Nauruans May Take Curtis
p. 11 · Read in the full issue
Leaders of Nauru may accept Curtis Island, off the Australian coast, as a new home for the Nauruan people—if they can make some satisfac tory arrangement with the Australian Government about the conditions under which they occupy it.
THE Administrator of Nauru, Mr.
R. S. Leydin, told the UN Trus teeship Council this in New York on May 30. He said the Nauruans wanted the island to be a sovereign state, but the Australian Government would not agree to this and further discussions were going on.
PIM in a long article in May (p. 5) reported that Curtis Island of fered the brightest hope yet for solv ing the Nauruan problem, and that the Nauruans favoured resettlement there. Nauru, population 2,500, will
have to be abandoned in 30 years when the phosphate deposits are worked out.
Curtis is 180 square miles in area —about 20 times larger than Nauru.
It could be joined to the Australian mainland by a causeway.
Curtis is close to both Rockhamp ton and Gladstone and the local mainland people have said they would like to have the Nauruans re settle there.
Curtis is undeveloped except for some grazing properties.
The advantages of island life, plus all the facilities of a metropolitan area, could be enjoyed by the Nauruans if they move to Curtis Is land, whose relation ship to the mainland is shown here.