A recent
acquisition is an
album of 1950 photographs taken
during phosphate mining operations . It includes coverage of the visit
by a United Nations delegation to report on
the future of tiny Nauru ,
21 square kilometres.
Occupied
by Germany , Nauru, formerly known
as Pleasant Island , became a League of
Nations mandated territory
after WW1. The Japanese took
over the island
in WW11 and was liberated by the Australian Army and Navy on September 13 ,1945 .
In 1947 Nauru became a trusteeship run by Australia, New Zealand and the United kingdom . During the 1950 UN
visit the islanders
formed a human
outline of the island
and its name, see below.