Instruct: Given a question, retrieve passages that answer the question.
Query: When was Nauru first colonized by Australia?
In 1914, following the outbreak of World War I, Nauru was captured by Australian troops, after which Britain held control until 1920. Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom signed the Nauru Island Agreement in 1919, creating a board known as the British Phosphate Commission (BPC). This took over the rights to phosphate mining.[13] According to the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics (now the Australian Bureau of Statistics), "In common with other natives, the islanders are very susceptible to tuberculosis and influenza, and in 1921 an influenza epidemic caused the deaths of 230 islanders." In 1923, the League of Nations gave Australia a trustee mandate over Nauru, with the United Kingdom and New Zealand as co-trustees.[14][15] In 1932, the first Angam Baby was born.
The Second World War first reached Nauru in early December 1940 when two German armed merchantmen disguised as civilian freighters targeted the island. Their aim was to disrupt production of phosphate and thereby weaken the agriculture-based economies of Australia and New Zealand. Orion, Komet, and their supply ship Kulmerland headed for Nauru with the purpose of destroying the main infrastructure. Due to bad weather conditions, they were unable to make a landing on the island, but sank several merchantmen in the area. On 27 December, Komet returned to Nauru, and though again unable to land a shore party, severely damaged the mining facilities and exposed loading jetties with gunfire. The island's chief administrator, Frederick Royden Chalmers, a former lieutenant-colonel in the Australian Army who had served in the Boer War and First World War, reportedly stormed along the waterfront hurling verbal abuse at the German ship, which slipped away unharmed.[7]
A significant portion of Nauru's income has been in the form of aid from Australia. In 2001, the MV Tampa, a Norwegian ship that had rescued 438refugees from a stranded 20-metre-long boat, was seeking to dock in Australia. In what became known as the Tampa affair, the ship was refused entry and boarded by Australian troops. The refugees were eventually loaded onto Royal Australian Navy vessel HMAS Manoora and taken to Nauru to be held in detention facilities which later became part of the Howard government's Pacific Solution. Nauru operated two detention centres known as State House and Topside for these refugees in exchange for Australian aid.[71] By November 2005, only two refugees, Mohammed Sagar and Muhammad Faisal, remained on Nauru from those first sent there in 2001,[72] with Sagar finally resettling in early 2007. The Australian government sent further groups of asylum-seekers to Nauru in late 2006 and early 2007.[73] The refugee centre was closed in 2008,[2] but, following the Australian government's re-adoption of the Pacific Solution in August 2012, it has re-opened it.[74] Amnesty International has described the conditions of the refugees of war living in Nauru, as a "horror".[75][76]
In 1989, Nauru took legal actions against Australia in the International Court of Justice over Australia's actions during its administration of Nauru. In particular, Nauru made a legal complaint against Australia's failure to remedy the environmental damage caused by phosphate mining.[21] Certain Phosphate Lands: Nauru v. Australia led to an out-of-court settlement to rehabilitate the mined-out areas of Nauru.
In 1947, a trusteeship was established by the United Nations, with Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom as trustees.[38][39] Under those arrangements, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand were a joint administering authority. The Nauru Island Agreement provided for the first administrator to be appointed by Australia for five years, leaving subsequent appointments to be decided by the three governments.[21][28] However, in practice, administrative power was exercised by Australia alone.[21][28]
In the first year of mining alone, of phosphate were shipped to Australia. After World War I the interests of the Pacific Phosphate Company were acquired and the phosphate mining on Nauru was managed through a trust established between Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Those governments established the British Phosphate Commissioners, who took over the rights to the phosphates. From 1919 the responsibility for the welfare of the people of Nauru and Banaba, the restoring of land and water resources lost by mining operations and compensation for environmental damage to the islands was under the control of the governments of United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia. 
