Trish Crossin (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to speak about my trip to Christmas Island in early October to take part in the celebrations on the 50th anniversary of it becoming an Australian external territory. Fifty years ago, on 1 October 1958, Christmas Island became the ninth Australian external territory, the Union Jack having been lowered on 30 September 1958. The history of Christmas Island goes back well beyond this though. The island was first sighted in 1643, by Captain William Mynors of the East India Company. He sighted the island on Christmas Day and hence the name has stuck. From the island’s early occupation in 1888, phosphate mining began in 1891 under the British. During the Second World War, from 1942 until war’s end, the island was occupied by the Japanese. After the war, in 1946 it became a dependency of Singapore and remained so until 1958. So it has a chequered history under the occupation and administration of several countries.

Following the transfer of the island in 1958, as an Australian external territory, mining has remained the backbone of the economy, although not without trauma and trials. The Union of Christmas Island Workers was forced to fight to take over the mine as production had declined and the company had closed the mine. It remained closed, though, only for a relatively short time. In 1987, due to falling prices for phosphate, the mine was closed by British Phosphate. But in 1990 the workers gathered together and bought the mine and reopened it. Many workers still hold shares in the mine and continue to work the phosphate. This typifies the islander unity and determination to maintain their community.

The island population crosses races, languages and religions, but the community has remained strong and united in the determination to prosper their island. Figures indicate that, of the people on Christmas Island, around 60 per cent are Chinese, 25 per cent are Malay and 15 per cent are of European origin. Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and Islam are all practised, and the island has a number of temples, churches and mosques. In one of the truly remote parts of Australia, maintenance of culture and economy has challenged the resourcefulness of these people and their determination to both keep the mine going and at the same time look to the future, to when the mine is exhausted.

The island is really remote—coming from a senator who lives in the Northern Territory, that is a statement and a half. It is a speck of land hundreds of kilometres out in the Indian Ocean, closer to Jakarta than to any of the major southern cities of Australia. It is the summit of a marine mountain with a coastline of only 80 kilometres. It is in fact only a few hundred kilometres south of Jakarta but over 2,600 kilometres north-west of Perth, which is the departure point for the twice weekly four-hour jet service from the Australian mainland. So people on Christmas Island face plenty of challenges.

The island remains about two-thirds covered by the original rainforest, and has a great variety and richness of flora and fauna. To be there when the first rains come late in the year is to see the infamous millions of red crabs migrating out of the forest and down to the beach to breed and spawn. It is truly one of nature’s marvels. To stand at one of the several lookouts overlooking the cliffs and the vast expanse of ocean and to see the beautiful golden bosun birds just hanging in the wind, as I have done, is truly magic.

When the mine runs out—now estimated to be, at best, between 10 and 15 years away, depending on the state of the market for the phosphate—it seems certain that the beautiful environment will play a key part in the future of this island. Already several residents are running small tourist ventures, although there is a great potential for many more visitors. Parks Australia has put in many walkways to several key spots around the island to improve access, and similar work, as well as rehabilitation of old mined areas, continues. Two studies in 2007 examined the tourist potential of walking trails on the island, and it is proposed that funds be transferred to the Christmas Island Shire Council so that the construction of such pathways can be managed by the shire. This will open up another tourist activity of walking around some of the magnificent rainforest—albeit, of course, in an environmentally friendly way.

By a quirk of fate, perhaps, the island forms part of the federal electorate of the Northern Territory, so it was with great pleasure that I and my colleague Senator Lundy were able to accept the invitation to attend the island’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Like the population of the island, these celebrations were truly multicultural, with parades, art exhibitions and live music. The activities included Malay drumming, Chinese percussion, lion dancing, a kazoo marching band and the local Crash Crab Children’s Circus. As is so often the case with a group of people who are so isolated but united, they did a tremendous job of organising several days of celebrations for this, their 50th anniversary. The community really pulled together and put on a wonderful and culturally mixed but appropriate celebration.

I want to use this evening to congratulate all those who were involved. I will just give you an outline of some of the week’s activities. There was a book launch by the Christmas Island arts association. The book, written by Helene Bartleson, is actually an analogy of the Chinese cemeteries on Christmas Island. It is called Golden leaves: an introduction to the Chinese cemeteries of Christmas Island, and it provides you with a wonderful insight into the richness and the heritage of this island and the contribution that the Chinese community have made in the development of Christmas Island.

There was also a Territory Week art exhibition for residents on the island—and, I have to say, some truly magnificent artwork was on display and for sale. National parks put on a tour of the island, and the Christmas Island Phosphates mine opened up their doors and provided a tour of their mine. I want to place on record my thanks to Mr Alfred Chong, the Christmas Island Phosphates resident manager, and his team for organising that and allowing people on the island to get inside the doors of the mine and have a good look at what happens. I am sure the kids appreciated the fact that they were able to see exactly what the mine does as well.

I had the opportunity of providing the Australian Federal Police and the Volunteer Marine Rescue Service with two new boats to aid in their work. Of course, that is the majority of their work, in that the Federal Police patrol and protect our waters around the island and of course the Volunteer Marine Rescue Service are called on very, very often to get out into the waters and assist international and national travellers who cross those waters by boat when they get into trouble. I know that the Volunteer Marine Rescue Service cadets certainly appreciated a new boat for them to be able to get out and about and continue their work in.

At Tai Jin House, we officially launched the start of what will be the Christmas Island Museum. This is a fantastic exhibition that is being put together and will sit on the island for six to nine months, and then it is hoped that it will travel the nation. I have undertaken to consult with the Speaker and the House of Representatives in this place to try and see if we can get that exhibition displayed in Parliament House at some time in the future.

But of course the most magnificent event was The Big Five-O Territory Year celebrations on the Sunday night.

In closing, I want to very quickly thank the Christmas Island Women’s Association for organising the dinner on 1 October; Gee Foo’s Travel Exchange for putting on the dinner on 4 October for the half-marathon and lion dancing participants; the arts, culture and tourism associations who assisted with the launch of the book; and Minister Debus for funding the shire to put on The Big Five-O celebrations on the Sunday night. There is a huge list of participants that were involved in that: school teachers and students; the Christmas Island Language Centre; the Malay Association Kompang Group; the Christmas Island Kung Fu Club Lion Dance; Peter Keelan, who was the artistic director for The Big Five-O; and Lockie Mcdonald, who was the creative director for the whole of the anniversary celebrations. I want to congratulate the Christmas Island community on their 50th anniversary and thank the shire, particularly the shire president, Gordon Thomson, for inviting me to be part of their very special time and an outstanding celebration of their island.