Flat island, numismatic search

[Alex Island]

I found that on a certain island, called as Flat island, phosphates were mined, so successful that a medal was awarded.

But several questions arose. Firstly, about a dozen different islands of the same name have this name .. :

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Island

Presumably this island is located near Australia, but there are also two different ones there ..

  Or maybe this island, near Mauritius? : Île Plate, also known as Flat Island, is a small island off the north coast of Mauritius. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8Ele_Plate



And besides, the question arises - were the tokens issued?

[Alex Island]

Maybe this island, near the Seychelles? :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8Ele_Platte

(с)

Platte Island or Île Platte is an island in the Southern Coral Group that is part of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles.
In the 1840s there was sufficient guano on the island to make it worthwhile excavating, and it was still won in the 20th century. A visitor in 1905 stated that 1500 tons had been taken off the island the month before he arrived.

In 1828 Platte was proposed as a suitable location for an isolation camp for leprosy sufferers, but in 1838 the island was taken over by the British administration for use as a quarantine station for visiting ships instead. It did not prove entirely satisfactory. Being at some distance from authority, the crews of the ships, in particular the whalers, tended to run amok, causing “depredations”. By 1864 the Civil Commissioner had further complaints about the use of Platte as a quarantine island. He did not think it ”of much potential utility because it is 71 miles from Mahé and vessels of 500 tons burden cannot approach nearer than 5 miles because of the dangerous reef. Also during the SE monsoon it is almost inaccessible to any vessel”. He was dubious as to the possibility of building any infrastructure on the island because “an erection on Flat Island would be…expensive – it is entirely coral with no timber, trees having been removed to plant coconuts…The only house is a hut constructed of leaves. No provisions except for fish are available. There is sufficient dead wood to burn lime and there is coral for building but all labourers and rations would have to come from Mahé at great expense”.

 
To which of these islands does this medal belong?

[Figleaf]

Joseph Askwas is a highly uncommon name. However, ascuas (ember) is a common word in Spanish and José Ascuas is a common name in South America. Guano is a product from a.o. South America, in particular Argentina and Chile. The most obvious flat island is therefore the one in the Falklands, near Argentina, which would explain the South American family name, its Anglification, the use of English on the medal and the guano - the Falklands was a way station for guano destined for Britain.

Peter

[andyg]

Guano was mined all over the pacific,  Nauru, Banaba and Makatea being notable.

[andyg]

This island is though off Mauritius, as it's the only Flat Island and Gabriel Island...
Even Pidgeon rock matches.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Gabriel+Island/@-19.8802573,57.6554241,15.17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x217d086bf8add17b:0xf51ac5b3cf13ad1e!8m2!3d-19.886269!4d57.6715337

[Alex Island]

This island is though off Mauritius, as it's the only Flat Island and Gabriel Island...

The map shown above is an assumption, I am not sure if this is the same island ..

[andyg]

ahh, I see, the map above has nothing to do with the token apart from the name "flat".

[Alex Island]

I found this very award on the list of Australia. There is also one island near Australia, and another group of islands that have the same name ..
Here is this auction, on page 31 number 539:

http://www.noble.com.au/site/docs/cats/sale_77/A02_hi.pdf

[andyg]

Askunas & Co mined guano from Flat Island,
see https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5699239
still not found where Flat Island is,  Askunas & Co seem to have been active around Australia.

[Alex Island]

Askunas & Co mined guano from Flat Island

Interesting! So the difficulty was in the wrong spelling - not Askmas, but Askunas..
That is why I could not find the information ... 


However, it is still not clear where this island is located on the map ..?

ps.This is a mystery from the dark past ..:
It turns out to be some kind of confusing story with two names, which is described here on pages 1421 to 1425:
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/historical_hansard/VicHansard_18840904_18840918.pdf

Mr. FINCHAM observed that he"never saw any papers laid on the table of the Assembly which appeared to be so unsatisfactory as those relating to Mud Island. The Minister of Lands, though no doubt intending to act with perfect fairness, had not placed the whole case before the committee. The papers showed that, in the first instance, a Mr. Bartlett sent an application to the... Lands department for a licence to take from Flat Island. The department did not know of any island called Flat Island, and some correspondence took place, theresult of which was that Flat Island turned out to be Mud Island. In the following year, Mr. Grace applied, in conjunction with Mr. Joseph Askunas, not merely for a renewal of the licence, but, in consequence of "having discovered marl and certain substances valuable for agricultural and other purposes," for greater fixity of tenure. Thereupon Mr. Bickford, the Crown Ranger, was ordered to visit Mud Island, and report upon the extent of the guano deposits there. Mr. Bickford estimated the guano deposits at 6,534 tons; he reported that the island was covered for the most part by an impenetrable scrub, but generally he was in favour of allowing occupation.  In 1865, Mr. Kyte and Mr. Grace both applied to the Lands depal'tmen t for a lease or licence to remove guano from the island, but, although Grace was the discoverer of the guano and the marl, the Lands department, for reasons best known to itself.. In January, 1872, the Royal Commision on Industrial Schools recommend Mud or Flat Island should be resorved public purposes. This accordingly was done, the Gazette notice reserving the island"for national purposes" appearing on.. In January, 1872, the Royal Commision on Industrial Schools recommend Mud or Flat Island should be resorved public purposes.

In general, I did not quite understand the meaning of this whole story. At the same time, it is still not clear to me where these islands were on the map ..