Profiles of three expats who have worked on Tristan - Jane Hill (teacher), Chris Standing (Finance Officer), and Mohammad Sulaiman (Medical Officer).

A workplace like no other: meeting Tristan’s expats.

By Tristan da Cunha UK Representative Chris Carnegy

We usually reserve features like this for the printed newsletters, but, for one reason or another, this feature by Chris Carnegy did not appear in the newsletter, but should be published as it will be helpful especially to those who may apply for jobs on the island - and in January 2016 Tristan is recruiting a teacher and farmer to important roles.

It all started with the padres. Clerics from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel were dispatched to Tristan, and sometimes found themselves working as teachers and community champions as well as parish priests. Since those pioneering days of the 19th century, expatriates have served in scientific research, agriculture, medicine and many other fields. Three 'expats' who were on the island in 2015 give a sense of the fascination - and the challenge - that Tristan brings.

Jane Hill

Teacher Jane Hill grew up and trained in the English midlands, but she'd harboured a fascination with Atlantic islands ever since the 1982 Falklands conflict. Years later, after her two children had flown the nest, she saw a job advertised in the primary school at Stanley. She recalls "quot;both of them said 'Oh, Mum, go for it! See what you can do', and I was on a plane heading south before I really knew what was happening." The south Atlantic lived fully up to her expectations. So she jumped at three further chances to experience island life; twice teaching on Ascension and the other staffing the museum on South Georgia.

But working on Tristan da Cunha wasn't part of any grand plan. It came about when a former colleague called out of the blue: David Clarke had just arrived as Tristan's new Education Adviser and wanted to recruit a primary-school expert. "quot;I thought, I've got a chance. Not many people get this chance, and if I don't take it I'll always be wondering what if. So, for goodness' sake, grasp every chance you get!" Soon she was on the MV Edinburgh out of Cape Town, and heading west.

She stayed in the Sea View guest house: its salvaged woodwork and narrow doorways reminded her strongly of the Falklands. In some ways she was well-prepared for life on Tristan – she was expecting the remoteness, and she certainly wasn't hunting for a mobile phone signal. But Jane admits to one surprise: the lack of insulation and central heating on the island. Her hot water bottle became an essential accessory.

Jane Hill at her school desk

Jane put in long working days, and she spent time on domestic duties like home baking – but she's quick to acknowledge that islanders' lives are the truly demanding ones. Tristanian colleagues juggle both family and farming duties alongside their work in the classroom. And she knows that expats need to temper their urge to suggest change: "quot;You can come in with knowledge, but you've got to get local knowledge as well, before you know which of your ideas might be appropriate. Don't always assume that you know best".

'Miss Jane' looks back on her time on Tristan and recalls an encounter with a special community. She saw an unusually self-reliant society, unlike the UK that's so vulnerable to any failures in its sophisticated technology. She valued the new friendships she's made, among islanders and expats alike. She hopes to have made a difference at St Mary's School, and she plans to stay in touch now she has returned to the UK – sourcing teaching aids for the school, and joining the Tristan da Cunha Association.

Chris Standing

Chris Standing very nearly missed the chance to come to Tristan. He was browsing jobs online and spotted the newly-created post of Finance Officer for the island. He'd worked in finance roles in English local government since 1982, so the vacancy seemed ideal - but there was one catch. It was Friday lunchtime, and the deadline for applications was that same afternoon. He dashed-off a covering note for his c.v. and sent it just in time. That last-minute rush led to an interview, a job offer and a series of meetings in London, and before long he was stepping ashore at Calshot harbour.

The plan was for Chris to come to Tristan accompanied by his wife Joyce, but three days after he was offered the job Joyce broke her leg in a cycling accident. She told Chris "quot;There's no question. You want that job, so you've got to go for it. I'll come along later". It turned out to be a lot later, and Chris found himself unexpectedly flipping back to a bachelor lifestyle, with washing and cooking looming large in his island life – but without the bachelor option of ordering the occasional take-away meal.
Chris Standing in his Tristan home

Chris was allocated the former government CEO's house behind the old museum, and was wowed by its spacious modern feel when he first walked in. He'd been warned it gets cold, but the winter of 2015 turned-out mostly mild, so he didn't much miss the under floor heating back home.

Chris compares Tristan with the UK and says "quot;It's hard work to live here, and the day job is an addition to the traditional self-sufficient lifestyle, not a replacement for it"

As Finance Officer he tries to stimulate discussion over how to organise the island's economy for the future. He thinks key questions are the balance between self-sufficiency and a life based on imports and exports, and how to keep the island community viable into the future.

After just a few months on the island, Chris faced the challenge of becoming acting Administrator, with a huge array of temporary responsibilities – magistrate, civil service chief, coroner and more. It proved a testing time, with the island facing two sad deaths and a severe outbreak of bronchitis that led to a shortage of essential drugs. "quot;It was different to anything I'd experienced before" he says, "quot;in England there's always the health authority to liaise with, but here life-and-death decisions are taken at very local level".

Outside the office, Chris loves the romance of Tristan's remoteness and enjoys walking and socialising: "quot;People here are very friendly, very hospitable and very generous". And he's one of the few expats to take the plunge and enjoy a swim in the south Atlantic. He's snorkeled at Runaway Beach and within the harbour, and insists the water's often warmer than the English Channel. But he does admit to wearing a wetsuit, just in case.>

Mohammad Sulaiman

In 2015, medical officer Mohammad Sulaiman came to Tristan for a second time. It was the latest move in a career that's spanned specialities, and spanned continents too.

He studied medicine in Peshawar in his native Pakistan, before heading to Ireland and qualifying as a general surgeon. Moving to England, he gained skills in urology, neurosurgery, orthopaedics and thoracic surgery while working in London and Leeds. Consultant posts followed, and then in 2001 he found himself in the south Atlantic for the first time, working in the Falklands. For the next decade he returned regularly from Islamabad to Stanley for more tours of island duty.

A two-year stint on St Helena then led indirectly to his first trip to Tristan. A doctor who'd been recruited to the Camogli Hospital was unable to join at the last minute, and an urgent call went out for anyone with contacts who could help. At home in Islamabad, Mohammad rang around his friends, but none could get a visa to transit South Africa in time for the required ship. So he offered himself for the role, and the austral summer of 2013-14 found him on Tristan da Cunha.
Mohammad Sulaiman with his fishing rod outside Camogli Hospital
Tristan wasn't a mystery, because Camogli Hospital already had links with St Helena – indeed, medics on the bigger island had given help from afar when a previous Tristan doctor suffered a heart attack. So Mohammad knew mostly what to expect; he says the biggest surprise was the relatively high workload, given Tristan's small population. A special treat during those summer months was the chance to indulge his love of sea fishing. "Catching five-finger is so easy on Tristan. It's very plentiful and it doesn't offer much resistance! And it's so tasty" he says. He was often to be seen perched on the far end of the Calshot Harbour breakwater, waiting for the next bite. Perhaps it was partly the lure of the catch that saw him return to Tristan for a second tour of duty, through the winter of 2015.

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