 338.7622364 WIL) 

Christmas Island Tourism Association. (n.d.). History. Retrieved August 5, 2003, from www.christmas.net.au


Further Readings
Australia, Department of Territories. (1965-1972). Annual report on the Territory of Christmas Island. Canberra: Author.
(Call no.: R 996.4 ADTTCI)

Waters, L. (1983). The Union of Christmas Island Workers. Sydney; Boston: Allen & Unwin.
(Call no.: R 331.88 LES)

Ridley, H. N. (1891). A day at Christmas Island. In Journal of Straits Branch Royal Asiatic Society, 23, 123-129.
(Call no.: R 959.5 JSBRAS)

Ridley, H. N. (1905). An expedition to Christmas Island. In Journal of Straits Branch Royal Asiatic Society, 45, 121-155.
(Call no.: R 959.5 JSBRAS)

Macfarlane, S. (1997). Christmas island: Hey Singapore: Series 3, episode 7 [Videotape]. Singapore: TCS.
(Call no.: RAV 959.57 HEY)

National Archives of Australia. (2000, August). Factsheet 157: Christmas Island. Retrieved August 5, 2003, from www.naa.gov.au/publications/fact_sheets/fs157.html

The information in this article is valid as at 1999 and correct as far as we can ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Geography>>Geographical Areas and Countries>>Singapore Offshore Islands
Islands--Kiribati
Kiritimati (Kiribati)--History
History>>Other parts of the world>>Australia

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