The first is a very recognisable place to most of you, I'm sure ... even though the surroundings are a bit strange, the main landmark hasn't changed. This was taken in the mid-1950s.
The next one is obviously some form of amusement park. I think this one was taken around the in late 1940s or early 1950s. Does anyone know where it was located?
The next building should also be quite familiar. I think it still looks much like it did back in the 1920s when this photo was taken. Do you know what's the name of this building though?
I may put in more later if I come across any ...
I would encourage any of you who may have interesting old photos of Kuching to send me scanned softcopies for sharing with the whole group.
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If I am not wrong, I think the Happy World Amusement Park was formerly located near the present Dewan Masyarakat / Jubilee Ground along jalan Padungan in Kuching.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the tall tower used for?
ReplyDeleteI never knew the tower came before the hawker centre. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteI heard it was the watch tower for the Fire Brigade. During that time, it was probably one of the tallest structures around.
ReplyDeleteya, bomba tower but in AD 1927 ...
ReplyDeleteWonder why they don't make use of it as a special cafe or something ... romantic candlelit dinner for two at the top level ... bidding on Valentine's day . food provided by the hawkers below maybe ... LOL
ReplyDeleteCorrect, watch tower of Fire Brigade back then, after that the area became the bus station. The row of shop houses on the left and background, behind tower, still stands today. On the right would be the Electra House now.
ReplyDeletePhoto 2, don't think that's a building(middle, Happy World), it's only a dummy front, maybe built up with plywood.
Photo 3, The White British Colonial building on the right still stands, it's opposite GPO, Fook Hoi kopi shop is at one of the row of shop houses next to it, already demolished, making way for a new super mall and shopping complex.
The stalls on the right background, the ones mostly occupied by the Indians selling coffee and loti kahwin, also gone already, demolished.
ReplyDeletePhoto 3 building was called PAVILION. At least that was the original name. Don't know if they got change it to Malay name these days.
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that there's no chance of a traffic jam in any of the 3 photos shown.
ReplyDeletePhoto 3 is now Textile Museum next to the Sarawak Craft Council (Pic 1 in an earlier post)
ReplyDeleteKuching (or Sarawak in general) has so much history that many people, especially the younger ones, do not appreciate. Everywhere you walk, there are some structures or sites that have some interesting story to tell. We should designate specially-designed "walks" through town for tourists (and even some locals) where they can learn about the historic locations.
ReplyDeleteIn Boston, Massachusetts, they actually have a thick red line on the streets which visitors can follow, and with the help of guides or guidebooks and signage, the historical monuments and stories are showcased. They call it "The Boston Trail". I went on this walk 3 years ago when I was there, and loved it. Kuching should have a something similar.
Anybody from the Sarawak Museum or Historical Society or Tourism Board listening?
***** ATTENTION *****
ReplyDeleteGUYS, beware of scam artists who send email to you to ask your help to unlock millions of dollars in some dead dictator's bank account or to invest in some venture. Lots of such scams around. Don't be gullible. Be alert.
I love the old models of vehicles in these photos. Antique stuff. Even showing a vehicle with 1BP (1 buffalo power) engine. LOL
ReplyDeleteWJ got scammed and fell for it? Aiyoh, surely you are wiser.
ReplyDeleteMy brother used to have one of those 600cc Fiat ,seen in photo 1, left, under the tree.
ReplyDeleteNathan Ha also used to have the Ford model on the right, photo 1, given to a very close friend recently, three years ago I think.
Yes, Anon 11 Apr 2:44PM, maybe to help poor WJ's scammed situation, you could each send USD1,000 donation to acct number 123-4-5678.
