Horsburgh Island (in Malay

Malay language

Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...

, Pulo Luar or Pulu Luar) is one of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

The Territory of the Cocos 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....

. Its area is 1,04 square kilometers. There is a small lagoon

Lagoon

A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...

 in the interior of the island to the northeast.

History

The Clunies-Ross Family kept deer

Deer

Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...

 on the island for hunting

Hunting

Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...

. In 1941, during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, gun emplacements were installed on the southern point of the island and manned by Ceylonese troops. The Cocos Islands Mutiny

Cocos Islands Mutiny

The Cocos Islands Mutiny was a failed mutiny by Ceylonese soldiers against British officers, on the Cocos Islands in May 1942, during the Second World War....

 began on this island. The Ceylon Garrison Artillery on Horsburgh Island mutinied on the night of 8/9 May 1942, intending to hand the islands over to the Japanese

Empire of Japan

The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...

.http://www.awm.gov.au/journal/j34/cocosmutiny.htm

This island is named after James Horsburgh

James Horsburgh

James Horsburgh was a Scottish hydrographer. He worked for East India Company, who mapped many seaways around Singapore in the late 18th century and early 19th century....

, hydrographer to the East India Company

British East India Company

The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...

 and author of the long-titled "Directions for Sailing to and from the East Indies, China, New Holland, Cape of Good Hope, and the interjacent Ports, compiled chiefly from original Journals and Observations made during 21 years' experience in navigating those Seas". Horsburgh's Directory was the standard work for oriental navigation in the first half of the 19th century, until Robert Moresby

Robert Moresby

Robert Moresby was a distinguished captain of the British Royal Navy. He was also an excellent hydrographer, maritime surveyor and draughtsman....

's survey of the Archipelagoes of the Central Indian Ocean when for the first time in history accurate maps of atolls like Keeling or Cocos were published.

External links

• http://www.cocos-tourism.cc/know.htm
• http://www.awm.gov.au/journal/j34/cocosmutiny.htm