Murray Hill is the highest point of Christmas Island, at above sea level. It was first scaled in 1857 even though the island had been located in 1615. The plateau around the summit is dense and evergreen, although the biodiversity of trees is limited compared to similar areas of continental rainforest. Murray Hill is an integral part of the Christmas Island National Park covering an area of of the island's southwest corner; the island's total area is approximately . History Christmas Island was first discovered on in 1615 by Captain John Milward of the East India Company ship, and it was named Christmas Island on 25 December 1643. However, it was only 272 years later, in 1887, that detailed exploration of the topographical features and geological formations of the island was performed. This was an effort by a small group of people from HMS Egeria. They were the first to scale the highest mountain of the island, which is named as Murray Hill, though in earlier centuries some hills closer to the coast line and dense forest areas had been discovered. The detailed exploration also led to the finding of pure phosphate of lime which ensured the development of the island in the next century. Its control initially came under the British Dominion (from 1888), then as the British Colony of Singapore (after World War II), and finally as a sovereign part of Australia from 1 October 1958. Geography and geology In the saddle-shaped Christmas Island, the Murray Hill rises to a height of . It is situated in the western central part of the island. It is to the southeast of Northwest Point where the Headridge Hill rises to a height of . West White Beach occurs on the southwest side of the hill. At in width, the most narrow point of Christmas Island is a line drawn north–south through Murray Hill. The entire island including Murray Hill has been formed out of submarine mountain formations. It is conjectured to be an ancient atoll, with lime formation dominating the terrain, with phosphates of alumina and iron recorded on the hills. The entire island is geologically identified as an isolated limestone-capped volcanic island with hill formations rising to a height of above the sea floor. Geological formations recorded are mainly-basaltic volcanic rocks interspersed with tertiary limestones and occasional inter-bedded volcanics overlaid by phosphate-rich soils on the surface in some areas.