Government House, West Island

Government House
Government House
	Location of Government House in Earth
Location	Qantas Close, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia
Coordinates	12°11′37″S96°49′58″E / 12.1937°S 96.8328°E Coordinates: 12°11′37″S96°49′58″E / 12.1937°S 96.8328°E
Commonwealth Heritage List
	Official name: Government House
Type	Listed place (Historic)
Designated	22 June 2004
Reference no.	105360

Last updated May 15, 2020

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.^[1]

History

Government House was constructed in c. 1953 as part of the Australian Government representation on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Although part of the West Island Housing Precinct, Government House is significantly different from the other Australian Government houses on the island.^[1]

Description

Government House is located on the ocean front at the southern end of the West Island housing precinct. It is set in an attractive garden landscape setting with open grasslands, palm trees and other specimen plantings of tropical vegetation.^[1]

Government House is a large single-storey asbestos elevated building clad with asbestos sheeting. There is a separate garage and a brick guest house originally an asbestos clad structure. There is a formal driveway with white painted edges, a flag pole, fencing and the house it set up for formal entertaining. The site is enclosed with a white timber fence and has a formal entry with large trees planted at the entrance.^[1]

In 2000 the condition of the house was assessed as good, although it is not currently used as a permanent residence. The garden and fence require some attention.^[1]

Heritage listing

Government House, constructed in c. 1953, is an important symbol of Australian Government representation on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.^[1]

Government House is significant as an early house constructed for the Australian Government representative on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The presence of the Australian Government assisted the self determination of the Cocos Malay people. The house is significant as the catalyst for the development of the West Island settlement which grew after Government House was located on West Island. After 1953 other government, administrative and hospital quarters were constructed.^[1]

Government House is a significant variant on other early Australian Government houses on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. It features a similar design, suited to local climatic conditions and includes a formal driveway with white painted edges, fencing, a flag pole and area for entertaining. It is sited with ocean frontage.^[1]

Related Research Articles

West Island is the capital of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The population is roughly 120 making it the third smallest capital in the world, and consists mainly of Europeans. 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. As well as all the government buildings, it contains the airport, a general store and tourist accommodation. In November 2013 it was revealed that the Australian Signals Directorate operates a listening station on West Island. Wullenweber and Adcock antenna systems as well as two satellite dish antennae are clearly visible via Google satellite view.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Larrakeyah Barracks Headquarters Building is a heritage-listed office building at Fullarton Place, Larrakeyah, Northern Territory, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Government House (Place ID 105360)". Australian Heritage Database . Department of the Environment . Retrieved 15 May 2019.

Bibliography

Allom Lovell Marquis-Kyle Architects Pty Ltd, "Cocos (Keeling) Islands Heritage Study", 1996, Vols 1 and 2
Allom Lovell Marquis-Kyle Architects Pty Ltd, "Lot 14 Home Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands, 1994
Bunce, P "The Cocos (Keeling Islands) Australian Atolls in the Indian Ocean", 1988
Nairn, B and Searle, G "Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1891-1939",
Melbourne University Press, 1986

Attribution

This Wikipedia article was originally based on Government House , entry number 105360 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-105360-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Government House (Place ID 105360)". Australian Heritage Database . Department of the Environment . Retrieved 15 May 2019.