HISTORY
DISCOVERY
AND SETTLEMENT
For centuries, Christmas Island's
isolation and rugged coasts provided natural barriers to settlement.
British and Dutch navigators first included the island on their
charts from the early seventeenth century, and Captain William
Mynors of the East India Ship Company vessel, the Royal Mary,
named the island when he arrived on Christmas Day, 25th December,
1643. He was unable to land, however, and it was not until 1688,
when Captain William Dampier on the British ship Cygnet, landed
at the Dales (on the West Coast) and two of his crewmen were the
first recorded people to set foot on Christmas Island.
During the 1872-76 HMS Challenger
expedition to Indonesia, naturalist Dr John Murray carried out
extensive surveys. At his urging, the British Admiralty annexed
the 135 square kilometre island on 6 June 1888. But it was not
until 1888 that Christmas Island was settled, when the Clunies-Ross
brothers from neighbouring Cocos-Keeling Islands (some 900 kilometres
to the south west) established a settlement at Flying Fish Cove
to collect timber and supplies for the growing industry on Cocos.
PHOSPHATE
MINING
At the instigation of John
Murray from England, phosphate extraction became the impetus behind
the island's development. George Clunies-Ross and John Murray
vied for the right to extract the phosphate until 1891 when the
British Government offered them a joint 99 year lease in return
for a small royalty. Small shipments began to be exported in 1895
and by 1897 they had formed the Christmas Island Phosphate Company.
Clunies-Ross returned to Cocos-Keeling, and Murray became Chairman
of the company. As there was no indigenous population, a work
force had to be imported. Under the control of a Straits Settlement
District Officer the initial contingent of 200 Chinese labourers,
8 European management personnel and 5 Sikh Policemen was brought
onto the island in 1898. Despite difficulties due to climate and
a vitamin-deficiency disease known as beri beri, their first major
shipment of phosphate left the island in 1900. The mining operation
proceeded successfully until World War II.
WORLD
WAR II
The
island was occupied by the Japanese between 1942-1945. A Japanese
submarine torpedoed a Norwegian freighter, the Eisevold, that
was loading phosphate in Flying Fish Cove, which later sank. Japanese
aircraft made numerous bombing raids on Christmas island and with
most of the women & children evacuated, the threat of invasion
grew real. On 31st March 1942, a Japanese Fleet bombarded the
Cove shore line and more than 900 troops came ashore. With the
remaining Europeans imprisoned, the Japanese spent the first few
weeks searching for the 1000 Malays and Chinese who had fled to
the jungle. Most returned and were forced to work. Japanese attempts
to profit from the mine were thwarted by acts of sabotage by the
islanders and by Allied submarine attacks. By 1943 the Japanese
were unable to maintain the island's food supplies, but solved
this crisis by sending half the island's population to prison
camps in Indonesia.
SOVEREIGNTY
For a short time following
the war, Christmas Island came under the jurisdiction of the new
Colony of Singapore. In 1948, the mining was taken over by the
Australian and New Zealand Governments in partnership, with the
British Phosphate Commissioners in management. In the period from
1949 to 1958 a massive expansion program led to the recruitment
of males from Cocos, Malaya & Singapore, bringing with them
their wives & families. For the first time in the islands
history a permanent population began to evolve.
In 1957 the Australian government
acquired Christmas Island from the Singapore Government for a
compensation of 2.9 million pounds. The island existed as a Crown
colony until its transfer to Australia was finalised on 1st October
1958, which is still celebrated on the first Monday in October
as Territory Day.
The Christmas Island Act 1958
provides the basis for the island's Administration. The head of
Government is the Administrator, appointed by the Governor-General
on the recommendation of the Federal Cabinet. Administration works
closely with the community, the local Shire Council and the Union
of Christmas Island Workers to keep the island running smoothly.
MODERN
MINING AND CONSERVATION
Dramatic social and political
changes occurred in the 1970's with the unionisation of the mine
workers. The Union of Christmas Island Workers, "The Union",
remains a strong force in island politics today, and, in conjunction
with the Sweetland Enquiries of 1980 and 1982, has been responsible
for dramatic improvements in living and working conditions.
Also in the 1970's, conflicts
between conservation and mining interests led to the company appoint
a conservation officer in 1974. This was followed in 1977 by the
appointment of a Government Conservator from the Australian National
Parks and Wildlife Service. In 1980, a National Park was declared
in the Egeria Point area. The National Park now covers over 65%
of the island.
Around this time, Australia
and New Zealand Governments re-negotiated their agreement for
provision of phosphate to the two countries. As part of this process,
the British Phosphate Commissioners relinquished the management
of the mine to the newly formed Phosphate Mining Company of Christmas
Island (PMCI) in 1981.
As deposits of preferred quality
phosphate neared exhaustion, the mining operation faced economic
constraints and probable closure. Initial steps in this direction
were two generous redundancy schemes in 1984 and 1986.The Government
created the Christmas Island Services Corporation to relieve the
mining operation of community services such as housing, domestic
roads, street lighting, swimming pools and cinemas. 1984 also
saw the benefits of Australian Citizenship extended to the island
in the form of social service benefits and voting in Commonwealth
elections. Taxation was also introduced. The effects of drought
and low phosphate prices led to a Government decision to close
the mine in December 1987.
TODAY
In 1991 the mine was bought
back by union workers and reopened as Christmas Island Phosphates
and continues to supply the South East Asian market with phosphate
mined from old stockpiles. They also fund a rainforest rehabilitation
programme operated by Parks Australia to restore old mining areas.
Pressure to find an alternative
industry saw the government lend its support to a multi million
dollar casino development which officially opened in 1993. The
Christmas Island Resort, along with regular flights from South
East Asia influenced the development of a burgeoning tourism industry
with several tour operations and other accommodation outlets now
operating. (Note: gaming facilities at the casino are temporarily
closed)
The island has also been chosen
as a suitable site for a space satellite launching station. A
decision for the Asia Pacific Space Centre project will be determined
by an Environmental Impact Study which is nearly complete.
