There have been all sorts of newspaper articles about Christmas Island over the years. Here is a collection of some of the more interesting historic ones that I have found. This is an ongoing project.
1852 – Shipwreck horror – an amazing tale of survival in 1852 – The shipwreck off Egeria Point and the rescue of three survivors. They were marooned on the Island for nearly 2 months.
1852 – Shipwrecked on Christmas Island – amazing first hand account from 1852 – A nearly two month struggle for survival on Christmas Island as told by one of the three survivors.
1888 – The annexation of Christmas Island – Two accounts, each from 1888 and 1927, of the annexation of the island.
1897 – A strange sea tale – the monster – An account of how, in 1868, an unknown monster latched on to the anchor of the Governor of Lombok’s vessel at Christmas Island and towed it around for the best part of a day.
1902 – Mandors and murder – the early years – Read about the early mandors and the murders of two of them.
1906 – Christmas Island U.S.A. – A curious story – The claimed naming of Christmas Island by Americans in 1861.
1908 – Poaching, bribery and death – the unsatisfactory case of PC Sochot Singh – The event and death of a Sikh policeman.
1916 – Death at the White House – A report of a homicide at the Island brothel and the subsequent trial in Singapore.
1922 – British eclipse expedition – to test part of Einstein’s theory of relativity.
1922 – Off to Christmas Island – what does a lady pack and expect when visiting the Island?
1927 – Christmas Island – lost treasure and pirate ghosts – A memory of Christmas Island as told by Robert M. MacDonald.
1935 – “Lonely Spot” – Stinky crabs, stinging bushes and a treasure map.
1940 – “Malaysian Island as Gulliver’s Lilliput” – Was Lilliput’s location, in Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathon Swift, based on Christmas Island?
1942 – The invasion of Christmas Island as told by the Japanese.
1942 – The Japanese invasion force arrives – Rare images from a war time magazine of the Japanese shortly after they arrived on Christmas Island. Also, with an English translation of the Japanese commentary.
1947 – A friend in need – Young nurse sails to Christmas Island.
1958 – “Thugs flee to Christmas Isle“- (November) 300 secret society gangsters escaping the police dragnet in Singapore lying low on the Island.
1958 – “Gangbuster ‘King’ of Christmas Island“- (October) The appointment of Donald Evan Nickels, Australia’s first representative to the Island.
More to come.