{{Short description|Island of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia}} {{Other uses}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Use Australian English|date=February 2023}} {{Infobox islands | name = Home Island | local_name = {{nativename|coa|Pulu Selma}} | sobriquet = <!-- or |nickname= --> | image_name = Cocos(Keeling)Islands HomeIsland02.jpg | image_size = | image_caption = | image_alt = | image_map = Cocos(keeling) 76.jpg | map_alt = | map_size = | map_caption = Map of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands | pushpin_map = Cocos (Keeling) Islands | pushpin_label = | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_relief = | pushpin_map_caption = | coordinates = {{Coord|-12.1178|96.8975|type:isle_region:AU|display=inline, title}} | etymology = | location = <!-- mandatory, body of water where located --> | grid_reference = <!-- UK only --> | archipelago = South Keeling Islands | waterbody = | total_islands = | major_islands = | area_ha = 95 | area_footnotes = | rank = | length_km = <!-- or |length_m= --> | length_footnotes = | width_km = <!-- or |width_m= --> | width_footnotes = | coastline_km = <!-- or |coastline_m= --> | coastline_footnotes = | elevation_m = | elevation_footnotes = | highest_mount = | country = Australia | country_admin_divisions_title = Territory | country_admin_divisions = Cocos (Keeling) Islands | country_admin_divisions_title_1 = | country_admin_divisions_1 = | country_admin_divisions_title_2 = | country_admin_divisions_2 = | country_capital_type = | country_capital = | country_largest_city_type = settlement | country_largest_city = Bantam | country_capital_and_largest_city = | country_largest_city_population = | country_leader_title = | country_leader_name = | country_area_km2 = <!-- or |country_area_m2= or |country_area_ha= --> | country1 = | country1_admin_divisions_title = | country1_admin_divisions = | country1_admin_divisions_title_1 = | country1_admin_divisions_1 = | country1_capital_type = | country1_capital = | country1_largest_city_type = | country1_largest_city = | country1_capital_and_largest_city = | country1_largest_city_population = | country1_leader_title = | country1_leader_name = | country1_area_km2 = <!-- or |country1_area_m2= or |country1_area_ha= --> | demonym = | population = 448<ref>{{Cite web |title=2021 Home Island, Census All persons QuickStats {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/SAL90002 |access-date=2022-10-03 |website=www.abs.gov.au |archive-date=17 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250217084212/https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/SAL90002 |url-status=live }}</ref> | population_as_of = 2021 | population_footnotes = | population_rank = | population_rank_max = | density_km2 = | density_rank = | density_footnotes = | languages = | ethnic_groups = | timezone1 = UTC+06:30 | utc_offset = | timezone1_DST = | utc_offset1_DST = | website = | additional_info = | footnotes = }}
'''Home Island''' ({{langx|coa|Pulu Selma}}) is the most populous of only two permanently-inhabited islands of the 26 islands of the South Keeling Islands of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, an Australian external territory in the central-eastern Indian Ocean. The island contains the largest settlement of the territory, '''Bantam'''.
