Home Island, Administrative division in Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia.
Home Island is one of two inhabited coral islands in an archipelago of 27 islands spread across the Indian Ocean between Australia and Sri Lanka. The island sits within this remote chain and serves as one of just two residential areas where people make their homes in this island group.
The island came under the control of the Clunies-Ross family starting in 1857, until the Australian government took over in 1978. This shift ended private ownership and brought the area under direct Australian administration.
Home Island is home to the Cocos Malay community, who speak their own Malay dialect and practice Sunni Islam as their main faith. You can see their traditions reflected in daily life, local celebrations, and the way people live together on the island.
Regular ferry services connect Home Island to West Island, providing the main way for residents and visitors to travel between the two inhabited areas of the archipelago. This boat connection is essential for daily movement and access between the islands.
The Pulu Cocos Museum here features exhibits about local heritage and documents how the Cocos Malay community has changed through the years. This collection preserves stories that might otherwise be forgotten.
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