3 facts
Both Australian external territories in the Indian Ocean are overseen by a single official, the Administrator of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, who is based on Christmas Island. This unique arrangement streamlines governance for the remote outposts.
During World War II, the Cocos Islands became a crucial Allied airbase, primarily for Royal Air Force squadrons targeting Japanese shipping in the Indian Ocean. Its strategic location made it an unsinkable aircraft carrier in the theatre.
The Clunies-Ross family, descendants of Scottish merchant John Clunies-Ross, effectively governed the islands as their private fiefdom from 1827 until their eventual sale to Australia in 1978. They were known as the 'Kings of Cocos'.
