I'm going to make this "Old, Old Kuching" post an ongoing series. Hopefully over time and with all your contributions, we will build up a rich online portfolio of historic Sarawak photographs. Thanks to Robert Chin, for sharing this first set of pictures around the Padungan area.
The first one shows the junction of Padungan Road joining Thompson (now Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman) and Mathies Roads. You can see Odeon cinema (top, middle), Capitol cinema (extreme left), and an Austin car showroom & service centre on the front right. Both Odeon and Capitol are gone. At the location of the Austin showroom now stands the Standard Chartered Bank building and the Riverside hotel.
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Next we have another picture of the Odeon cinema in an even earlier time, before the building was expanded to accomodate a restaurant and retail area. Odeon was declared open on 16th June, 1955 by Mrs. A.R Snelus, wife of the Acting Deputy Chief Secretary.
And here is the former Borneo Company Limited building, at the site of the current Hilton Kuching. Interesting to see that a boat race seems to be in progress on the Sarawak River. You can make out the letterings on Speedboat No. 11.
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Ahh, images of history ...
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Quite funny how the Odeon building started so small. i remember attending wedding dinners at the Mandarin restaurant on top of the expanded, taller Odeon building.
ReplyDeleteRobert & WJ,
ReplyDeleteWhat years were those pictures taken? Source?
WJ,
How about doing Old Old Boys and Old Old Girls? series..1st generation Old Josephians & Old Teresians.
Pictures from archive. Most probably taken in the fifties.
ReplyDeleteRobert
Lee Kien> The Old Old Boys / Girls series sounds interesting, but I'm not sure we have enough info to sustain a whole series. One or two postings might be doable.
ReplyDeleteAs for the dates the photos were taken, the first one is definitely in the 60's after the Odeon building had been expanded. Robert is probably right about the other two being taken in the 50's.
Thanks for the wonderful recap. Being away from kuching for so long, memories are coming back when i see your pictures. Yes there was a mandarin restaurant atop odeon, and there was a sort of lounge on the same floor. borneo building was in dark blue, right. sweet memories. thank you.
ReplyDeleteold hometown... so sweet the memory. thank you kampong friends
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Anonymous. If you have any photos from old Kuching, do share them too.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone interested in a more in-depth study of the Borneo Company Limited (BCL) and its workings, there's a good paper by Howard Cox & Stuart Metcalfe
ReplyDeleteThe synopsis is as follows:
The origins of British-based trading companies are to be found in the international mercantile networks which linked together Britain's commercial centres with the rest of the world during the nineteenth century. One such network, drawing together participants with operations in Singapore and Sarawak, was formalized under the title of The Borneo Company Limited (BCL) between 1851 and 1856. To function effectively, these inter-personal networks of merchants required a high degree of trustworthiness among the participants in order to overcome principal/agent problems, since direct supervision from the headquarters in London was not feasible. However, in order to expand, it was necessary to widen the circle of network participants and to incorporate new types of competence. This article analyses the early history of BCL with a view to understanding the way in which the process of growth was managed, distinguishing between three different types of expansion: engaging in production as well as trade; extending the geographical scope of the organization; and diversifying into new markets.
There's an article in the Borneo Post today about the history of SJS and the Mill Hill Brothers. Those overseas might be able to access it through Borneo Post online. It's written by an old Josephian who says he was in secondary school in the '60s. Written under a pseudonym.
ReplyDeleteaaahhhh, i can imagine sim peng siew cycling by. his bicyle is unoiled and makes alot of noise and soon the noise will disappear as he goes round the bend. either that, or he's chatting aloud with fellow josephians on their bikes, mostly librarians!
ReplyDeletememories ...
sampans of yesterday were all hands driven. nowadays, they come with engines, right? does sarawak river still entertain regattas nowadays? There was much funfair as it involved the kuching community. life abroad is never the same. sigh!
ReplyDeletewhat's the occassion in the 1st pix? some sort of procession: can anyone please identify this? there were many occassions for procession in kuching then. don't know whether it's still the same now. hm, interesting.
ReplyDeleteUhh .. didn't notice till you mentioned, Anonymous (btw please identify yourself, friend ! ). I can't be sure but it has all the telltale signs of being a Chinese funeral actually.
ReplyDeleteHere's a historical snippet on Padungan ...
ReplyDeleteThe area was developed in the 1920s during the rubber boom era that followed after World War I, Padungan Road was named after a Malay village Kampung Padungan, once the largest in Kuching. Though no longer a Malay village, this part of town still retains its name - Padungan.
Now who says this blog is not educational?
the procession, being held during daytime is most probably a funeral.
ReplyDeletefunerals those days included a procession through padungan.
i participated in numerous such processions representing RC.
Anon Jun 28 2009 3.31pm,
ReplyDeleteRegattas are still held in Sarawak as far as i know.
It might interest to you-there is a Tidal Ball Regatta held annually in Sri Aman, capital of the 2nd Divison of Sarawak.
WJ,
Hey WJ-how about doing a feature of this?? Hidden Secrets?
I will supply you with materials
Lee Kien> Sure, send me what content you have, and I'll make sure it gets posted in one form or another.
ReplyDeleteI assure you its National Geographic material.Ok, when would you like to make a trip to Sri Aman?
ReplyDeleteWe can get Bob to drive us there, no more Grandma to welcome him...eh Bob?????
No, no, no ... the Website Jaga stays at home. The correspondent with the Nikon goes on field trip to Sri Aman, and files story. LOL
ReplyDeleteAiyoh yoh...now got some more free lance work!!! Like that i better sell storey direct to National Geographic lah Hehe!!
ReplyDeleteMy Uncle already shot photos and nearly lost his life filming the tidal thingie.. He is also a "free lance photographer".
His pic of the "mini tsunami" is now hanging at the Land District Officer Sri Aman and won a price in the photograhic competition. Can't remember which..Peter Wee of Anna Studio told me-he was the judge.So kena minta permission first lo..
I, mother of four aint gonna risk my beautiful life shooting the tidal ball lo, much as i would love to....
Next assignment on next "balik kampong"..
WJ
ReplyDeletePlease amend spelling its Tidal Bore & the event is offically called "Pesta Benak", meaning Tidal Bore Carnival.
Those interested see http://www.did.sarawak.gov.my/benak/benak_gallery.htm
The Sarawak Regatta is alive and well. It is on annually. Check out
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sarawakregatta.com/
Do come and support.