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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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Website image gallery

This is a gallery of the images that appear on this website. By clicking on the image, you will be taken to the page on which it appears.

Gravesite of Charles Prideaux
Old European Cemetery plan
Patrick Thurburn Manson
List of remaining Europeans on the Island prior to invasion
Front of postcard
Back of postcard
Rusholme in group photo
William Rusholme with friends
William Rusholme in a shooting party
William Rusholme sitting on steps with friends
Top view of the ruin
Aug. 1928 W.H.R.
Inscription location on the ruin
Catholic church formerly the library
Shinto shrine sketch
Typical layout of a Shinto shrine
Shinto shrine steps 2021
An example of a small wooden Shinto shrine
"Based on a work at muza-chan.net" https://muza-chan.net
Shinto steps 2016
torii gate with guardian lions
Illustrated newspaper title banner
Hospital labour ward 1954
Valetta plane
A letter from Dr Allan to his cousin Sybil Matheson
Dr Allan in uniform 1917
Headstone of Dr Allan
Sir John Bucknill
Map showing the location of the White House
Part of a map showing Clunies Ross path to Phosphate Hill
Clunies Ross Rock Carving 1896
Captain George Kinloch 1941
https://christmasislandarchives.com/lucky-horseshoe/
Stable close to the "tip"
stable close to the tip
Peter Grimes newspaper photo
White House location on map
The "White House" brothel built in 1913. It's location is approximately the site of today's Tourism Bureau. It is a second version. The first one, built in 1902 was pulled down. It sat along the opposite shoreline of Isabel beach.
Grimes in group photo
Peter Grimes mugshot 1933
Peter Grimes alias "aviator Gordon"
Peter Grimes alias "Aviator Gordon"
V.E. Mathew
V E Mathew - Manning the Christmas Island Radio (Pic Courtesy Mary Mathew)
Tong Chee c1950
Tong Chee c1950 Chinese Head Man. Was he caught between a rock and a hard place? Partly restored photo. Original NAA: N29, 16
Three survivors desperately clinging to the corals and one being swept away
The castaways thrown on the reefs of Christmas Island.
The four survivors drifting towards north west point of Christmas Island
The shipwrecked Rear Admiral Ryk in sight of Christmas Island.
Peter Grimes and servant
Alfred Johansen mug shot 1914
Part map showing Grimes Cave
Peter Grimes mug shot 1912
From the National Archives of Japan - Digital Archive
Ong Sam Leong
Edna Thomas
TSS Islander III
Captain Frank Gray
Coolie Eating Shed
Early bottle of Jeyes' Fluid
Coolie house 1911
Sketch plans of a coolie house
coolie-line-map
Map of coolie lines in Settlement
Map of first coolie lines in Flying Fish Cove
Quarry scene with labouring coolies
Coolie lines in Settlement area 1908
Coolie lines in Settlement area 1905
19th century Hungmen seal, Guangdong
Front cover of document collection
Koah
Bungalow 11 in Flying Fish Cove 1946
Number of cases between 1901-1915
Part of map showing camps along the railway line
Man's eye being treated
View of the interior of the isolation hospital
View of a portion of the isolation hospital
Translation of Chinese notice
Map showing location of old eye hospital
Flying Fish Cove and buildings marked
Chinese notice about the eye disease
Vic Admiral Sir William Henry May
Annexation of Christmas Island in 1888
Five coolies and possibly mandor sitting outside the first kongsi in Settlement
First kongsi in settlement c1900-1902 - Angled view
Clunies-Ross compound in Flying Fish Cove 1896.
