A selection of recommended books from my own library about Christmas Island history, heritage and related subjects, with brief reviews based on my own reading. As these are older publications, they can often be found through online second hand bookstores and marketplaces such as eBay.
Suffering through strength: The men who made Christmas Island by John Hunt © 2011
279 pages, softcover, 175 x 248mm
If I could only buy one book about Christmas Island, this would be the one. It is a fascinating account of the human story spanning the first 50 years of the island’s mining operations. As John says in his preface: “The book is a narrative of courage, endurance and willpower, a triumph of the human spirit in an isolated island. Mistreatment, death, murder, prostitution and betrayal all played their part, especially in the earliest days before World War I. The themes of exploitation, human weakness, culture and class kept recurring throughout the story.”
John brings this story to life through meticulous research spanning 40 years, with a remarkable talent for turning his findings into a compelling and informative read that leaves you wanting to know more. The book includes historic photographs, hand-drawn maps and additional stories scattered throughout under the title “Legends and Mysteries.” A tour de force.
We were the Christmas Islanders 1906 – 1980 by Marg Neale © 1988
212 pages, softcover, 230 x 185mm
A wonderful collection of oral histories as told by the Chinese, European and Malay, who called Christmas Island home. The 27 stories are arranged in three groups: “Early Days” 1900–1945, “Middle Years” 1940s–1960s and “Latter Days” 1970s. Each story covers the experiences, observations and hardships of those Islanders, with each perspective shaped largely by the ethnic group one belonged to. If you have an interest in Christmas Island history and enjoy reading about others’ life experiences, this 212-page book with black and white photos (and some colour ones too) is a most enjoyable and illuminating read.
Christmas Island – The early years by Jan Adams and Marg Neale © 1993
96 pages, softcover, 170 x 248mm
Marg Neale, this time with co-author Jan Adams, brings together a wonderful collection of historic photographs documenting the early days of Christmas Island. The authors describe it best themselves in their introduction: “This is a book of historic photos with sufficient text to convey something of the times, the people and the complexities of life on Christmas Island in its early years.” Along with the photographs there is a chronology of events, a guide to Christmas Island place names with an accompanying map and a handy index of the photos. A useful and enjoyable addition to any Christmas Island bookshelf.
Shays, Crabs and Phosphate – A history of the railways of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean by David Jehan © 2008
136 pages, softcover, 210 x 297mm
David’s research into the history of Christmas Island’s railways is impressive in its depth and thoroughness. Don’t be put off if railways aren’t normally your thing. If you love Christmas Island history, you’ll be hooked. The book is rich with high resolution photographs, both black and white and colour, covering the island’s rail and locomotives, landscapes and the people of the early railway years. Diagrams show the layout of the rail system as it once existed, alongside maps that bring the whole story to life. There are also tables in the appendix showing the locomotive numbers and statistics. It’s one of those books that rewards returning to, as you’ll always find something you missed the first time.
Golden Leaves: An introduction to the Chinese Cemeteries of Christmas Island by Hélène Bartleson © 2008
80 pages, softcover, 245 x 175mm
How I wished I had read this book before exploring the Settlement Chinese Cemetery for the first time. I was looking at old markers and inscriptions without knowing what they meant; seeing old plantings and realising they had been placed there for a reason, but not knowing why. This book is the key to understanding the rich cultural significance of what you see when visiting the fascinating and historically important Chinese cemeteries at Settlement and Phosphate Hill.
Hélène explains the headstones and their inscriptions, marker-altars, significant graves, symbolism, ceremonies and celebrations, and gives an overview of the first indentured Chinese labourers who arrived on the Island from 1899. Many hundreds died from beriberi, accidents, illness and suicide, and their final resting places are in these cemeteries. All of this is contained in a book with high quality photographs in both colour and black and white, plus explanatory charts.
Christmas Island Police 1958 – 1983 by Don Bosman © 1984
112 pages, softcover, 210 x 297mm
While searching for material for a photographic display for the Island’s 1982 Territory Day celebrations, Don, who was the Island’s Superintendent of Police at the time, recognised that the history of policing on Christmas Island had never been properly documented. He set about remedying that, compiling a history of policing there since it became an Australian Territory in 1958.
The book is arranged by period, profiling each Superintendent with a summary of policing under their command, the challenges they faced and what was happening on the island at the time. It is rich with group photographs of the police force across various eras, with every subject individually identified. There are also general policing photographs showing an opium den, accident scenes and visiting dignitaries, along with statistical tables with types of crime and their numbers.
Working within the constraints of limited time, restricted archive access and tight costs, Don nevertheless compiled an impressive and valuable record, completing it in time for the 25th Anniversary of Christmas Island becoming an Australian Territory. It’s a most interesting read and I’m glad to have it on my shelf. This book may be held by some libraries; a copy is known to exist at the National Library of Australia, and no doubt some Christmas Islanders and others will have their own copies. I included it here, acting as a record, because it at least deserves to be known about.