(From left) Christmas Island administrator Neil Lucas, Rotary District 9820 governor Ray Stewart, and Rotary Club of Narre Warren president, Ross Chudleigh.By Jim Mynard
FORMER Casey mayor Neil Lucas and current Christmas Island administrator said one of his duties on the island had been to speak at the Anzac Day ceremony.
Mr Lucas said the experience was moving because he was speaking from a site where four soldiers were killed during World War II.
He was guest speaker at a Rotary Club of Narre Warren dinner at the Fountain Gate Hotel on Wednesday, 17 May.
He said that in lots of ways he felt he and wife Margaret had not left Berwick because they had received so many emails and videos since moving to the island.
But Mr Lucas said he and his wife were having an exciting time since he was appointed to the position of Christmas and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands administrator.
He said Christmas Island was 2800 kilometres from Darwin, 2600 kms north-west of Perth, and 480 kms from the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
“The island is part of an undersea mountain range, and 200 metres offshore the water is 500 metres deep.
“One kilometre offshore the water is one kilometre deep.”
He said 62 per cent of the island was national park and the rainfall was more than 80 inches, which is almost 2000 millimetres.
He spoke of and showed photographs of sheer cliffs 300 metres high that went as far down into the water.
“Phosphate is mined and sent by conveyer to the port where it goes via a counter lever to the ships,” he said.
He said the Cocos Islands were 970 kilometres west of Christmas Island.
“The highest point is Mount Cocos five metres above sea level.
“You see pristine water and large turtles eating sea grass down below.
“Tiger sharks often hunt the turtles and the big sharks can crunch the shell of a turtle.”
He said warships called at the island.
“The captain calls to present his credentials and we invite him to tea.
“We, in turn, dine on board with the captain.
“The Arunta came on one occasion and I noticed an Albert Namatjira painting on board the ship.”
Mr Lucas said he was also responsible for the welfare of about 100 million crabs on the island.
“Every year Christmas Island crabs move just as the monsoon starts.
“They come out of the forest and will climb over anything to get to the cliff edge where they mate.
“The females then go down to the water where the young are born.
“Later the tiny new born crabs also move back up to the forest.”
He said the crabs were channelled toward special road crossings and some of the crossings cost more than $70,000 each.
“However, we are having success with overhead bridge crossings that can be built for $20,000 each.
“Some of the birds are so large that the place can look like Jurassic Park.
“However, we also have some lovely tiny birds.
“We have kestrel, the large robber crab, geckos, feral cats, millions of feral chooks, and a nasty centipede.
“A bite from the centipede and it’s off to hospital.”
He said the island surrounds abounded in beautiful corals, magnificent whale sharks were often seen and it had a nice golf course.
