| Place | Oceania: Pacific Islands, Fanning Island |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | P02564.006 |
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white |
| Physical description | Black & white |
| Maker |
Alice Mills |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Fanning Island. A postcard showing the Station Buildings of the Pacific Cable Board on Fanning ...
Description
Fanning Island. A postcard showing the Station Buildings of the Pacific Cable Board on Fanning Island. On the left is the electrician's house, the large office building in the centre next to the staff quarters and on the right is the Superintendant's house. Fanning Island was a small island south of the Hawaiian Islands and was the only relay station between Vancouver Island, BC and Suva, Fiji. On 7 September 1914 the German ship, Nurnberg, attended by a collier landed at Fanning Island, both were flying the French flag. Nurnberg had been sent to Fanning Island by Vice Admiral Count von Spee to destroy the Cable Relay Station, cutting out the British communications network in the Pacific. Repairs to the cable were carried out quickly and communications were restored within a fortnight. (Donor J. Luscombe)