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Cocos (Keeling) Islands Administration

Administration of the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Indian Ocean Territories Administration

23 November 1955 – present

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

How it came into existence

Created on 23 November 1955, when the islands were transferred from the Colony of Singapore to Australia under the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act 1955 and placed under an Official Representative responsible to the Department of Territories. It had no Commonwealth predecessor.

Legislation: Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act 1955

Changes during its life

  1. 28 February 1968Responsibility passed from the Department of Territories to the new Department of External Territories.
  2. 1978The Commonwealth bought most of the Clunies-Ross family's interests in the islands.
  3. 11 March 1983Responsibility passed to the new Department of Territories and Local Government.
  4. 6 April 1984In a United Nations-supervised Act of Self-Determination the Cocos Malay community voted for integration with Australia.
  5. 13 December 1984Responsibility passed to the new Department of Territories.
  6. 24 July 1987Responsibility passed to the Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories.
  7. 1 July 1992The Territories Law Reform Act 1992 applied Western Australian law in the territory, with services delivered on a state-like basis.
  8. 9 October 1997Responsibility passed with territories to the Department of Transport and Regional Development.
  9. 3 December 2007Responsibility passed with territories to the Attorney-General's Department.
  10. 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).
  11. 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 Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  • Delivery of Commonwealth and state-type services to the islands
  • Representation of the Commonwealth Government in the territory
  • Oversight of territory laws and local government (Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands)

Where it sits

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

Lineage

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Sources

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