Walking along the footpath next the Old European Cemetery and looking down the hillside as it drops away from the path, parts of a large concrete structure and blocks can be spied amongst the jungle undergrowth. They are part of the ruins of a very substantial European bungalow that once stood there.
In John Hunt’s book “Suffering through strength” he drew various maps and on two of these the house is shown and labelled “The Assistant Manager’s House”. It also happens to be located behind what is now known as the CI Club (Christmas Island Club).
Photo dated 1952 and labelled “Manager’s House” Source: National Archives of Australia PT2069/11, 2
Another photo taken in 1952 and also labelled “Manager’s House”. Here you can see in the background Flying Fish Cove and Tai Jin House. Source: National Archives of Australia PT2069/11, 2
The photos above give an indication as to the impressive build of the bungalow with its wrapped verandahs. An islander friend told me he had once explored it before it was demolished. It had long been empty and that there were many rooms. It would have been a very comfortable abode in its day with spectacular views over Flying Fish Cove.
John Hunt very kindly provided further information for this article below.
The Assistant Manager was also the Chief Engineer. You can see its location on the maps on pages 107 and 195. The CI Club was the Island Manager’s house from 1925 (page 126). In the late 1930s it became the European Club. Late in the 1930s W. B. Jackson was made Island Manager and preferred to live in the settlement past Rocky Point. The Chief Engineer then moved into the house behind the cemetery.
… It was still being occupied in June 1965, when the Minister for Territories, the Hon. Clive Barnes, was photographed there on the balcony with local dignitaries. By the 1970s it had been abandoned and neglected and fell into decay. The decision to demolish it was taken by a meeting of the CI Club members in 1977″.
Below is a view of the house and also a map showing its footprint and the old European cemetery next to it. The house’s identifying number was MQ33 (Married Quarters).
October/November 1937 – Track on Wharf. In the background the Assistant Manager’s/Chief Engineer’s bungalow can be seen (right). The Manager’s bungalow (now known as the CI Club) is to the left. Source: National Archives of Australia R32, CIPC 10/13A
Source: National Archives of Australia N30, 1970-X6B/X9
The map above shows the footprint of the Assistant Manager’s house it also showed that there were servant quarters as well. Amazingly, Peter Pang who became aware of this article, told of his family living in the servants’ quarters and briefly, childhood memories of the site.
My parents lived at the servants’ quarter behind the house after they got married in 1956 because there was no married quarters available for them at the time. The servants’ quarter was bigger than others on the island. It was meant to be temporary. Dad lived with my uncle and my grandparents in the Kampong in one of the servant quarters before then. When they moved in, Mr Bob Forrester and his family were living in the Assistant Manager’s house. At least 3 other European families lived in that house after; as Dad recalled, there were a Mr Jackson (who managed the hardware/trade store) and his family, then there was a Mr Reid (? who managed the radio station) and his wife … Yes it was a beautiful building. We used to play hide-and-seek under this stilt house [Assistant Manager’s house], around it’s garden and the old European cemetery next to it. Scary! As far as I know, we were the last family to live in the servants’ quarter.
A little footnote: A friend of mine who grew up on Christmas Island in the 1970s/80s and now lives in Queensland showed his mum a photo of the Assistant Manager’s House that I had put up in a Facebook group. She then showed him a bookcase that is in her possession that had come from that old house. It now resides happily in Brisbane and is still being used!