Overlay map showing Ross house location
Stamp of Andrew Clunies-Ross
Sikh police in front of government quarters
Sir William Hyndman-Jones
Sikh cremation 1908
Beri beri hospital
Hospital buildings map overlay
Hospital wards map overlay
Map showing Kongsi in Settlement
Old illustrated map of Christmas Island
View of North West Point on Christmas Island
Christmas Island Mandor standing with cane c1900-1902
Christmas Island Mandor standing on steps with cane c1900-1902
Front cover of Christmas Island Colonial Report 319 for 1900
Lewis Hare Clayton and Sir John Murray with others on Christmas Island
Part of Clayton Report 319 from 1900 showing lump phosphate statistics
Part of Clayton Report 319 from 1900 showing Ethnic statistics on Christmas Island
Part of Clayton Report 319 from 1900 showing shipping details of phosphate from Christmas Island
Walter Oorloff c1908 standing on hospital verandah on Christmas Island
Walter Oorloff c1908
The wireless house on Christmas Island in 1929
V.E. Mathew standing in front of the re-built wireless station on Christmas Island
V.E. Mathew standing in front of the re-built wireless station
Black and white photographic portrait of Captain Joshua Slocum
Captain Joshua Slocum
A technical drawing of the Vice Admiraal Rijk
A group of early Christmas Island Coolies sitting on steps
View of Flying Fish Cove on Christmas Island
USS Whipple post 1942 Sydney Harbour
Scene of a sinking ship after being attacked by the Japanese in World War 2
USS Pecos
The USS Langley is hit by a torpedo on the 27th January 1942
USS Langley
A view of the old European Cemetery on Christmas Island
The TSS Islander in Flying Fish Cove
6 inch ex-naval gun on Christmas Island
Sun set on Christmas Island
A map showing Japanese attacks along the Malay Barrier December 1941-February 1942
James Cyril Dalmahoy Allan A memoir by D.F. title page of book
Open page of James Cyril Dalmahoy Allan's memoir showing Chapter 2 on Christmas Island
John Davis Murray with his wife Ellen M. "Dolly" Murray and son J. Grant Murray in 1911.
John Davis Murray with his wife Ellen M. "Dolly" Murray and son J. Grant Murray. 11th August 1911
SS Islander 23rd September 1911 in Flying Fish Cove
National Archives of Australia NAA: R32, CIPC 7/55A
Photographic portrait of Ong Sam Leong key labour supply contractor to Christmas Island
Ong Sam Leong 1857-1918 Key labour supply contractor to Christmas Island
Black and white photographic portrait of James Cyril Dalmahoy Allan
James Cyril Dalmahoy Allan
1888 - 1927
Aged 24
The Rev. Walter M. Lowrie
Capt. Raphael Semmes and First Lieutenant John Kell aboard CSS Alabama in 1863
©Chris Su. Used with kind permission.
https://christmasislandarchives.com/british-eclipse-expedition-1922/
The "Virgin Castle", as it was known then, in the early 1980s before the front of the building was demolished.
" ... one of the hospital buildings. The shed below is the mortuary, where corpses are placed for not more than a few hours previous to their burial." Durham, H. E. (1904). Notes on Beri-beri in the Malay Peninsula and on Christmas Island (Indian Ocean). The Journal of Hygiene, 4(1), 112–155
"Taken 21 January 1910 - Damage done to the Old Hospital by the sea" National Archives of Australia R32 CIPC 3/24B
Damage to the hospital after a storm in 1908
Damage to the hospital after a storm in 1908
Photo taken by Mily Barrett 12th September 2018
Photo taken by Mily Barrett 12th September 2018
Photo taken by Mily Barrett 12th September 2018
August 2016
The "Virgin Castle" in 1998 after the front has been demolished.
August 2016
August 2016
August 2016
A breezeway. I believe this would have separated the front of the building, accommodation (now demolished and removed) with the utility areas that are left. August 2016
August 2016
August 2016
This cave would normally be in pitch blackness but the photo was taken with a flash.
The ruin viewed from a distance. Midway down to the left you can make out a wall but it is almost totally camouflaged by its surroundings.
Source: National Australian Archives N30, 1970-X6B/X9
In the mid background to the left, you can make out part of the Malay Kampong, then Flying Fish Cove and Smith Point.
In the background above the wall you can see a fence line. This runs alongside a path leading to the old European Cemetery.
"Depiction of Christmas Island by Captain Daniel Beeckman 1718" image by Linn Borghuis
Lilliput Map
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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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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
Straits settlement 1 cent coins that I found parti Straits settlement 1 cent coins that I found partially buried. The verdigris colour of one of them caught my eye. How I came to be in that specific spot to find them is another whole story LOL. I donated them to the Island's Tai Jin House museum.
Left top to bottom:
Tails side “Straits Settlements 1936”.
Head side “George V King and Emperor of India” 
Right top to bottom:
Tails side “Commissioners of Currency Malaya 1939”
Head side “George VI King Emperor”
There was another 1 cent coin found along with these as well and was dated 1943. 
I am not sure if such a small denomination would have been used for gambling? However, it has been told that on the Island when Straits Settlement coins were no longer a viable currency they would be saved and then scattered/given as offerings to the good brothers during the Hungry Ghost month. I found these coins during that very month in an area that metal detectorists had been over previously. Perhaps the coins were revealed to me 🙂
#christmasisland #christmasislandhistory #christmasislandrelic #relic #relichunting #indianoceanislands #ghostmonth #straitssettlementscoins #straitssettlements #oldcoins #christmasislandarchives
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