Phosphate Was His Business

Death of Mr. Fred Christian

MR. Fred Christian who died at Christ mas Island (Indian Ocean), at the end of the year, was one of the best known staff, members of the British Phosphate Commission on Ocean Island and Nauru and had probably done more to keep the farmers of Australia and New Zealand supplied with superphosphate than any man living.

He was 60 when he died, and had given his entire adult life to phosphate. At the outbreak of World War I he was assistant-engineer of the Pacific Phos phate Co. on Ocean Island. He joined the 7th Field Company, AIF and won the MC and bar. When that war was over he returned to his phosphate and "became part of the BPC when it took over the working of Ocean Island and Nauru.

In 1930 he erected the giant storage bin and cantilever at Nauru, whereby a ship could load 10,000 tons of phosphatic rock in one day. A German raider did its best to wreck the cantilever in December, 1940, but burning oil from huge oil tanks which flowed around the 12,000ton bin melting its columns and causing it to topple, did more damage than direct hits. In 1942 Nauru was occupied by the Japs who dismantled much of the equip ment on the Island for building defences.

During the Pacific war years Christian was organising alternative supplies for Australia—mostly from Makatea and the Indian Ocean. At the same time, supplies of equipment for blitzed Nauru were built up in Australia and as soon as the Japs surrendered, Christian and his men moved in to rebuild the installations there.

Since the Australian and New Zealand governments purchased Christmas Island Indian Ocean phosphate island a couple of years ago, he has been organis ing that end of the operations. He was on his way back there from a labour recruit ing flight to Singapore when he had a

cebrebral haemorrhage.

About 130 school children left Svdnev by Qantas and BCPA planes last month to spend Christmas at their homes in Calcutta, Singapore, Hong Kong, Borneo and New Guinea.