As part of ongoing meetings in the United Nations Trusteeship Council on the "Conditions in the Trust Territories", the Republic of Nauru expressed concern that its phosphate mining exportation would be depleted by the end of the century, endangering the future of the island. In 1961, Fraser Island was proposed by Australia as a location for the resettlement of the entire population of the Republic of Nauru. The timber industry on Fraser Island managed to ensure that resettlement on Fraser Island did not proceed. In 1964 in the 31st session of United Nations Trusteeship Council meetings it was concluded that Curtis Island could provide a more satisfactory resettlement for the population of Nauru. Nauru rejected the offer of moving the entire population to Curtis Island due to political independence considerations that Australia would not agree to. When visiting the island in 1964, the head of the Nauru delegation, Hammer de Roburt, insisted on this point of sovereignty in order to protect his people from the overt racism that he himself experienced on this tour. Although a resettlement never did occur, the Republic of Nauru went on to achieve independence on 31 January 1968.
During World War I, Australia seized control of Nauru, a German territory. Britain, Australia and New Zealand were given a joint League of Nations Mandate over Nauru in 1920, but the island was administered by Australia. It was governed by Australia as a United Nations Trust Territory after World War II. In 1968, Nauru became an independent sovereign nation.
In addition to British and Australian statutes, and certain regulations applied to Papua New Guinea by Australia during the colonial period, the Parliament of Nauru is the law-making body for Nauru. The law-making process is derived from the legislative process of the British and Australian Parliaments, somewhat simplified as Nauru's Parliament is unicameral. Unlike the United Kingdom or Australia, however, the enactment of laws in Nauru does not require the assent of the head of State. A bill is enacted when it has been passed by Parliament, and certified as such by the Speaker.
Nauru–Russia relations are the bilateral relations between Nauru and Russia. Russia is represented in Nauru through its embassy in Canberra (Australia).
Nauru–Philippines relations are the bilateral relations between Nauru and Philippines. The Philippines maintains relations with Nauru through its embassy in Canberra, Australia
Nauru became self-governing in January 1966, and following a two-year constitutional convention it became independent in 1968 under founding president Hammer DeRoburt.[40] In 1967, the people of Nauru purchased the assets of the British Phosphate Commissioners, and in June 1970 control passed to the locally owned Nauru Phosphate Corporation (NPC).[26] Income from the mines made Nauruans among the richest people in the world.[41][42] In 1989, Nauru took legal action against Australia in the International Court of Justice over Australia's administration of the island, in particular Australia's failure to remedy the environmental damage caused by phosphate mining. Certain Phosphate Lands: Nauru v.Australia led to an out-of-court settlement to rehabilitate the mined-out areas of Nauru.[38][43]
Nauru Secondary School (NSS) is an upper secondary school in Yaren District, Nauru, located in the Nauru Learning Village, along with the University of the South Pacific Nauru Campus and the Nauru Technical & Vocational Education Training Centre. It serves years 10-12 and has the final stages of secondary education in Nauru. it served years 8 through 12. It uses the curriculum of Queensland, Australia.
In 1968, Nauru became a sovereign, independent nation. In 1970, the newly formed government purchased the full rights to the phosphate business from Australia for A$21 million. This purchase brought an economic boost to the Republic, as revenues from the mining operations are estimated to have been A$100–120 million annually since independence through virtual resource exhaustion in the early 1990s. Gross production of phosphate from 1968 through exhaustion has been 43 million tons. In 1989, Nauru took legal action against Australia in the International Court of Justice over Australia's administration of the island, in particular Australia's failure to remedy the environmental damage caused by phosphate mining. "Certain Phosphate Lands: Nauru v. Australia" led to an out-of-court settlement to rehabilitate the mined-out areas of Nauru.
In other parts of the Pacific Ocean, the Japanese advance rolled forward. They occupied the Gilbert Islands, north-east of Nauru, during Christmas 1941, and in January 1942 they took Rabaul, south-west of Nauru, and established a major base there.[8] Nauru was therefore isolated, situated between the two main Japanese axes of advance. On 19 February 1942, the bombing of Darwin marked the first time in its history that Australia was directly targeted on a large scale by a foreign power. News of the attack caused deep consternation on Nauru.[8]
Nauru Air Corporation, trading as Nauru Airlines (formerly trading as Our Airline and Air Nauru) is the flag carrier airline of the Republic of Nauru. It operates scheduled international services to other Pacific islands and Australia. Its main base is Nauru International Airport. Its head office is on the property of Nauru International Airport, Yaren District and its operations office is in Brisbane in the Australian state of Queensland. In August 2014, the airline changed its name from Our Airline to Nauru Airlines.
