Life on Fanning Island
pp. 37-38 · Read in the full issue
AFTER spending two years at the cable station on Fanning Island, Mr. C.
Vorraister arrived to visit his family in Sydney by the Aorangi on May 18. Fanning Island, which is included for administrative purposes in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony, is the connecting link of the Pacific cable between Canada and Fiji.
“The island is 10 miles long and five miles wide,” said Mr. Vormister, “and 12 men and five women live at the cable station. Two men and one woman reside
at the other end of the island, and there are also about 100 Gilbert Islanders who cut copra for Fanning Island Ltd., the company which owns most of the land.
“Is is a lonely outpost,” he continued, “but we have plenty of recreation, including day and night tennis, swimming, fishing and occasional shooting at migrating ducks. Bridge is very popular, and the cable station employees play a great deal of auction bridge.
“Fanning Island is visited only four times a year by a vessel which brings supplies, newspapers, and mails,” he said, “but occasionally yachting parties call in at the cable station.”
Mr. A. S. Burton, travelling inspector for Messrs. Tooth and Co. Ltd., returned to Australia during May, after a business visit to New Guinea.