Christmas Island History Timeline

Christmas island officially territory of christmas island island in the indian ocean about 224 miles 360 km south of the island of java and 870 miles 1 400 km northwest of australia that is administered as an external territory of australia the island is the summit of an oceanic mountain whose highest point on the island is murray hill rising to 1 184 feet 361 metres in the western.

Christmas island history timeline. History first visits by europeans 1643. Christmas island the area was used for nuclear testing remains of 20 us marines who disappeared during world war ii are found and returned home. The phoenix islands were added in 1937 and the five islands of the central and southern line islands were added in 1972. For centuries christmas island s isolation and rugged coasts provided natural barriers to settlement.

Updated february 23 2018 15 12 28 officially opened in 2003 the christmas island detention centre has been the scene of repeated unrest. Little is known of the human history of the island until the british colonisation in the 19th century. Early history and exploration. The first european to sight the island was richard rowe of the thomas in 1615.

Fiji was suggested to have been settled by micronesian before melanesians but evidence is lacking that this happened either in oral accounts or geological data except that of ma afu. Christmas island supports about 1 600 residents who. Date event 1500 bc. British and dutch navigators first included the island on their charts from the early seventeenth century and captain william mynors of the east india ship company vessel the royal mary named the island when he arrived on christmas day 25th december 1643.

Christmas island began appearing on the charts of english and dutch navigators from the early 1600s. Here is a timeline of some of the major incidents at the. 2002 march announces decision along with tuvalu and the maldives to take legal action against the us for its refusal to sign the kyoto protocol. The history of tasmania begins at the end of the most recent ice age approximately 10 000 years ago when it is believed that the island was joined to the australian mainland.

Christmas island is a small territory of australia located in the indian ocean 2600 kilometres 1600 mi northwest of perth in western australia 500 kilometres 300 mi south of jakarta indonesia and 975 km ene of the cocos keeling islands. Captain william mynors of the royal mary an english east india company vessel named the island when he sailed past it on christmas day in 1643. The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to christmas island. Christmas island was included in the colony in 1919 although it was contested by the u s.

Under the guano islands act of 1856. Tokelau was transferred to new zealand administration in 1926. Christmas island s laid back multicultural atmosphere is a result of a varied and interesting history.