ReplyDeleteHi...WJ
ReplyDeleteI am in total support to introduce historical information on "old" buildings/locations. Follow the "Yellow Brick Road" was an excellent idea. Some parts of England, Leeds City, for example, have special blue plagues scheme to promote public awareness of the heritage of the city. These plaques (18 inches in diameter and made of cast aluminium) are strategically placed (usually on the outside, near the entrance of the building) with historical information. A record of the history and the background to the plaques in the city can be found in the publication available from tourist information centre and book shops. Hope your idea will take off, WJ or someone influential enough (like our Datuk JJ or Dato AM) to raise this proposals to the tourism board. Be proud of Kuching and our neighbouring towns.
Hi...All
ReplyDeleteSuch email scams have been going on for many years. One of my mottos in life is: There is nothing "FREE" in this world. If you have been offer a really good deal and nearly free - there will be a catch. Can be a scam, forgery, imitation goods, stolen or something sinister. Be aware and be sensible.
Another advice is to avoid opening emails with attachments from someone that you do not know. Placed such emails in your "junk" box which will automatically "junked" on future ones from same sender(s). How could anyone fall for something like: giving away large sums of money to a total stranger or a so called distant relative from China!!!!!. Another advice is to make your children aware of these, as most of you would have children who have access to the web to social networking sites, emails, etc. Never give out personal information or their parents details!!!
I have heard of 'investments' that offered returns of 2% per month. That's an annualised 24% pa. I tell my gullible friends that no fund manager can offer those kinds of returns. Even the greatest investor in the world, Warren Buffett, can only get about 20% pa.
ReplyDeleteA fund that offers 24% pa must make about 40% pa to cover its costs and make a decent profit. What fund can consistently make 40% pa every year? None.
If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Of course those Nigerians who offer you a hundred million dollars to take the money belonging to some dead guy - if you fall for it, they deserve to take your money. :-)
anyone ever tried climbing to the top of the tower before?
ReplyDeleteJohn, even emails from friends or someone you know may not be safe. Recently I received an email from a contact who shared his experience of online purchase. He mentioned he was very pleased to have got a genuine iPhone from a online trading site at a much lower price. He referred the site to me. I checked it out and was impressed by the prices. Was going to place an order, but before doing so, I sent a reply to my friend to thank him for referring and asked about his iphone. He replied that he didn't send email and that his account was hacked.
ReplyDeleteAnother friend had his facebook accounbt hacked. The hacker (posing as my friend) contacted me when I was online and asked me to send RM1000+ to an account in Thailand. But I was suspicious from the manner we chatted and also why the friend made the request through facebook.
So guys, be careful lest that your hardearned $$$ get cheated away.
BTW, how did we go from Old old Kuching to SCAMS?
i'm sure even in the days of old, old kuching , there were conmen and scams too ... lol
ReplyDeleteAnybody know what was at the site of present day Electra House?
ReplyDeleteYa, how did we go from old, old Kuching to conmen and scams ha?
ReplyDeleteElectra House is still there Anon, 12.47AM, the management had the building renovated and face lift done just last year, or was it year before last.
Sorry Anon 12.47AM wrong number just now, I think the site of present Electra House was just an empty land, like what you see in photo 1. Empty land right to the front of the row of shop houses behind Electra House.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, the traffic flow at the open air market, Gambier Street(road in front of the vege market) and CPS are also changed already,
just for the info. of our friends who are not in Kuching.
E.g. road outside CPS is been used the other way round, meaning we used to drive towards Central Padang fr Open Air but now it's the other way round.
I think what Anon 12:47AM was asking is what was at the Electra House location BEFORE Electra House was built. I was trying to remember, and I drew a blank too. Really can't recall. Yet I, quite sure the building came up when we were small.
ReplyDeleteThanks John for the support of the historical walk ideas for Kuching. Just to spark an interesting discussion, if we were to design the first walk, where would the route take and what history would be showcased along the way?
ReplyDeleteOld old Kuching to scams - never mind, lah. It started by WJ and I think it was one of those moments that you just need to express it before you forget.
