Christmas Island THE OLD RAILWAY - Self-Guided Trail
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THE OLD R AILWAY Shay Number 4 leaving South Point 1937. There was once a railway line Grab a map from the Visitor Centre, which stretched from Drumsite to a a picnic and head to Flying Fish thriving settlement at South Point. Cove. The complete loop will take three to five hours and involves This trail follows the route of the some dirt driving. An all-wheel drive railway and the story of phosphate; or 4WD vehicle is recommended. the economic and social foundation During the red crab migration some of the Island. The trail recognises of the roads will be closed. the men who cut a path through the forest, carved jungle tracks, built a railroad across the plateau Grab a map from the to reach phosphate deposits, Visitor Centre. created a township and the women and children by their side. Approximate duration 3 – 5 hours Other self-guided trails focus on the historic township in A Step Back in Time and culture through The An all-wheel drive or Spirit of Christmas Island. These 4WD vehicle is recommended. stories are interwoven, overlap and together provide a glimpse During the red crab migration into the rich history and culture of some of the roads will be closed. Christmas Island. 2 Self Guided Trail – T h e Ol d R a i l w a y
1. FLYING FISH COVE Christmas Island rises from the In 1895, the first shipment of depths of the Indian Ocean. It is rich twenty tonnes of phosphate was in phosphate which is a soil nutrient sent to England. In 1899 the first vital to agriculture. Christmas Island coolies arrived from South China phosphate is believed to be from and large scale mining began. sedimentary marine deposits left over The workforce soon grew to over millions of years and more recently 1,000. Later workers from South East from seabird excreta. Asia replaced contracted coolies from China. The port at Flying Fish Cove provides the vital link between Christmas Mining ceased in 1987 due to effects Island and the phosphate markets. of drought, low phosphate prices All phosphate exported from and industrial unrest. Many workers Christmas Island has moved were offered resettlement to Asia or through the port. mainland Australia. The port 1945. S elf G u i d ed Tra i l – T h e Old R ailwa y 3
Loading phosphate 1973. Phosphate production restarted in September 1990 when a company formed by the Union of Christmas Island Workers processed stockpiles from previously mined areas. This mining practice continues to this day. Mining methods have changed over the years but basically phosphate is dug from an open cut mine, loaded onto vehicles to be crushed and dried and then transported to the wharf for shipping. The original wharves were made of timber. Phosphate was tipped from small mining trucks directly into the ship. This was replaced by a system of conveyor belts in about 1912 and eventually by a cantilever system in 1963. These two arms can load up to 600 tonnes per hour directly into a ship’s hold. At peak production 700,000 tonnes of phosphate is exported per annum. Before regular flights, all imported goods and supplies including the railway tracks and locomotives were delivered to the port. Most locomotives were shipped to the Island in parts. Parts were then lifted from the ship onto barges and then by derrick to the shore before assembly. The ships were unloaded near the cranes which are now used to discharge the supply ship every 4 to 8 weeks. NEXT STOP Follow Jalan Pantai (Beach Rd) to the roundabout, once a thriving railway hub, and take Murray Rd up the hill to the George Fam Centre on the right to the Incline. The Incline is accessed by the steps next to the water tank at the George Fam Centre. This part of the Incline is now a footpath to the suburb of Silver City, named for the aluminium cladding on the original houses. 4 Self Guided Trail – T h e Ol d R a i l w a y
