Pulu Cocos Museum,[1] also Home Island Visitor Centre & Museum, also Cocos Museum,[2] is a tourism office, visitor centre and museum on Home Island in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

Pulu Cocos Museum
Map
LocationCocos (Keeling) Islands
TypeHeritage centre
CollectionsMilitary; Southeast Asian diaspora
Websitehttps://www.cocoskeelingislands.com.au/visitor-centre

Background

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The museum was established in 1987, in recognition of the fact that the distinct culture of Home Island needed formal preservation.[3][1] The site includes the displays on local culture and traditions, as well as the early history of the islands and their ownership by the Clunies-Ross family.[4][5] The museum also includes displays on military and naval history, as well as local botanical and zoological items.[2] In February 2021 the Shire of Cocos applied for a grant in order to adapt the Tokoh/Old Workshop on Home Island into a new museum and visitor centre.[6]

Collections

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The collection includes objects relating to the Malay communities who were indentured labourers under the Clunies-Ross family. Military objects in the collection include firearms[7] cannonballs and bows and arrows.[8] There is also a small numismatic collection.[8] Objects include traditional Malay costumes and examples of wayang kulit, which were used in performances by Nek Ichang, the island's dalang (puppeteer) until his death in 1949.[8][1] Examples of the wayang kulit from the museum's collection featured on a set of Australian $1 and $2 stamps in 2018.[1]

Objects relating to the cultural heritage of the islands are held in overseas collections: for example the American Numismatic Association holds a complete set of the island' plastic token currency.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shadow Puppets". Australia Post Collectables. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Cocos Museum". Commonwealth Walkway Trust. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  3. ^ Conference, Museums Australia National (1997). Unlocking Museums: The Proceedings : 4th National Conference of Museums Australia Inc. Museums Australia. ISBN 978-0-949069-23-8.
  4. ^ "Home Island | Cocos Keeling Islands". www.cocoskeelingislands.com.au. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  5. ^ RACWA. "Things To Do on Christmas Island and Cocos Keeling Islands | RAC WA". RAC WA - For a better WA. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  6. ^ "From The CEO's Desk 12 February 2021". shire.cc. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  7. ^ McCarthy, M (2005). Direction Island Unidentified (Cocos Keeling Islands) Inspection Report (PDF). Department of Maritime Archaeology Western Australian Museum. p. 15.
  8. ^ a b c Ricasa, Lourdes Odette Aquitania (21 December 2020). Love Echoes...Share and Inspire. AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1-6655-0940-4.
  9. ^ "Tokens of the Cocos Islands | American Numismatic Association". www.money.org. Retrieved 7 November 2022.

12°06′56″S 96°53′39″E / 12.11543°S 96.89407°E / -12.11543; 96.89407