Direction Island Houses

Direction Island Houses
Direction Island Houses
	Location of Direction Island Houses in Earth
Location	Air Force Road, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia
Coordinates	12°11′36″S96°49′59″E / 12.1932°S 96.8330°E Coordinates: 12°11′36″S96°49′59″E / 12.1932°S 96.8330°E
Commonwealth Heritage List
Official name	Direction Island (DI) Houses
Type	Listed place (Historic)
Designated	22 June 2004
Reference no.	105358

Last updated October 31, 2022

Direction Island (DI) Houses is a heritage-listed houses at Air Force Road, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.^[1]

History

The two remaining Direction Island Houses were originally located on Direction Island as part of the signal and air rescue station which answered calls for assistance from passing ships and aircraft with sick or injured passengers and crew in the 1950s. Five modern bungalows, designed for local weather conditions, were pre-fabricated in Australia and shipped to Direction Island where they were erected along the lagoon shores. When the station closed in 1966 the houses were relocated to West Island. ^[1]

Description

The Direction Island Houses are the two most southerly houses on the western side of Air Force Drive on the southern end of West Island. There are two houses which are timber framed and modular. They have verandahs to the long sides, which are screened at the rear, and distinctive sloped paired posts. The design of the houses is unique and well suited the island's climate and they are believed to have been pre-fabricated in Australia.^[1]

In 2000 the houses were assessed to be in mainly good condition.^[1]

Heritage listing

The Direction Island Houses are significant as two houses remaining from the former Direction Island signal and air rescue station which answered calls for assistance from passing ships and aircraft with sick or injured passengers and crew in the 1950s. The Houses were relocated to West Island after 1966, when the station closed.^[1]

The Houses have been surveyed as two of four surviving examples of Direction Island houses on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The design is well suited to the Islands' climate and the Houses are reported as having been pre-fabricated in Australia and shipped to the Islands.^[1]

Related Research Articles

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands, officially the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, are an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, comprising a small archipelago approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka and relatively close to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The territory's dual name reflects that the islands have historically been known as either the Cocos Islands or the Keeling Islands.

West Island, part of the South Keeling Islands, is the capital of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean. The population is roughly 120 making it the third smallest capital in the world, and consists mainly of Europeans. It is less populous than Home Island, the only other inhabited island.

The West Island Mosque is a heritage-listed mosque at Alexander Street, West Island, of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, an external territory of Australia. The mosque was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Home Island Industrial Precinct is a heritage-listed industrial area at Jalan Bunga Mawar, Home Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Direction Island Slipway and Tank are heritage-listed industrial remnants at Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. The site was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Six Inch Guns are a heritage-listed former battery at Horsburgh Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The West Island Housing Precinct is a heritage-listed residential area at Air Force Road, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

Oceania House is a heritage-listed house at Jalan Bunga Kangkong, Home Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

Government House is a heritage-listed official residence at Qantas Close, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The RAAF Memorial is a heritage-listed war memorial at West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Qantas Huts are heritage-listed former accommodation huts at Sydney Highway, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. They were added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Home Island Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery at Home Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Administration Building Forecourt is a heritage-listed garden and memorial precinct at Morea Close, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Type 2 Residences are six heritage-listed houses at Air Force Road, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The West Island Elevated Houses are heritage-listed houses at Orion Close, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

Captain Ballards Grave is a heritage-listed burial place at Home Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Early Settlers' Graves are heritage-listed burial places at Jalan Kipas, Home Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Home Island Foreshore is a heritage-listed cultural landscape at Jalan Panti, Home Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Type T Houses Precinct is a heritage-listed residential area at William Keeling Crescent and Qantas Close, West Island Settlement, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Old Co-op Shop is a heritage-listed retail building at Jalan Bunga Mawar, Home Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 "Direction Island (DI) Houses (Place ID 105358)". Australian Heritage Database . Australian Government . Retrieved 15 May 2019.

Bibliography

Allom Lovell Marquis-Kyle Architects Pty Ltd (1996). Cocos (Keeling) Islands Heritage Study volumes 1 and 2.
Allom Lovell Marquis-Kyle Architects Pty Ltd (1994). Lot 14 Home Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
Bunce, P. (1988). The Cocos (Keeling Islands) Australian Atolls in the Indian Ocean.
Nairn, B. (1986). Searle, G. (ed.). no title (1891-1939). Australian Dictionary of Biography . Melbourne University Press.

Attribution

This Wikipedia article was originally based on Direction Island (DI) Houses , entry number 105358 in the Australian Heritage Database published by the Commonwealth of Australia 2019 under CC-BY 4.0 licence , accessed on 15 May 2019.

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[ahd-105358-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Direction Island (DI) Houses (Place ID 105358)". Australian Heritage Database . Australian Government . Retrieved 15 May 2019.

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