2. THE INCLINE The plan to link South Point to Drumsite by rail and then to the wharf by the Incline started with the first survey in 1908 – 1910 by Sir John Murray, the first Chairman of the Christmas Island Phosphate Company. Work on the incline started in 1911 and was completed in 1915. It was a feat of engineering and construction to build a single lane concrete road with standard gauge railway track on both sides. The gradient varies between 1 in 6 to 1 in 7. Large gangs of coolies (Chinese workers) blasted the cuttings, built embankments and laid the sleepers and track between Drumsite and the shunting yards near the Cocos Padang on Gaze Rd. At the top of the 1,120m Incline was a control tower to monitor the wagons travelling up and down the hill and the large winding drums. The drums, at the head of the Incline (the area now known as Drumsite) was part of the classic gravity cableway - heavy loaded cars descend and haul the empty cars back up. Looking down The Incline 1937. The Incline. S elf G u i d ed Tra i l – T h e Old R ailwa y 5
Loading phosphate 1973. Loading phosphate 1973. The Incline originally carried people to In 1958 the settlement was linked to work at the Phosphate Hill deposits Drumsite by a new road which cut the in a small open-sided carriage, Incline in two. Phosphate was then called a Rake. The steep hill was transported by a conveyor belt system compensated by the sloping bench which ran from Drumsite down to the seat, by the time the steepest part of dryers and storage bins above the the incline was reached people were loading point and cantilevers. sitting upright. NEXT STOP Continue along Murray Rd to the Community Hall at Poon Saan. On the side is a large mural. 6 Self Guided Trail – T h e Ol d R a i l w a y
3. RAILWAY MURAL – POON SAAN The mural, taken from a photograph, This engine was in service until the shows a train being hauled up the Japanese occupation in World War ll Incline on 1 December 1921. (March 1942- August 1945) when it was damaged during a bombing raid. The locomotive is Shay Number 4. It arrived on Christmas Island in early The social makeup of the Island in 1916 and was the second train in the 1921 can be glimpsed in the mural fleet, the first arriving in May 1914. A with a European manager at the front Shay was a wood-burning steam train dressed in white and a worker behind. built in America to haul large loads at low speeds. From the same era - 1921. NEXT STOP Drive past the Old Dryers. This is part of the working mine and can only be seen from the road or twice a year when the small Taoist Temple at the Old Dryers is open as part of the Hungry Ghost festival and God’s birthday celebrations. S elf G u i d ed Tra i l – T h e Old R ailwa y 7
4. OLD DRYERS The main line from South Point ended at the Drumsite railway yard, which had a covered siding, weighbridge, workshop and three rail tracks. The centre track was on a bridge to enable phosphate to be dumped for drying. Phosphate is wet and heavy when extracted and is dried for ease of transport. The remnants of this track is visible. Phosphate production was measured by the number of full ore cars transported daily on the railway. In the years before World War Two these phosphate cars carried around 25 tons of ore each, 20 cars a day was good day. Covered siding 2019. Dryers 1950s. NEXT STOP Along Murray Rd are glimpses of the old railway line. These are most visible outside the Christmas Island Phosphates Office. Stop near the mine office on Lam Lok Loh. 8 Self Guided Trail – T h e Ol d R a i l w a y
5. RAILWAY LINES AT DRUMSITE With the closure of the mine in 1987, most tracks were pulled up and sold overseas for scrap. The railway was about 17.5km long (11 miles), standard gauge and laid in 27kg (60lb) rail which was bolted to steel sleepers then packed with limestone ballast. The first trains (Shays) were steam and mainly used to build the railway to South Point hauling rails, sleepers and other material. Once the railway was built these trains moved phosphate at the top and the bottom of The Incline. The main track was overhauled in the 1960s. Prior to this all track maintenance was done by hand. A report in 1932 says ‘in several places the (train) line has sunk slightly due doubtless to burrowing crabs’. Hauling Phosphate. S elf G u i d ed Tra i l – T h e Old R ailwa y 9
