Christmas Island History Singapore

At the close of the day on 30 september the union jack outside the residency and the administration offices on christmas island was lowered followed by the raising of the.

Christmas island history singapore. But with britain giving up many of its colonies after the war australia expressed an interest in acquiring christmas island. The territory of christmas island is an australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. By march 1957 the uk agreed to transfer christmas island to australia in return for a lump sum of 20 million malayan dollars paid to singapore as compensation for loss of phosphate revenue. The sovereignty of christmas island was transferred from singapore then a crown colony of the united kingdom to the commonwealth of australia on 1 october 1958 under the transfer to australia order in council 1958.

Captain william mynors of the british east india company ship the royal mary gave the island its name because they arrived on christmas day 25 december 1643. More recent museum expeditions have also yielded some interesting findings and new species such as the blue crab discoplax celeste and cave crabs. Christmas island is located in the indian ocean around 350 kilometres 220 mi south of java and sumatra and around 1 550 kilometres 960 mi north west of the closest point on the australian mainland. It has an area of 135 square kilometres 52 sq mi.

Australia and new zealand buy the christmas island phosphate company and christmas island is administered by the colony of singapore. 1957 the australian government paid 2 9 million pounds to singapore for lost phosphate royalties 1 october. 1950 s population expands with labour from singapore malaya and cocos and supervisors from australia.