Life On Christmas Island

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32214, 5 February 1970, Page 2

Life On Christmas Island

Rearing a turtle is just one of the encounters with nature Miss' Susan Pollitt recalls from a four-month stay on Christmas Island.

•‘Polly from Dolly Bay,” as the infant turtle became known, was one of a nest of eggs laid by the huge turtles which return each year to Christmas Island.

One evening Miss Pollitt camped on the beach, lying in wait to see the females come from the sea, lay their eggs, cover the burrow, and return to the water. The next day she returned to dig up one of the eggs, which hat' ched a month later. For eight weeks Miss Pollitt fed Polly on fillet steak—“from New Zealand”—then allowed her to return to the sea.

In spite, of many inquiries Miss Pollitt could not discover the origin of the name of Polly’s, birthplace. “It’s curious because there are several beaches on the island named after women, but I couldn’t find out why," she said yesterday.

Miss Pollitt’s father, a construction engineer, went to the Indian Ocean island to oversee the construction of water tanks to provide a re liable supply of water for its only human inhabitants —workers and contractors employed by the British Phosphate Commission, which extracts phosphate for Austra lia and New Zealand.

The family lived in a small flat overlooking the sea. among a community of 300 Europeans. There are no indigenous inhabitants on the island and about 3600 Malay and Chinese from Singapore work the plant. For Miss Pollitt and het mother it was a tropical island holiday completely ofl the well-beaten tourist track.

“Only employees of B.P.C. and their families are allowed on the island, which is governed jointly by Australia and New Zealand. All the accommodation and facilities are for employees. “It’s a marvellous life, really. The Europeans live in beautiful homes, no rent, or electricity bills, and schooling up to high school level is provided for Europeans. The high school for the Chinese is run on Singapore stan-

dards, so most Australian children go home for their high school education.” The club, swimming pool, and cinema could all be enjoyed free of charge. After work the six duty-free shops opened, and were freely patronised. Only Contact Although the fortnightly arrival of goods and mail by ship was the only contact with the outside world Miss Pollitt, an outgoing, gregarious girl, was never bored. The islanders were friendly with every one a first name acquaintance, and full of enthusiasm for organised community activities. A member of a nature-lov-ing family (her brother, Mr Chris Pollitt, is an Ashburton veterinarian) Miss Pollitt explored the island’s underwater world. “There are wonderful coral reefs about 20 yards from the shore. The waters are supposed to be shark infested, but no one seems to worry. They just tell you the sharks

are so well fed you won’t be attacked,” she said. The bird life on the island is protected, and almost tame. "Several species are unique to the island. All the birds and wild lift are very unafraid. When you are playing golf they will swoop down and peck at the club. The more you swing the better they seem to like it—just like a game.” At first she was rather unnerved by the courage of the crabs. “They don’t bothei about anything being in their way, and will quite happily walk over your feet. While we were there the land crabs were migrating in swarms from the jungle to the beach, and they went over anything in their path.” Miss Pollitt’s one regret about her stay on Christmas Island is that she is unable to return. “Yes, it’s quite sad really, but I suppose B.P.C. is making its money out of the phosphate so it doesn’t want tourists on the island.”