6. MINE OFFICE This office, still in use, was Mining operations were disrupted built in 1967 for the British during World War Two when the Phosphate Commission. Japanese occupied Christmas Island. By 1900, phosphate mining was The Australian and New Zealand underway and many labourers were governments took over the Christmas recruited from China through the Island mining lease in 1948 under the Straits Settlements (now Singapore management of the British Phosphate and Malaysia) to work a six-day week. Commission. The British Phosphate Housing and food were supplied Commission had extraordinary power and although conditions were harsh over everything on the Island from it was better than the poverty food, accommodation and if a person back home. fell out of favour they left the Island with their documents stamped NTR – In the early 20th century Christmas Never to Return. Island, along with the Pacific island territories of Naura and Banaba (then Ten years later, on 1 October 1958, known as Ocean Island.) monopolised Christmas Island became a Territory the global phosphate market. of Australia. Mine Workers 1950s. 10 Self Guided Trail – T h e Ol d R a i l w a y
Mine Workers 1950s. Production increased in the 1960s enabling tourism and other industries and 1970s. More low paid workers to develop. were hired from South East Asia. In Following tense negotiations with 1975 the Union of Christmas Island the Australian Government, a Workers (UCIW) was set up to address company owned by members of the social and wage inequality between Union of Christmas Island Workers mainland Australian standards recommenced phosphate mining and the low paid Christmas Island in 1990. workforce. For the first time the mine management faced a unionised Over time, shares were sold and now workforce and a long and bitter fight the mine is operated by Phosphate ensued. Success came for the UCIW Resources Limited (PRL), trading and the Asian workers, but was short as Christmas Island Phosphates. lived with the closure of the mine PRL and its parent company have in 1987. diversified into maintenance, fuel and marine services on Christmas Island In 1989, the Christmas Island and palm oil in Malaysia. National Park (established in 1980) was extended to 63% of Christmas Island to protect the unique habitat NEXT STOP and endangered species, notably the Walk along the train lines to the Old Abbott’s Booby. These conservation Railway Station a short way along measures have restricted access Murray Rd on the left. to phosphate for mining, while S elf G u i d ed Tra i l – T h e Old R ailwa y 11
7. MURRAY ROAD RAILWAY STATION During the 1950s and 1960s a large community of mine workers and families lived at South Point. This railway station was used by the children going to and from school. Prior to 1968 this station was just a wooden platform. By the 1960s, the School Train was a fleet of Wickham railcars. The carriages had wooden benches, side panels, open doors and open windows. Over time safety improvements were made to the rail cars. The journey could take up to one and a half hours as they had to give way to phosphate trains. Due to the long journey the children could not participate in after school activities at Drumsite. The settlement at South Point was closed in 1971 and the people re-located, mainly to the flats at Poon Saan. 1963 school train at Drumsite. NEXT STOP An old train is about 1.5km along Murray Rd, on the left just past the crab bridge. During the red crab migration this bridge helps the crabs safely cross the road and the traffic to pass freely below! Along the way, look for the new dryers on the right where the rails cross the road. These dryers have been operating since 1969 with trucks and road-trains delivering the phosphate for processing. 12 Self Guided Trail – T h e Ol d R a i l w a y
