The Shire of Christmas Island is a

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

of the Australian external territory of Christmas Island (; post code: 6798). The island is grouped with Western Australia but is administered by the Attorney-General's Department and an Administrator. It covers an area of 136.7 km² in the Indian Ocean about 2,360 km north-west of Perth and 500 km south of Java in Indonesia. It has a population of 1,448 (ABS 2001).

History

The island was previously a British territory administered through Singapore but was transferred to Australia in 1945. After 1958, it was managed by the Christmas Island Assembly and Christmas Island Services Corporation. The Australian Government provides Commonwealth-level government services through the Christmas Island Administration and the

Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government The Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government was an Australian Government department that existed between September 2010 and December 2011. Functions In an Administrative Arrangements Order made on 14 Septemb ...

. As per the Federal Government's

Territories Law Reform Act 1992 A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...

, which came into force on 1 July 1992, Western Australian laws are applied to Christmas Island "so far as they are capable of applying in the Territory."; non-application or partial application of such laws is at the discretion of the federal government. The Act also gives Western Australian courts judicial power over Christmas Island. Christmas Island remains constitutionally distinct from Western Australia, however; the power of the state to legislate for the territory is power delegated by the federal government. The kind of services typically provided by a state government elsewhere in Australia are provided by departments of the Western Australian Government, and by contractors, with the costs met by the federal government. An ordinance subsequently created the Shire of Christmas Island out of a merger of the two previous entities. A nine-member Shire Council was established to provide local services. Councilors serve four-year terms, with four or five being chosen every second year. The first elections were held in May 1993.Welcome to the Shire of Christmas Island
" ''Shire of Christmas Island''. Retrieved 23 February 2009. The Shire's offices are located at George Fam Centre, Murray Road, Christmas Island.

Demographics

The shire has around 1,200 residents consisting mostly of

Malaysian Chinese Malaysian Chinese (; Malay: ''Orang Cina Malaysia''), alternatively Chinese Malaysians, are Malaysian citizens of Han Chinese descent. They form the second largest ethnic group after the Malay majority constituting 22.4% of the Malaysian po ...

Malays Malays may refer to: * Malay race, a racial category encompassing peoples of Southeast Asia and sometimes the Pacific Islands ** Overseas Malays, people of Malay race ancestry living outside Malay archipelago home areas ** Cape Malays, a communit ...

, people of

Anglo Australian Anglo-Celtic Australians is an ancestral grouping of Australians whose ancestors originate wholly or partially in the British Isles - predominantly in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. While Anglo-Celtic Australians do not form an of ...

descent and smaller communities of

Malaysian Indian Malaysian Indians or Indian Malaysians are Malaysian citizens of Indian or South Asian ancestry. Today, they form the third-largest group in Malaysia after the Malays and the Chinese. Most are descendants of those who migrated from India durin ...

s and Eurasians. The main languages spoken are English,

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

, and Mandarin Chinese. Some residents speak other Chinese dialects. About 60% of the population speaks Chinese at home, 20% speak Malay at home, and 20% speak English or another European language at home.About Christmas Island
" ''

Christmas Island District High School Christmas Island District High School (CIDHS) is a public co-educational early learning, primary, and high day school located in Christmas Island, a territory of Australia. the school served approximately 235 students from kindergarten through ...

''. Retrieved 23 February 2009.

Presidents of Shire of Christmas Island Shire Council

The office was known as the "President of Christmas Island Shire Council" prior to 2004.

Wards

The shire has nine councillors and no wards.

Education

is the school on Christmas Island. Until the end of 2002 the school was a K-Year 10 school; previously all post-compulsory levels and now compulsory with the new school leaving age (Year 11 and Year 12) studied in Perth, Western Australia. Year 11 enrolment began in 2002, and by 2005 Years 11 and 12 had been established at the school. Christmas Island students have the option to remain on the island or study in Perth. The shire includes a public library for residents. The library has regular book exchanges with the State Library of Western Australia.Public Library
." ''Shire of Christmas Island''. Retrieved 23 February 2009.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Government of Christmas Island Christmas Island