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Christmas Island Archives Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) - Ruins, relics, stories and other interesting things

Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) - Ruins, relics, stories and other interesting things

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Historic Newspaper articles

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.

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Christmas Island Archives was selected for preservation by the State Library of Western Australia. It is now listed in perpetuity on PANDORA, Australia’s website archive established by the National Library of Australia.

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I came across this interesting little site in the I came across this interesting little site in the corner of the post office padang on Christmas Island. I have been told that this was the base of a short wave radio mast. It was a substantial tower about 30 metres high and connected to the radio building where the post office now stands. I was also told by another source that this was part of a weather station when the radio house was standing. Either way the steps are a bit of a mystery as the structure is, from memory, just over a metre wide.
#christmasisland #history #oldstructure #christmasislandarchives #ruin
An ammunition cave used by the Japanese during the An ammunition cave used by the Japanese during their occupation of Christmas Island in WW2. The circular opening in the wall is where I believe a ventilation pipe was inserted. Its purpose was to keep a stable temperature and extract noxious fumes. Its use as an ammunition cave may have predated WW2. To find out more about this cave read Helena van der Riet's excellent thesis "The Archaeology of the Japanese World War II Occupation of Christmas Island". It can be found on my website (see link in my bio) under the "Documents" section. 
#christmasisland #cave #ammunition #ww2 #ww2history #worldwar2 #worldwar2history #japaneseoccupation #ww2japanese #christmasislandarchives
I love Victor Purcell's observations of human beha I love Victor Purcell's observations of human behaviour on Christmas Island in 1926. The European community caused him the most angst.
#christmasisland #christmasislandhistory #history #islandlife #colonial #straitssettlements #christmasislandarchives
An old water tank near South Point located along t An old water tank near South Point located along the old railway track. I understand that a couple of years ago it was totally overgrown by the jungle and was invisible until it was cleared.
#christmasisland #ruin #relic #industrialrelic #watertank #colonial #christmasislandarchives
Back in 2020 as we were leaving the Old European C Back in 2020 as we were leaving the Old European Cemetery my sis-in-law @mily_barrett spotted this now 72 year old engraving in the concrete path. A nice little reminder from a long gone workman that he was once doing a job there.
"1.7.1951
Pipe Repar" ... 
The last seen letter is partially obscured. The word repair has likely been misspelt?
#christmasisland #history #christmasislandhistory #relic #cemetery #path #oldpath #christmasislandarchives
A sad end for Norman Howard. His gravesite lies in A sad end for Norman Howard. His gravesite lies in the Old European Cemetery on Christmas Island. His story and the mystery loss of his headstone lead to a surprising misidentification of his gravesite. Read about it now on my website. See bio for link. Look under “latest updates” for “Norman Howard - turning in his grave”.
"In memory of Norman Howard
European Overseer
Aged 32
Died 6.3.24"
#christmasisland #straitssettlements #christmasislandhistory #cemetery #headstone #gravesite #grave #colonialhistory #christmasislandarchives
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