8. OLD TRAIN ON MURRAY RD The railway continued along Murray Rd. The remains of the Whitcomb Locomotive Number 8901 sits on rail tracks, slowly becoming at one with the jungle. This American made engine was one of two which arrived in early 1947. It is a classic centre cab twin engine yard shunter fitted with two V8 Caterpillar diesel engines coupled to two Westinghouse generators and four Westinghouse traction motors. It was painted yellow with black and yellow dazzle stripes. The train arrived in parts and was assembled on Christmas Island to take phosphate between South Point and Drumsite. NEXT STOP Drive the old railway route across the central plateau. Continue along Murray Rd for 4km then turn left towards the Pink House and continue along to the East West Baseline. Along the route of the railway line cuttings and embankments are clearly visible as well as: • a stop/go sign on the left just after the turn • a telephone box on the right in 300m • rail tracks cross the road in 100m • rail lines are still visible at the Pink House turnoff, continue straight towards the East West Baseline. The Pink House was part of Camp 4 and is part of the Christmas Island National Park. Whitcombe locomotive number 3 hauling full phosphate hoppers at South Point 1952. S elf G u i d ed Tra i l – T h e Old R ailwa y 13
9. CENTRAL PLATEAU The track was laid over fairly level The Shays took two hours to journey terrain in comparison to the Incline. from South Point to Drumsite with 20- The main tasks were clearing 30 minutes on each journey to refuel vegetation by hand, creating a level with wood and water. Water was track, laying the track bed, positioning sourced from Grant’s Well. steel sleepers, dropping rails in place Before the School Train was in and then bolting it together. service, wagons were converted to There were 8 fettlers camps built transport people and goods. The along the line during construction. carriages were spartan with bench Once the railway was completed the seats against the walls and hauled track gangs were relocated to South behind the dusty open phosphate Point and Drumsite. Camp 4 (the Pink hoppers. As well as the school run, House) continued to be used for rail the wagons conveyed theatre goers maintenance and Camp 5 (no longer from Drumsite and Camps 4 and 5 visible) by the wood cutters. to South Point for the Saturday night open air cinema. Both phosphate, passenger and the weekly supply trains used the railway. Building the railway 1914. 14 Self Guided Trail – T h e Ol d R a i l w a y
Camp 5 1952. NEXT STOP South Point: Turn left towards South Point at the East West Baseline then follow the signs to the Old South Point Railway past both old and active mining leases. DETOUR The energetic may wish to walk or ride a bike along the 7km Telegraph Track following the route of the railway between the Blowholes Rd and South Point. The trail starts 800m from the junction on the left past the rail tracks which cross the road. A small Taoist temple dedicated to Tham Kong Sheng Ye is on the track on the right 200 metres past the Blowholes Rd turn off. This temple served the workers at nearby Camp 5 and was believed to protect them from harsh conditions and weather extremes. S elf G u i d ed Tra i l – T h e Old R ailwa y 15
10. SOUTH POINT Now in ruins, South Point was once In the early days, mining phosphate at thriving community that lasted South Point was hard work performed around 60 years. It was established by an army of Chinese contract in 1914 to provide a workforce for the labourers. After the rainforest was nearby phosphate mines. cleared the top 2 metres of soil was removed and dumped in a nearby The train station, railway lines, loading fields. The phosphate was dug gantries, the walls of a 100,000 gallon with a hoe leaving behind an array water tank are still visible. of limestone pinnacles. These are The settlement grew to become clearly visible across the Island as a significant population centre, fern and rock fields. The phosphate accommodating the largest part of was loaded into baskets and when the mine workforce. At its peak there full, tipped into trams hitched to a were several hundred people living at small locomotive. South Point, many with families and The narrow gauge quarry trams children. There were houses, a kongsi ran to the top of the loading bridge, store, a dispensary, a police station originally a steel frame with a timber with lock up, a discreetly located deck and tipped the product into brothel, playing fields and an outdoor the chute that loaded directly on the cinema showing English, Mandarin, standard gauge phosphate hopper Cantonese and Tamil language films wagons for transport to Drumsite. and of course the railway station and mine infrastructure. The Chinese The first exports from South Point Literary Association ran cultural occurred in 1923 and by 1926 South evening classes and night school for Point was producing 100,000 tons the children. a year. The School Train at South Point. 