[?]Eir To The Cocos Islands

Further Information About the Clunies Ross Family

N the Pacific Islands Monthly of November, 1948, and January, 1949, there were articles about the Clunies oss family, owners of the Cocos Keeling lands, in the Indian Ocean.

The first article was a condemnation of ports and articles which had been pub jhed in newspapers in Britain and merica. They suggested that there had ;en difficulty to finding the heir to lunies Ross IV, who died in 1944 during Japanese air raid on the Cocos Keeling lands.

Soon after that, we received further formation and, in January last we were )le to state that Clunies Ross IV had ien married in the ’Twenties; that Mr. id Mrs. Ross had had a son in 1928, iat the lad was educated in England, id that this young man—then in Singa ire—had accepted his heritage and was ry fond of the Cocos Islands and would :e to carry on the old Ross tradition.

We now have learned that irresponsible id sensational newspaper stories, which 3re in circulation in 1948, and which ggested that there had been something regular in the family of Clunies Ross JTV, lvc caused distress and annoyance to the unies Ross family. There appears never have been any justification for the lissing Heir” story; the British Colonial ffice and the Singapore Government ?re acquainted with all the circum ances, and were in constant touch with e Clunies Ross family, and with young r. Clunies Ross, who became heir after e death of his father in 1944. They rticularly resent a statement that there is no record of the birth of young r. Clunies Ross at Somerset House. The rth was properly registered, and there e in Sydney certificates of birth relating Clunies Ross V, and to his two sisters.

To make the situation clear, the line of ccession of the Clunies Ross family may shown thus:— Clunies Ross I (John) settled in Cocos seling in 1825, and took possession of e little group, and died in 1854.

Clunies Ross II (John George) married Malayan lady of high rank, and reigned Dm 1854 unti his death in 1871.

Clunies Ross 111 (George) succeeded s father in 1871; and—in recognition of e family’s benevolent rule over the ands—Queen Victoria, in 1886 con med the Clunies Ross claim to obsolute •ssession of the islands.

Clunies Ross IV (John Sydney) suc ked in 1910, and died during a Japanese r raid on the islands in 1944. He married iss Rose Alexandra Nash in Fulham irish Church, London, on June 8, 1925. rere were four children, and the eldest n (John Cecil) was born in London on Dvember 29, 1928. After the death of unies Ross IV, Mrs. Ross re-married, t second husband being the manager of e Cocos Island cable station.

Clunies Ross V (John Cecil) was edu ted in England, but he has been living Cocos and in Singapore in recent years. ; he will be 21 years old next month fovember) it is presumed that he will en formally take over his father’s estate the Cocos Keeling islands.

The Clunies Ross family was interested the Christmas Island Phosphate Co., d., which before 1900 acquired Christ as Island (a very rich phosphate island •out 530 miles from Cocos Keeling). In 48, this Christmas Island Company was Id for no less than £2,750,000 to the Aus alian and New Zealand Governments.

For any annoyance and distress caused e members of the Clunies Ross family r the article in our issue of November,

1948 (which was a partial summary of an incorrect report published in a British newspaper) the Pacific Islands Monthly expresses regret, and tenders an un qualified apology.