Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 2. Human Activities
Draft 1 March 2007
Freshwater was supplied by six Cleaver-Brooks units (McIntire 1960). Each unit produced
757 lt (200 gallons) of freshwater per hour.
Pratt (1961) presented an illustration of the hand stamp used to stamp mail originating from
Abariringa (Canton).
In 1961, there was an agreement between the Governments of the United Kingdom and the
United States regarding the establishment and operation of a space vehicle tracking and
communication station on Abariringa (Canton) (U.S. Department of State 1961; 1959
according to Stack 1982). This was in connection with the U.S. manned earth satellite
program (Project Mercury according to Douglas and Douglas 1994). The missile tracking
station was being constructed in the summer of 1960 by NASA (McIntire 1960).
In 1962, there were about 400 people living on Abariringa (Canton) (Office of Territories
1963).
The Chance Vought Company set up a monitoring station on Abariringa (Canton) to monitor
the nuclear blast from Christmas Island (Oates 2003, probably in about 1962).
The U.S. Federal Aviation Agency maintained facilities in Abariringa (Canton) (Office of
Territories 1963). They maintained the airport, communication links, electrical power plant,
water production, and sanitary facilities. A private oil company maintained the fuel facilities.
The U.S. Weather Bureau provided meteorological services. The U.S. Department of Interior
provided two school teachers who organized classes for kindergarten to 8 th grade. There
were more than 30 students on Abariringa (Canton). A three-bed hospital was also
maintained by the U.S. Department of Interior.
A U.S. Coast Guard vessel visited Abariringa (Canton) annually to service navigational
buoys (Office of Territories 1963). Shipping was irregular and much was done by charter
vessel.
Radiogram service was provided by a British station (Office of Territories 1963).
In 1963, there were 101 people in Millers Camp and 104 at the District Station, for a total
population of 205 on Abariringa (Canton) (McArthur and McCaig 1963)
The satellite tracking station was established on Abariringa (Canton) in 1965 (Levy 1996).
In June 1965, the FAA (formerly the CAA) ceased operations on Abariringa (Canton) (Oates
2003). The facilities on Abariringa (Canton) were turned over to NASA. NASA operated
the air navigation aids on Abariringa (Canton) until November 1965 (Oates 2003).
By 1966, the dredged channel north of Spam Island had shrunk from 76.2 m to 61.0 m wide
(Hydrographer of the Navy 1969). On the western side of the turning basin (north of the
channel, there is a wooden faced jetty 109.7 m long with a depth (in 1957) of 9.1 m
(Hydrographer of the Navy 1969).
In 1966, the island population was about 500 (Bryan 1974; see also King 1973).
76