16 Self Guided Trail – T h e Ol d R a i l w a y
Railroad and Gantry 1927. The long building was the Chinese Manager’s house until World War Two. After the War it was occupied by the European South Point Manager. Loading at South Point before World War Two. A covered siding was built in 1928 for Between 1950 and 1953 a new loading storing loaded phosphate hoppers in bridge at South Point was installed an effort to keep the phosphate dry. and then upgraded in the 1960s. To improve efficiency, phosphate was The mine operated six days a dumped in stockpiles rather than week. During the 1940s and 1950s, directly into the railway wagons. on Sundays the engines were maintained at the Drumsite workshop By the end of May 1972 the and returned to South Point to settlement of South Point was begin work on Monday at 6:00am. bulldozed and the phosphate it was A supply train operated on Saturday sitting on mined. Most of the people afternoons providing food and moved to Poon Saan but South Point general supplies. will always be ‘home’. HISTORICAL TALE On 21 September 1922 a solar eclipse cast its shadow across the British Empire with Christmas Island in its path. Two expeditions (British and German) were mounted to view the eclipse and test Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. A large telescope was mounted at South Point but the weather was against them and the voyage unsuccessful. However, those Expedition plaque now at the Christmas watching from Settlement had clear views. Island National Park Nursery. NEXT STOP Before heading back to town along the North South Baseline stop at the nearby temples. See The Spirit of Christmas Island for information. S elf G u i d ed Tra i l – T h e Old R ailwa y 17
North East Point SE RD COUR GOLF RD MU GAZE RD RRA GAZE YR D The Grotto ISH Christmas Island Tai Jin House ING F CO Visitors Centre Phosphate Hill Cemetery VE FLY Gun Phosphate Hill Emplacement Smith Point Golf Course PHOSPHATE Lookout Territory Day Park Golf RD Recreation Centre RY Course QUAR HILL RD Y RD GOL Christmas Island MURRA F CO District High School URS ER North West Point D Irvine Hill CH RD D LR IRV INE HIL IEW LILY BEA HIL TE LR EV HA D H EADRIDG OSP ach PH Be ret Christmas Island RD West White Beach rga Airport SE Ma UR 8 O GOLF C LILY BEACH RD Tom RYAN HILL RD Hanitch Hill ’s R 306m Christmas Island Resort idg e D RD RR RAY ATE hes MUR KW Ethel Beach a Beac LIN PLA Rhod TEA UT Ethel Beach RAC Swell Lodge K Boat Ramp Lily Beach Martin Point Ryan Hill Detention JEDDA CAVE RD Steep Point Centre NORTH WES T POINT RD Merrial Beach DALES RD Hosnie’s Spring DALES WALKING TRACKS NORTH WEST POINT RD No GR Margaret Knoll 1D LB4 Central Area ANTS WELL RD RD ale INE Darlling (No 4) DaleHugh’s No 2 Dale Jack’s Hill Workshop SEL 349m Grants Well BA D Hugh’s Dale YR TH Anderson (No 5) OU RRA GRANTS WELL RD D Dale Waterfall HR S D MU RTH C NR EA ST BEA NO TIO THE DALES W ETA GR STA Murray Hill EST Sydneys (No 6) Dale BA CH JED 361m SE L IN E EAR DA Ross Hill Garden RES CAVE No 7 Da le RD EA The Pink House ST Winifred Beach W EST BA EACH TRAC SEL RED B K INE Stronach Hill WINIF CIRC I VE UIT TR 260m DR ACKS A MB Greta Beach N RI N HU TA RD E LIN BAS E Douglas Point TH SOU DOLLY B EACH RTH RD NO Ross Hill LE S 319m HO L OW RD Egeria Point Middle Point The Blowholes B John D Point Dolly Beach RD Smithson Bight Indian Ocean E ELIN BAS UTHO TH S NOR OLD RAILWAY LINE BOULD ER TRACK 10 South Point INT Railway Ruins PO D TH LE R SOU EMP T Produced by the Christmas Island Tourism Association | December 2019 South Point 18 Self Guided Trail – T h e Ol d R a i l w a y