For the Japanese, the importance of Nauru was twofold: first, they were interested in acquiring the island's phosphate deposits; second, Nauru was potentially a good base from which to launch aerial attacks against the Gilbert Islands and to threaten the sea route between Australia and North America.[8]
Nauru is a phosphate-rock island with rich deposits near the surface, which allowed easy strip mining operations. It has some remaining phosphate resources which, as of 2011, are not economically viable for extraction.[7] When the phosphate reserves were exhausted, and the island's environment had been seriously harmed by mining, the trust that had been established to manage the island's wealth diminished in value. To earn income, Nauru briefly became a tax haven and illegal money laundering centre.[8] From 2001 to 2008, and again from 2012, it accepted aid from the Australian Government in exchange for hosting the Nauru Regional Processing Centre, an offshore Australian immigration detention facility. As a result of heavy dependence on Australia, many sources have identified Nauru as a client state of Australia.[9][10][11]
Nauru has no armed forces, though there is a small police force under civilian control.[1] Australia is responsible for Nauru's defence under an informal agreement between the two countries.[1] The September 2005 memorandum of understanding between Australia and Nauru provides the latter with financial aid and technical assistance, including a Secretary of Finance to prepare the budget, and advisers on health and education. This aid is in return for Nauru's housing of asylum seekers while their applications for entry into Australia are processed.[57] Nauru uses the Australian dollar as its official currency.[2]
The Nauru Campus of the University of the South Pacific (USP) is located in Nauru Learning Village Yaren District since 2018, and was previously in Aiwo District. USP began teaching remote courses in the 1970s. A local campus was established in 1987. Courses of study focus on the fields of education and business. The campus also serves the broader community through a Continuing education programme.
Education in Nauru was first formalised by the work of Protestant missionaries in the early twentieth century. The first schools were established by missionary Philip Delaporte, teaching children literacy in the Nauru language. In 1923, the joint administration of the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand made education compulsory and established a curriculum based in the English language. Australia's AusAID funded an $11 million refurbishment of Nauru Secondary School beginning in late 2007. The project to assist in improving educational performance in Nauru was completed in 2010. Part of the project focused on enhancing Nauruan construction capacity.
In 2001, bilateral relations were strengthened by an agreement known as the "Pacific Solution". Nauru agreed to host a detention centre for refugee applicants seeking asylum in Australia, in exchange for economic aid. This agreement came to an end in 2007, following the election of Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister of Australia, prompting Nauruan concerns about the future of the island's revenue. In 2008, talks began between Australia and Nauru regarding the future of the former's economic development aid to the latter. Nauruan Foreign and Finance Minister Dr Kieren Keke stated that his country did not want aid handouts. One possible solution currently being explored would be for Australia to assist Nauru in setting up a "boat repair industry" for regional fishing vessels. In July 2008, Australia pledged €17 million in aid for the following financial year, along with assistance for "a plan aimed at helping Nauru to survive without aid", according to ABC Radio Australia.
There are no daily news publications on Nauru, although there is one fortnightly publication, Mwinen Ko. There is a state-owned television station, Nauru Television (NTV), which broadcasts programs from New Zealand and Australia, and a state-owned non-commercial radio station, Radio Nauru, which carries programs from Radio Australia and the BBC.[99]
When completed in 1977 it briefly became the tallest building in Melbourne; however, it was not tall enough to take the mantle as Australia's tallest building, with the strikingly similar, but taller MLC Centre in Sydney completed just a few months earlier in the same year. In 1978, Nauru House was surpassed by the first Collins Place tower (architect I.M. Pei) as the tallest building in Melbourne.
The Australian government shut down Nauru's banking system in 2006. Nauru's government has been talking with Bendigo & Adelaide Bank Ltd., Australia's fifth-largest lender, to set up a branch on the island and move to a system where the entire population uses a bank. Effective from the end of April 2016, Westpac, one of Australia's largest banks, ceased having any dealings with the Nauru government. On 21 April 2016, it was announced that the Bendigo Bank was facing pressure to also close its operation in Nauru. There are indications that the Australian banks have legal problems in Australia over efforts to combat money laundering.
Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist, with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying widely. According to the U.S. State Department, Nauru's GDP volume was US$1 million in 2004. Nauru receives about US$20 million foreign aid a year from Australia.