An amazing Island link in the form of a piano, wove its way through two families. Steve Roberts originally wrote about his musical journey, featured below, in 2022 whilst a music teacher on Christmas Island. The piano had played, quite literally, a major role in the early trajectory of his life. Having recently returned to live on the Australian mainland, Steve has been able to take photos of the piano to accompany his story, and it can now be told here.

My name is Steve Roberts, and I am a teacher at Christmas Island District High School. My Christmas Island story begins when I was eight years old and living in Port Hedland, Western Australia.

Working with my father at that time was a young man called Peter Pinkus. Peter had recently married an Asian girl called Pat. Pat was originally from Christmas Island. When our family left Hedland in 1965, Pat sold my mother her piano. I remember Mum saying that it had come from Christmas Island, explaining the unusual humidity lamp inside its cabinet. However, being young, Christmas Island really didn’t mean much to me at the time … just some far-away island that was obviously humid or tropical.

The piano from Christmas Island that Pat sold to Steve's mother

My mother was a musician and taught me the rudiments of music on Pat’s piano. During my school years, I kept practising and due to some of my peers hearing me play daily, while passing my house on their way to school, they nicknamed me ‘Maestro.’ Later, I studied the flute and have fond memories of musical evenings around the piano playing along with Mum, Dad (accordion), my sister (clarinet) and brother (drums) together with family friends.

I eventually trained as a Music Specialist, qualifying to teach Woodwind (flute, sax & clarinet) in schools as a peripatetic Music Tutor and to teach Classroom Music from Kindergarten through to Year 12. Over the years, I also kept my piano skills up (mainly due to accompanying students). When I married, my kind mother-in-law gave us her piano, as my wife also plays. So, when we lost my Mum to cancer in 2007, Pat’s old piano went to my sister, as we already had one.

Fast forward to 2018, when I successfully applied for a teaching position on Christmas Island. Just before leaving Perth, Peter and Pat came to visit my father at our place (they had kept in touch with him over the years). Just by coincidence, both pianos were there, due to my sister moving house at the time and having nowhere to store Mum’s old piano. Pat was overjoyed to see it again and disclosed to me that although it had been her father’s and she loathed to see it go, the sale of it to my Mum meant that she and Peter were able to get a deposit together to buy their first home. I assured her we would continue to look after it. I asked if her father was still alive on Christmas Island (having in mind to make his acquaintance when getting there). She said sadly,

“No, but he was well-known on the Island. His name was George Fam!”

Of course, at the time, the name meant little to me. However, now having lived on Christmas for a few years and having regularly visited the George Fam Centre and George Fam Library, I count it a privilege to have learned to play on his piano.

In fact, it was like the Island was calling me …  

If I hadn’t learned to play piano (his piano), I may not have developed my passion for music and studied to become a Music Teacher and qualified to be able to teach music here, on our lovely Island.

Fam Choo Beng, George, MBE, was a highly respected Principal of the Asian School, Christmas Island, and Headmaster of the Christmas Island Teaching Service.

Mr Fam was headmaster on Christmas Island from 1957 until his sudden death in 1970 at the age of 57. He was a driving force in the establishment of a technical training centre on the Island in 1969, and in that same year, he introduced adult education classes.

Mr Fam was awarded an MBE in the 1966 New Year Honours (Australia). MBEs are awarded for an outstanding achievement or service to the community, which has had a long-term, significant impact. He appeared in a series of stamps issued in 1977, and the distinction came to him for the “energy, vision and courage” he showed after he was appointed principal of the only English school on the Island. [i]

[i] The Straits Times 31 May 1977

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