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Christmas Island Archives

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

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Toilet cistern

I suppose it could be said some of my Christmas Island photos are a bit different from the ones that most people take. đŸ˜‚ But hey, you can’t knock urban archeology. And in this case, what a fabulous “dunny” cistern! A real survivor. It has a history! It’s interesting! It helps date the building. It should and must be valued as part of the island history.

I just love finding these social treasures and decided to research more about this cistern. I found the following information:

Saunders and Connor (Barrhead) Ltd was the successor to ‘Saunders and Connor’, which was established in 1897. The factory name was ‘Sanitas and Darnley Works’; a sanitary manufacturing company which occupied 4.5 acres of ground in Barrhead [Cross Arthurlie Street and John Street, as per valuation roll dated 1951-2]

The registered company office address was 348-350 Euston Road, London NW1 (c.1924-7) The company were contractors to the Admiralty and War Departments in 1927.

Company Directors:
1926: Samuel Ewart, John William Ewart, George Herbert Ewart, James Stewart, Thomas MacMillan Sauders, William Murray.
1927: Samuel Ewart, George Herbert Ewart, James Stewart, John William Ewart, Thomas MacMillan Sauders, George Mochrie Logan, Frederick John Pratt.

(The company was likely established by Thomas J Saunders of Emenscraig or Linton Villa in Carlibar Road, Barrhead (listed as Consulting Sanitary Engineer from Shanks and Co. in 1895-6 Scottish P.O. Directory) and Edwin Charles Connor of Holmhurst, Sherbrooke Ave. Maxwell Park (listed as Sanitary Engineer of Saunders & Connor in Scottish P.O. Directory 1905-13)

East Renfrewshire Archives GB3143 15 Saunders & Connor Catalogues

A cistern made in Barrhead, (a town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland) in the 1920s making its way across the ocean to a little island and still in situ in its original house. I think that’s amazing.

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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.

One of a pair of guardians at a gravesite in the Chinese Cemetery.

Copyright © 2021 · Fran Yeoh. All rights reserved.