Home>PM>KCO       

                        Next Country>

History: The islands were all uninhabited in 1609 when Captain William Keeling (East India Company) visited them. In 1826 John Clunies-Ross (joined a year later by Alexander Hare) started to set up various small settlements on the main atoll and established the copra industry, bringing in Chinese, Malay and African workers. Annexed by Britain in 1857, the islands were placed under the Governors of Ceylon in 1878; in 1886 they became part of the Straits Settlements. Later they were part of the Colony of Singapore. In 1955 they were transferred to Australian sovereignty; in April 1984 the inhabitants voted by referendum (observed by UN observers) for integration with Australia, and became Australian citizens. In 1978 the government bought the greater part of the land owned by the Clunies-Ross family under a grant in perpetuity made in 1886; the rest of the family’s property, which was on Home Island, was bought in 1993.

Administration: The territory is managed by an administrator (appointed by Australia’s governor-general), who is responsible to the minister for infrastructure, transport, regional development and local government.

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council is responsible for local government. The territory is part of the Northern Territory electoral district; like all Australian citizens, the residents vote in parliamentary elections.

The above information provided by: The Commonwelath @ 60

Cocos (Keeling) - Wikipedia

BA  We gratefully acknowledge Brent Arthurson for images used in this section.