John Clunies-Ross

John Clunies-Ross was a Scotsman who became the first settler of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean in 1827. He established a settlement with his family and began developing the islands' natural coconut groves. Although the islands became a British possession in 1857, the Clunies-Ross family maintained control, recognized by a royal grant in 1886. This led to them being called the "Kings of the Cocos" as they owned nearly all property and were the sole employers. The family's authority continued even after the islands transferred to Australia in 1955. In 1972, the then-owner, John Clunies-Ross, agreed to relinquish his authority to the Australian government.12