The Cemetery

Home Island Cemetery is to the north of the island and was an informally planned cemetery established in the 20th century.  Here you can find the graves of three or four members of the Clunies-Ross family.  On the western side is the cemetery for the Cocos Malay people and consists of Muslim graves.  75% of the Coco Keeling Islands population are Muslim.  The graves show a definite contrast in style between the two cultures represented.  One of the Clunies-Ross graves has white glazed bricks and gravestones, whilst the Muslim graves have wooden slats surrounding the graves instead of gravestones.  In 2000 the cemetery was found to be in poor condition and the significant headstones required urgent conservation. The exposed location caused many of the graves to be damaged by wave action.