Crossword Genius

Pass old people around island settlement (12)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

colonisation

'settlement' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'pass old people around island' is the wordplay.
'pass' becomes 'col' (col is a term for a mountain pass).
'old' becomes 'o' (common abbreviation eg in OE for Old English).
'people' becomes 'nation' ().
'around' is an insertion indicator.
'island' becomes 'is'.
'nation' going around 'is' is 'nisation'.
'col'+'o'+'nisation'='COLONISATION'

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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