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Phosphateers: A History of the British Phosphate Commissioners and the Christmas Island Phosphate Commission
586 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1985
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November 30, 2025
Everything You Wanted to Know About the BPC But Were Afraid to Ask
It appears that I have the dubious honor of being the first person to review this book. Perhaps this is not surprising, given that the subject matter is not the stuff of best-sellers, but given this distinction (my first time as a first timer), I will try to do the book justice. But first of all I should answer the question as to why I would read a blow-by-blow account of the phosphate mining industry in the Pacific Ocean region in the first half of the Twentieth century. I do have an ulterior motive as my grandfather is mentioned several times and I was keen to explore some of my family history. I am not holding my breath for a second review of the book, but that is no reflection on the content.
The book comes in at 586 pages and is a very detailed review of history of British Phosphate Commission (BPC), from it original incarnation as the Pacific Islands Company by John Arundel in 1897 when it was jointly owned by British and German interests; through its reconstitution as the BPC after WWI when it was controlled by Commissioners from the UK, Australia and New Zealand and on to its eventual demise as the islands were mined out.
The book covers a long period, multiple islands, many stakeholders (corporations, colonial governments, local islanders), and weaves economic, political, environmental, and social threads together. The BPC came into existence in 1920 although it had been operating on the island since early in the century during which time operations, shipping patterns etc had been established and was formed by the UK, Australia and NZ.
It appears that I have the dubious honor of being the first person to review this book. Perhaps this is not surprising, given that the subject matter is not the stuff of best-sellers, but given this distinction (my first time as a first timer), I will try to do the book justice. But first of all I should answer the question as to why I would read a blow-by-blow account of the phosphate mining industry in the Pacific Ocean region in the first half of the Twentieth century. I do have an ulterior motive as my grandfather is mentioned several times and I was keen to explore some of my family history. I am not holding my breath for a second review of the book, but that is no reflection on the content.
The book comes in at 586 pages and is a very detailed review of history of British Phosphate Commission (BPC), from it original incarnation as the Pacific Islands Company by John Arundel in 1897 when it was jointly owned by British and German interests; through its reconstitution as the BPC after WWI when it was controlled by Commissioners from the UK, Australia and New Zealand and on to its eventual demise as the islands were mined out.
The book covers a long period, multiple islands, many stakeholders (corporations, colonial governments, local islanders), and weaves economic, political, environmental, and social threads together. The BPC came into existence in 1920 although it had been operating on the island since early in the century during which time operations, shipping patterns etc had been established and was formed by the UK, Australia and NZ.
Displaying 1 of 1 review