Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L01389:body:0:p48
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L01389
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 141256–144324

Borneo Coral Reefs after the supply vessel, the Borneo, earlier captained by John Clunies-Ross. The islands were also known as the Keeling-Cocos Islands until 1955, when they officially became the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
There are about 460 Cocos-Malay people currently living in the kampong (settlement) on Home Island in the southern atoll. The population of Home Island predominantly descends from Malay workers brought to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands to work in the coconut plantations established by the Clunies-Ross family in the 1830s. These Cocos-Malays have developed a unique culture based on Muslim beliefs and have colourful celebrations for events such as Hari Raya (a significant day of celebration and reconciliation for the local Cocos-Malay community) and weddings.
About 140 people – mostly government employees, contractors and their families – live on West Island.

Governance of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands have been an External Territory of the Commonwealth of Australia since 1955. The Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act 1955 provides the basis for the territory's administrative and legislative systems. The Territories Law Reform Act 1992 amended the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act 1955 to apply various Commonwealth Acts and the laws of the State of Western Australia to the territory. This introduced a contemporary body of Australian law to the territory and was a major step in extending to the residents of the territory the same rights, responsibilities and obligations as their fellow Australians.
Administration of the territory is the responsibility of the Australian Government department that administers the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act. At the time of preparing the plan, this is the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development (Territories Administration).
Administration includes provision of state government type services. Some services are provided through service delivery arrangements between the Australian and Western Australian governments. Other on-island Australian Government agencies and departments include the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, the Department of Agriculture and the Australian Federal Police.
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council has similar responsibilities to local governments on mainland Australia.

History of North Keeling Island
North Keeling Island was sketched by the Swedish captain Carl Gustaf Ekeberg in 1749 and appears on the 1787 chart reproduced by Alexander Dalrymple, the British hydrographer. Vice Admiral (at the time Captain) Robert Fitzroy examined and mapped it from HMS Beagle in 1836, but made no landing.
North Keeling Island has not been inhabited for any extended period and is in a relatively natural state. Its remoteness from the southern atoll, its difficult landing area and the absence of a reliable freshwater supply have combined to preclude any possibility of permanent settlement. Nevertheless, Cocos-Malay boats have paid occasional visits to this island almost every year since the early