How were the islanders displaced in Australia in the 1970s and what happened to them?
📜Forced Relocation of Christmas Islanders (1974–1976)
1970 – BPC Closure Announcement - The British Phosphate Commission (BPC) declared phosphate reserves were running out, sparking panic among islanders. - Families feared losing jobs, housing, and security.
1974 – Resettlement Scheme Approved - The Australian Government approved resettlement assistance scheme but promised support only after resettlement. - Funding was delayed until 1976, leaving early movers abandoned.
1974–1976 – Early Resettlers’ Hardship - Families who moved early found no housing or assistance. - Overcrowding was severe: 3–4 families crammed into a single 3‑bedroom house with one toilet. - Resettlement officer Mr Bob Hunt visited communities in Katanning, Geraldton, Perth, and Port Hedland but had no answers. - When he returned to the island, the BPC allegedly barred him from enforcing the scheme, leaving families silenced.
1976 – Records and False Claims
- Government records declared the “first resettlers” under the scheme in 1976, ignoring those who had already moved.
- The BPC falsely claimed early resettlers had “volunteered”, when in reality many were harassed and coerced.
Forced Relocation
- About 450 islanders resisted but were shipped out regardless.
- Many were sent to WA, while others were pushed back to their countries of origin (China, Malaysia, Singapore, India).
- Yet most had spent half their lives on Christmas Island and knew little of those countries beyond the language. - In Australia, resettled families faced language barriers — many could not speak or write English.
- Their overriding thought was survival: “How am I to feed and house my family?”
🧭 Significance - The panic of 1974, the broken promises of 1976, and the false narrative of “voluntary” resettlement reveal a pattern of coercion and abandonment. - Islanders displaced to “home countries” were strangers there, highlighting the depth of cultural dislocation. - Those resettled in WA faced linguistic and economic hardship, forced to rebuild from nothing. - This episode is central to the call for recognition, justice, and healing. To put more fuel onto a hot burning fire:These 450 resettlers were not paid provident funds. Some had resettlement scheme approval letters but never received it.
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