Outlying territories

Australian Antarctic Territory is the sector of the Antarctic continent and adjacent islands between 45E and 160E, south of 60S (except Adelie Land).

Christmas Island southwest of Java is an island with area of 55sq. miles and population over 3,000, mainly Chinese and Malayan. Its sole industry is exporting phosphate of lime from guano deposits. The island was annexed by the British in 1888 and transferred to Australian jurisdiction in 1958.

Cocos Islands lie in the Indian Ocean southwest of Java. It has area of 5sq. miles with population over 600. It produces copra. There are 27 coral island (3 inhabited). Cocos Islands were discovered in 1609, and first settled in 1826. The islands became English protectorate in 1857 and were transferred to Australia in 1955.

Nauru is a coral island of Micronesia. Its area is 8 sq. miles and population over 5,000. Valuable phosphate deposits of the Island are exploited by Britain.

Norfolk Island lies in the Southern Pacific 950 miles northeast of Sydney. Its area is 13 sq. miles and population over 1000. Cook discovered it in 1774. The main industries are whaling, timber, fruit growing and tourism:

Papua and New Guinea is Australian Territory. Its Area is 183,540 sq. miles. Population including a small European minority is over 2 million. Capital and chief port is Port Moresby. Language is Lingua franca-Melanesian pidgin. Cattle growing are highly developed. Exports include copra and shell, rubber, coconut oil, coffee, cocoa, tropical hardwoods, some gold and other minerals. It imports food, chemicals, and manufactured goods.

The territory of Papua was annexed in 1883 by Queensland and has been ruled by Australia since 1905. The northeast of New Guinea was occupied by Australia in 1914. The two territories were given a common administration in 1949.

Russian naturalist N.N. Miklouho-Maclay (1846-1888) had lived for 3 years in New Guinea in the 1871-78. The north-eastern coast /300 km/ of New Guinea bears his name. Miklouho-Maclay tried to organize a colony in New Guinea but the idea was not realized because of Bismarck (1815). Miklouho-Maclay won the trust and admiration of the local people. He became concerned for the native people of the Pacific. He felt affection to the coast of New Guinea. When he caught malaria and fell ill he had to leave New Guinea for Australia and settled in Sydney.