ROCKY POINT Divers Villa Sea Spray Villa CRES POINT Rumah Tinggi Island Time ROCKY GAZE RD The Captain’s Last Resort Captain’s Lookout Sea Eye Guest House The Sunset The Retreat Wet’n’dry Adventures The Sanctuary COCONU Malay T GROV Cemetery Hibiscus House E TRIADIC CRE VQ3 VIEW S Villa Papaya ST The Cabin Golf Club SHORT Breeze Inn PA Rocky Point Town House TAM The Golden Bosun Historic House Christian Cemetery RD Tavern & Restaurant GAZE RD GAZE The Cocos Padang Lodge MU Mango Tree Lodge Chinese RRA Extra Divers C I Red Crab Surf Y RD Cemetery YOUR SAFETY IS Lotus Spa Settlement IMPORTANT Lucky Lukes IN AN EMERGENCY Shorefire Fishing Koru Massage Phone 000 RD Police RAY MOBILE PHONE MUR MU RRA YR COVERAGE IS LIMITED. Tea Garden D When exploring, borrow a Personal Locator Beacon (EPIRB) from the Silver City Island Pharmacy and News Police Station. They are free. Wild Papaya 3 SEAV IEW DR R AN D RD N SA PAI CH ARENGA CL GAZE IN LU Shire & Public Library POO ER SILVER CITY RD LOW Prickle Park AY RD THE MURR H SUN LO INCLINE Poon Saan Coffee Shop SET KAM Seaview Fish & Chips/ PL CLA Chinese Exhibition Pool Hall PAK CT AK G U A NO Op Shop PER Christmas Island Meng Chong Smash Espresso Bar JLN Supermarket Trading LIS Old Tech School DR TER W VIE PL Lower Poon Saan Park SEA Christmas Island CI Apartments RD Poon Saan Park AAN Visitor Centre NS TAMAN SWEETLAND CRES POO YR D RRA 2 Hardware MU Isabel Beach RA K JLN PE Outdoor Cinema Poon Saan TONG CHEE RD RD Lucky Ho Tong Chee House AAN Poon Saan Club Hospital NS HIGH POO D CLUB RD LN ILL R LAND Catholic Church LOH LO H NT H QUARRY RD I PLA HYE WA CRT C D SAN YR NG RRA KO CI Bali Style Retreat 4 TAI CANBERRA PL CI Club MU PAN PHO JLN 1 Old European Cemetery RD SPH ATE PHOSPHATE HILL HILL RD Idah’s Kitchen ISH ING F CO VE FLY MOSQUE Halal Cafe Al Barakah HA Metro Enterprises WK H ERS LO K LO RD The Artisan Kampong LAM Jetty Kampong Park D R AY NTAI RR JLN PA MU To Tai Jin House & Gun Emplacement 5 YAN LOH LAM LO K LO Boong Trading H Tracks Tavern TONG TO AIRPORT DRUMSITE PARK LOH Christmas Island LOK LAM Radio 6RCI NURS GOLD Territory Day Park Ci National Park ERY RD Headquarters EN B H ERA MM Drumsite OSU KETA JLN N RD Christmas Island VAGABOND RD VET C I Cricket & S PL LOH ERA ST TUTO Sporting Club EXILE Christmas Island TTS NE R RD LAM LOK NS R Recreation Centre/Kookai’z 6 D ABBO Refuse Oval Station SIN SANG RD JLN GU Mine Office Township RU Route from Airport to town • Turn right out of airport car park Christmas Island Old Railway Station District High School • Take the first right onto Phosphate Hill Road and follow signs to township RD MURRAY NOT TO SCALE December 2019 7 Indian Ocean Extra Divers Experiences Wet ‘n’ Dry Worldwide Diving • Snorkelling Sea Bird Watching • Charters 1/20 Gaze Road, Christmas Island 49C Gaze Road (PO Box 434) Gaze Road, Settlement, Christmas Island T: +61 (0) 439 215 667 Christmas Island, WA 6798 T: +61 (0) 8 9164 8382 E: cita@christmas.net.au E: lisa@indianoceanexperiences.com.au T: +61 (0) 439 215 290 Ph: 0475 247 789 W: christmas.net.au W: indianoceanexperiences.com.au E: hama@divingchristmas.com christmasisland@extradivers.org www.facebook.com/CIVisitorInformationCentre IndianOceanEperiences W: divingchristmas.com extradivers-worldwide.com Shop 1 & 2, Unit 9, 26 Gaze Road, Settlement, Christmas Island S elf G u i d ed Tra i l – T h e Old R ailwa y 19 T: +61 (0) 8 9164 8337 Screening 7.30pm every Saturday and every second Wednesday +61 (0) 8 9164 8187 E: cipharm@pulau.cx
Produced by the Christmas Island Tourism Association with support from the Australian Government. 2019 Photos are from the Collection of the National Archives of Australia, Christmas Island Past and Present and personal collections. For more information: Other self-guided trails: christmas.net.au Christmas Island T H E S P IR IT OF Christmas Island A ST E P BA C K IN T IM E C H R IS T M A S IS L A N D Self-Guided Trail Self-Guided Trail ChristmasIslandTourism ChristmasIsland christmas.net.au christmas.net.au Last updated Dec2020
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