Skip to content
Mogged
Territories & national capitalAgencyExists today

Christmas Island Administration

Administration of the Territory of Christmas Island · Indian Ocean Territories Administration

1 October 1958 – present

The Commonwealth's administration of the Territory of Christmas Island, headed first by an Official Representative and later by an Administrator, and now run jointly with the Cocos (Keeling) Islands as part of the Indian Ocean Territories administration within the Commonwealth department responsible for territories.

How it came into existence

Created on 1 October 1958, when Christmas Island was transferred from the Colony of Singapore to Australia under the Christmas Island Act 1958 and placed under an Official Representative responsible to the Department of Territories. It had no Commonwealth predecessor; phosphate mining was run separately by the Christmas Island Phosphate Commission.

Legislation: Christmas Island Act 1958

Changes during its life

  1. 1968The Official Representative was replaced by an Administrator.
  2. 28 February 1968Responsibility passed from the Department of Territories to the new Department of External Territories.
  3. 11 March 1983Responsibility passed from the Department of Administrative Services to the Department of Territories and Local Government.
  4. 13 December 1984Responsibility passed to the new Department of Territories.
  5. 24 July 1987Responsibility passed to the Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories.
  6. 1 July 1992The Territories Law Reform Act 1992 applied Western Australian law in the territory, with services delivered on a state-like basis.
  7. 9 October 1997Responsibility passed with territories to the Department of Transport and Regional Development.
  8. 3 December 2007Responsibility passed with territories to the Attorney-General's Department.
  9. 14 September 2010Responsibility passed with territories to the Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government (from December 2011 the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport).
  10. 25 March 2013Responsibility passed with territories to the Department of Infrastructure and Transport (renamed the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development in September 2013), whose successors have held it since.

Main functions

  • Administration of the Territory of Christmas Island
  • Delivery of Commonwealth and state-type services to the island
  • Representation of the Commonwealth Government in the territory
  • Oversight of territory laws and local government (Shire of Christmas Island)

Where it sits

In the portfolio of Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.

Lineage

Loading lineage…

Sources

Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.