King of the Cocos Islands
Encyclopedia
King of the Cocos Islands was a title given by the press to John Clunies-Ross, a Scottish
sea captain, and other members of his family.
He went to live on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
in 1827. Queen Victoria
granted the islands in perpetuity to the Clunies-Ross family in 1886. Thus, the title to the islands was claimed by his descendants until 1978 when John Cecil Clunies-Ross was forced to sell the islands to the Commonwealth of Australia
for £2.5m ($4.75m). The Commonwealth had already been administering the islands since 1955.
Clunies-Ross currently lives in Perth, Western Australia
, but his son John George Clunies-Ross (born 1957) lives on West Island
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
sea captain, and other members of his family.
He went to live on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
The Territory of the Cocos Islands, also called Cocos Islands and Keeling Islands, is a territory of Australia, located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Christmas Island and approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka....
in 1827. Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
granted the islands in perpetuity to the Clunies-Ross family in 1886. Thus, the title to the islands was claimed by his descendants until 1978 when John Cecil Clunies-Ross was forced to sell the islands to the Commonwealth of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
for £2.5m ($4.75m). The Commonwealth had already been administering the islands since 1955.
Clunies-Ross currently lives in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, but his son John George Clunies-Ross (born 1957) lives on West Island
West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands
West Island is the capital of the Cocos Islands. The population is roughly 120. It is the less populous of the two inhabited islands . It was part of the Clunies-Ross plantation and an airstrip was built here during World War II...
.
List Clunies-Ross family owners of the Cocos Islands
| Order | King | Regnal Name | Born-Died | From | Until |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | John Clunies-Ross | Ross I | 1786–1854 | 1827 | 26 May 1854 |
| 2. | John George Clunies-Ross | Ross II | 1823–1871 | 26 May 1854 | 8 June 1871 |
| 3. | George Clunies-Ross | Ross III | 1842–1910 | 1871 | 7 July 1910 |
| 4. | Sydney Clunies-Ross | Ross IV | 1868–1944 | 7 July 1910 | 14 August 1944 |
| 5. | John Cecil Clunies-Ross | Ross V | 1928- | 14 August 1944 | 1978 |