FANNING ISLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 19 May 1933, Page 6

FANNING ISLAND

LIFE OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

AN ISOLATED COMMUNITY

AUCKLAND, May 17.

o>no of the smallest 'and most isolated British communities in the world is the .little habitation of white people on Fanning Island, where the cable station .owned by Imperial and International > .Communications, Limited, is situated. “Seven years ago there used to be 40 white people on the island; to-d_j there .are only 15.” said Mr A. N. Ohlson, of the cable station staff, who arrived by the Aorangi yesterday alter spending two years on the island. The dwindling white population, s*dd Mr Ohlson, was due solely to the increasing mechanisation of the c'J'tne station. The introduction of the modern, ,6'elay system of telegraphic had had the effect of displacing a large amount of human labour. Both ‘Australia and New Zealand .could now send messages simultaneously along the same cajole system •ami’ ‘with the aid of the electric typewriter, it was customary to send 220 tetters a m'imfte. with a maximum capacity, if necessary, of no fewer than 1000 letters a minute.

' c -Tlio highest mountain on Fanning Island is exactly 10ft. high,” said Mr Ohlson, describing his island home, during the past two years. “That will give you a good Idea of 'its flatness. Although It is only three degrees from the equator, it is really a healthy spot, as bracing soutfi-eaat trade wands blow over the island practically all the year roimd. ,Mr Ohlson claims that Fanning 'lsland does not know there is a .depression. “It i s true,” he said, ‘‘that the plantations, which 'are Brit.showned but are worked largely by Gilbert Islanders, are -receiving only three .cents a pound for copra, and . that the cable station staff .has received a 10 per cent, cdt in salaries, but the suffer-, ings and hardships of the outside world of which we read s° much in the cablegrams ‘'exchanged between Vancouver and Suva, are unknown on the island. We have our own amusements—tennis, swimming, fishing, billi ai ’ds and bridge and apart from our daily duties there was nothing much to worry us. The island is cut off from actual contact with civilisation except four times a year,- v'hen it receives a visit from a small cable ship from Honolulu.” Besides' the 15 white people, there are 200 : Gilbert Islanders on che island, recruited at regular periods for the copra plantations. The white population -is almost exclusively .composed of New Zealanders a.nd Australians. Mr. Ohlson mentioned that the post office on Fanning Island is operated from New Zealand, and that the island’s .currency .is entirely Australian. Mrs Ohlson, who /is a New I,an dev, .said she thoroughly enjoyed her two years’ stay on the island. “Everyone is extremely hospitable,” she said; “one’s house is never closed to one’s ■gnoata,. ,aa.fl life.-is simple and healthy.” -"-M r '" and Mr s~ Ohlsdn ' 'intend- fraking "XTp'‘'their- ipesidenee -in • -New-- Zealand._...