Government House, West Island

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]

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]

• Allom Lovell Marquis-Kyle Architects Pty Ltd (1996). Cocos (Keeling) Islands Heritage Study Vol. 1 and Vol. 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). "no title (1891-1939)". In Searle, G. (ed.). Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943.

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.