==Description== It is {{convert|95|ha|acre}} in area and is home to about 500 Cocos Malay people in the village of Bantam. Local attractions include a museum covering local culture and traditions, flora and fauna, Australian naval history, and the early owners of the Cocos-Keeling Islands.<ref>[https://www.cocoskeelingislands.com.au/home-island "Home Island"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213195232/https://www.cocoskeelingislands.com.au/home-island |date=13 February 2018 }}, ''Cocos Keeling Islands''. Retrieved on 13 February 2018.</ref> Bantam was formerly listed as the capital of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands by the European Union, until it was changed to West Island in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://publications.europa.eu/code/en/en-5000500.htm |title=Interinstitutional Style Guide of the European Union, Annex 5 - capital: ‘Bantam’ replaced by ‘West Island’ (change made on 7 Feb. 2012) |access-date=2 July 2025 |archive-date=25 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225012123/http://publications.europa.eu/code/en/en-5000500.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> thumb|Home Island Mosque The Home Island Mosque is one of the busiest places on the island, and the minaret is painted in territorial flag colours of green and gold.<ref>{{cite web | title=Home Island Mosque | website=Flickr | date=10 June 2015 | url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidstanleytravel/24835251399/ | access-date=16 March 2022 | archive-date=16 March 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316191838/https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidstanleytravel/24835251399/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Cocos Keeling Islands Travel Guide | website=taste2travel | url=https://www.taste2travel.com/cocos-keeling-islands-travel-guide/ | access-date=16 March 2022 | archive-date=25 January 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125054411/https://www.taste2travel.com/cocos-keeling-islands-travel-guide/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
There is also a trail leading to Oceania House, which was the ancestral home of the Clunies-Ross family, the former rulers of the Cocos-Keeling Islands and is over a century old.<ref>[https://www.cocoskeelingislands.com.au/oceania-house-tour "Oceania House"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103093547/https://www.cocoskeelingislands.com.au/oceania-house-tour |date=3 November 2019 }}, ''Cocos Keeling Islands''. Retrieved on 13 February 2018.</ref>
==History== Alexander Hare and Robert Clunies-Ross established the first settlement on Home Island in 1826, with a group of slaves Cluines-Ross brought. In 1831, Cluines-Ross gained control over the island after Hare left for Batavia due to his financial problems. In 1836, Cluines-Ross went to Mauritius to seek British annexation. George Clunies-Ross and his descendants were granted the island by Queen Victoria in 1886.<ref name=history>{{cite web |title=Obituaries |url=https://cocoskeelingislands.com.au/about/history-culture-language/ |publisher=Cocos (Keeling) Islands |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250702035034/https://cocoskeelingislands.com.au/about/history-culture-language/ |archive-date=2 July 2025 |access-date=2 July 2025}}</ref>
27 houses on the island were destroyed by bombings in 1944.<ref name=history/>
==Education== Cocos Islands District High School operates a primary education centre on Home Island; most of the staff live on West Island and travel to their jobs on a daily basis. Secondary level students go to the West Island campus.<ref>[http://www.cocosdhs.wa.edu.au/ourschool.php?id=19 Home] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191125153813/http://www.cocosdhs.wa.edu.au/ourschool.php?id=19 |date=25 November 2019 }}. Cocos Islands District High School. Retrieved on 8 April 2019.</ref>
==Heritage listings== Home Island contains a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * Captain Ballard's Grave<ref name=ahd-105361>{{cite AHD|105361|Captain Ballards Grave|fn=9/04/001/0028|accessdate=15 May 2019}}</ref> * Jalan Kipas: Early Settlers' Graves<ref name=ahd-105362>{{cite AHD|105362|Early Settlers Graves|fn=9/04/001/0026|accessdate=15 May 2019}}</ref> * Home Island Cemetery<ref name=ahd-105355>{{cite AHD|105355|Home Island Cemetery|fn=9/04/001/0003|accessdate=15 May 2019}}</ref> * Jalan Panti: Home Island Foreshore<ref name=ahd-105363>{{cite AHD|105363|Home Island Foreshore|fn=9/04/001/0029|accessdate=15 May 2019}}</ref> * Jalan Bunga Mawar: Home Island Industrial Precinct<ref name=ahd-105220>{{cite AHD|105220|Home Island Industrial Precinct|fn=9/04/001/0023|accessdate=15 May 2019}}</ref> * Jalan Bunga Kangkong: Oceania House<ref name=ahd-105236>{{cite AHD|105236|Oceania House and Surrounds|fn=9/04/001/0004|accessdate=15 May 2019}}</ref> * Jalan Bunga Mawar: Old Co-Op Shop<ref name=ahd-105409>{{cite AHD|105409|Old Co-op Shop (Canteen)|fn=9/04/001/0027|accessdate=15 May 2019}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{official|https://shire.cc/en/ |Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council}}
Category:Home Island Category:Populated places in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands