COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS

The Territory of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, also called Cocos Islands  and Keeling Islands, is a territory of Australia, located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Christmas Island and approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka.

The territory consists of two atolls and 27 coral islands, of which two, West Island and Home Island, are inhabited with a total population of approximately 600.

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands consist of two flat, low-lying coral atolls with an area of 14.2 square kilometres (5.5 sq mi), 26 kilometres (16 mi) of coastline, a highest elevation of 5 metres (16 ft) and thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation. 

North Keeling Island is an atoll consisting of just one C-shaped island, a nearly closed atoll ring with a small opening into the lagoon, about 50 metres (160 ft) wide, on the east side. The island measures 1.1 square kilometres (270 acres) in land area and is uninhabited. South Keeling Islands is an atoll consisting of 24 individual islets forming an incomplete atoll ring, with a total land area of 13.1 square kilometres (5.1 sq mi). Only Home Island and West Island are populated. 

A postal agency existed there between 1933 and 1937, and permanently since 1952. The archipelago has issued postage stamps since June 1963 and had postal independence from 1979 to 1993. Between 1963 and 1979 with the Australian Post Office and since 1 January 1994 with Australia Post, the Cocos Islands' and Australia's stamps are valid in both these territories.

During World War I, the Battle of Cocos opposed the German Kaiserliche Marine and the Royal Australian Navy for the control of Cocos telegraphic post, that permitted communications between the United Kingdom and the Pacific Ocean Dominions. A postal agency was opened in the Cocos between 1 April 1933 and 1 March 1937. Postage stamps of the Straits Settlements were available successively picturing Kings George V and George VI. The Cocos were administered from the Settlements.  During World War II, the British forces defended the islands' telecommunication devices against the Japanese advance. The postal agency reopened on 2 September 1952 with stamps of Singapore.

In 1955, with the independence of Singapore being prepared, the United Kingdom gave control of the Cocos Islands to Australia. The Australian legislation was introduced, including the postage system, stamps and the currency, the Australian pound replacing the Malaya and British Borneo dollar. However the post office was considered a non official one: the local postmaster was paid with a commission depending of his financial results.

On 11 June 1963, the Australian Post Office issued six stamps bearing the mention "COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS", that appeared on all the islands' stamps until late 1993, and illustrated with subjects linked to the islands' life and geography. The series was drawn and engraved by E. Jones.

In the late 1970s, Australia bought the Clunie-Ross family's property of the islands and gave a large autonomy to the inhabitants. The post service became independent from Australia and issued its two first postage stamps on 1 September 1979 picturing the flag of Australia, map and the atoll landscape on the 20 cents, and the Statutory Council on the 50 cents. Stamps of Australia were no more valid in the islands. Following the example of Christmas Island in March 1993, the postal service of the Cocos Islands was transferred from the local authority to Australia Post. Cocos Islands stamps issued since 1994 and bearing the mention "COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS AUSTRALIA" are valid in Australia and the stamps of Australia are on the archipelago too.

 

The covers sent on 15 May 2015 and they mistakenly sent all together to my Norwegian friend Rune Berg. He kept the covers safely and later sent back along with Norwegian envelopes safely. The second cover shows the stamps of CKI with own stamps, and the first cover shows the stamps with 'Australia' name. Previously Cocos (Keeling) islands and Christmas Islands had own postal service and issued own stamps, in 1999 these postal services merged into Australian Post, so the own stamps were stopped production. The old stamps still valid if they are posted directly from the island like showed above.