Cocos (Keeling) Islands
 

1903 - 1942	1942 - 23 Nov 1955	Adopted 23 Nov 1955
Adopted 6 Apr 2004  Local Flag

Map of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands  Hear National Anthem   "Advance Australia Fair"   Text of National Anthem  Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act (23 Nov 1955) Capital: West Island  Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD) ; Cocos (Keeling) Islands Rupee (1826-1955) National Holiday: 26 Jan (1788) Australia Day --------------------------- Local Holiday: 6 Apr (1984) Act of Self-Determination Day Population: 596 (2007) GDP: $ N/A  Exports: $ N/A Imports: $ N/A Ethnic groups: Europeans, Cocos Malays Total Police Force: 5  (2005) Defense is  the Responsibility of Australia Merchant marine: None (2006) Religions: Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002)  International Organizations/Treaties: None Cocos Islands Index Chronology 1609                       Islands discovered by English Capt. William Keeling 1825                       Temporary settlement (several weeks) on Direction                              Island, by shipwrecked Captain Le Cour.  6 Dec 1825                Brief visit by U.K. Capt. John Clunies-Ross. May 1826                   Settlement established on main island by Alexander                              Hare. 27 Feb 1827                Settlement established on South Island by John                              Clunies-Ross. 1831                       Hare leaves; Clunies-Ross takes possession of all                              islands; Cocos Islands constituted as a feudal                              "fiefdom" of the Clunies-Ross family. 1857                       Formally annexed for Britain (crown colony)                              by Capt. Fremantle on H.M.S. Juno. Nov 1878 - 1886            Part of Ceylon.  7 Jul 1886                Granted in perpetuity to the Clunies-Ross family                              by Queen Victoria. 1886 - 15 Feb 1942          Part of Straits Settlements (see Singapore).  9 Nov 1914                German warship Emden landed a raiding party on                               Direction Island to destroy cable and wireless                              equipment. HMAS Sydney severely damaged the                              Emden in a battle and the Emden was beached on                               Keeling Island, the raiding party escaped.  1942 - Apr 1946            Part of Ceylon (West Island and Direction Island                              under allied military administration). 1946 - Jun 1951            Part of Singapore. 23 Nov 1955                Australian territory (Territory of Cocos [Keeling]                              Islands.  1 Sep 1978                Australia purchases all of the land on Home Island,                              with the exception of Oceania House and grounds,                              from John Cecil Clunies-Ross for $6,250,000. 25 Jul 1979                Autonomy granted.  6 Apr 1984                Islands integrated with Australia in an Act of                               Self Determination by the Cocos community. 1986                       John Cecil Clunies-Ross sells Oceania House.      1 Jul 1992                Cocos became subject to Western Australian law. 1995                       Part of Australian Indian Ocean Territories                              (Christmas Island and Cocos Islands).

Rulers
1825                       Le Cour
May 1826 - 1831            Alexander Hare (on main island) 
Kings (from 1857, governors)¹
27 Feb 1827 - 26 May 1854  John Clunies-Ross                  (b. 1786 - d. 1854)
                             (to 1831 on South Island only)
1854 - 1872                John George Clunies-Ross           (b. 1823 - d. 1872)
1872 -  7 Jul 1910         George Clunies-Ross                (b. 1841 - d. 1910)
1910 - 14 Aug 1944         John Sidney Clunies-Ross           (b. 1868 - d. 1944)
Military Administrators
Sep 1944 - 1946            John Allen Harvey                  (b. 1900)
Apr 1946 - 1946            J.E.B. Jessamine
Administrator
Apr 1946 - 1947            D.A. Somerville                    (b. 1908)
Governor
1947 -  1 Sep 1978         John Cecil Clunies-Ross            (b. 1928)
Official Representatives
1955 - 13 Dec 1957         H.J. Hull
14 Dec 1957 - 13 Mar 1958  C.H. Cox (acting)
 8 Nov 1958 - 27 Jul 1960  John William Stokes                (b. 1910)
28 Jul 1960 - 17 Apr 1966  Charles Ivens Buffett              (b. 1914 - d. 1995)
                             (acting to 24 Feb 1964)
18 Apr 1966 - 19 Jun 1966  P.L. Ryan
20 Jun 1966 - 25 Jun 1969  P.C. Burbrook
26 Jun 1969 - 28 Jul 1972  C.W. Suthern
29 Jul 1972 - 16 Jul 1975  C. McManus
Administrators
23 Jul 1975 - 15 Nov 1977  Robert James Linford               (b. 1917)
16 Nov 1977 - 31 Dec 1981  Charles Ivens Buffett              (s.a.)
21 Apr 1982 - 22 Nov 1983  Eric Herbert Hanfield              (b. 1918)
14 Dec 1983 - 19 Nov 1985  K. Chan
20 Nov 1985 - Dec 1987     Carolyn Stuart (f)
Jan 1988 - 30 Jun 1988     W. Syrette (acting)
 1 Jul 1988 -  7 Nov 1988  M. Jopling (acting)
 8 Nov 1988 - 27 Nov 1990  A. Dawn Laurie (f)
 1 Dec 1990 -  4 Dec 1992  Barry Cunningham
 5 Dec 1992 -  4 Dec 1994  John Bell Read
 4 Dec 1994 - 31 Jan 1995  Danny Ambrose Gillespie (acting)
 1 Feb 1995 - 30 Jan 1996  Martin Mowbray
 1 Feb 1996 - 12 Apr 1997  Jarl Andersson (acting)
12 Apr 1997 - 30 Sep 1997  Maureen Ellis (f) (acting)
 1 Oct 1997 - 30 Oct 1998  Ron G. Harvey (acting)             (b. 1934)
 1 Nov 1998 -  3 Feb 1999  Graham Nicholls (acting)
 4 Feb 1999 - 30 Jul 2003  William "Bill" Leonard Taylor      (b. 1938)
30 Jul 2003 -  1 Nov 2003  Ray Stone (acting)
 1 Nov 2003 - 31 Oct 2005  Evan John Williams                 (b. 1949)
30 Jan 2006 -              Neil Lucas 

Chairmen of the Cocos Islands Council
1979 - 1981                Parson bin Yapat (1st time)
1981 - 1983                Wahin bin Bynie
1983 - 1993                Parson bin Yapat (2nd time)
Presidents of the Shire Council
1993 - 1995                Ronald "Ron" Grant (1st time)
1995 - 1999                Radal bin Feyrel
1999 - 2001                Mohammad Said Chongkin (1st time)
2001 - 2007                Ronald "Ron" Grant (2nd time)
Oct 2007 -                 Mohammad Said Chongkin (2nd time)

No Political Parties Exist; Administered by Australian Department of Transportation and Regional Services (from 29 Nov 2007, by the Attorney-General's Department).

 ¹In 1886 the Clunies-Ross family again declared the islands a kingdom; this title was not recognized by Britain or Australia.