ReplyDeleteGoing back to the ideas for historical walk - my initial thoughts would be to look at the map (starting with KCH first) of Kuching and look at the trial on how a tourist would follow the "Path way". This "Path" can be broken into different length - 1 mile (Hibiscus path), 3 miles (Orchid path), etc. There will be a start and finish journey and along the way there will be "drinking holes" to quench the thirst during the hot/sunny period. Before that, places of interests (historical or otherwise that affected the development of Kuching) have to be identified - this has to be vetted/approved by a Select Committee. A short/summary feature on designated the place/location on a special plaque or board.
The first trail/path can start from where Kuching was "born". Don't ask me!!! - I am too young for that but it would be interesting to know and folllow that path and like you said (WJ) many of us and/or our younger generations just have no clue at all.
Good point John. Where did Kuching begin? My grandparents said there was once a Sungei Kuching somewhere, and the town got its name from the stream or small river.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, it was probably an empty land, open space where one can see the shop houses (behind present Electra House) if you are standing below the tower.
ReplyDeleteI have never climbed the tower but I did went inside the tower when the council use the tower as a store. Nothing fancy inside, just the usual four walls room.
Maybe there was a River of Cats somewhere around back then?
ReplyDeleteMaybe the small river was Sungai Maong? If it is, then the river is still there.
"Kuching in the 1870s was very much different from the Kuching of today. The town used to have a little stream running through it which was known as Sungei Kuching. This flowed from the direction of the reservoir, east of Wayang Street, and emerged between the Chinese Temple and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce on Thomson Road (now better known as Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman) to join the Sarawak River. On the hill behind the Chinese Temple, and where the Borneo Company grounds were, there was a very large growth of trees called Mata Kuching. It's a thought that because of these trees the little stream got its name. It was filled in sometime during 1928. So the Rajah decided to use the name of this little stream and from then onwards the town became officially known as Kuching."
ReplyDeleteExcerpt from "Glimpses of Sarawak's Past" by Joan Lo (Agas (S) Sdn Bhd, 1986)
i remember in Singapore there used to be a Happy World amusement park too, back in the 1960s. Then the smart owners decided to change the name to Gay World. of course in those days, gay simply meant happy. In any case the park didn't survive very long, and i dun think it was anything to do with the name.
ReplyDeletewho knows? with the strong gay movement nowadays, they may be successful if they revive it.
ReplyDeleteSo we now know where Tour #1 should start, ya John?
ReplyDeleteJohn, and all - we might start the walking tour at where the Sungei Kuching was supposed to be. Maybe meet at Hilton Hotel lobby first. Then the line should lead toward Tua Pek Kong temple (lots of history associated with it), then can also pop into Chinese Museum (formerly Chinese Chamber of Commerce), then line goes down Main Bazaar ... I leave others to continue with their ideas.
ReplyDeleteHi...WJ and all
ReplyDeleteMy idea would be: to take a look at the map and then plot the "walk" where each "walk" should be a circuit: a start and finish (may be ending where the walk started). The distant or the length of the walk should be indicated so that ppl is aware of the duration.
To look at the map of Kuching electronically: go to Google Map search and type Kuching, Malaysia in the search box. Zoom in or out and I think it looked better if you view it in the Satellite option.
Any other suggestions?
HAPPY WORLD is those of the FUN FAIR (copy from Singapore Fun Fair) at Chung Hua Primary School No. 3 (Jubilee Ground). I think it is in the early 60s.
ReplyDeleteAnon 9.01pm very right, it's at Jubilee Ground, before it was constructed, I mean Jubilee Grd.
ReplyDeleteYou see the high structure on the right with the zine roof? It's the indoor stadium of Chung Hua Primary No.3 back then.
At the site of the present Electra House is the old Kuching Power Station... see the connection? SESCo used the offices at Electra House as HQ before.
ReplyDeleteYup, Happy World is at the site of the Jubilee. Used to be a horse racetrack behind it. Was told that my grandfather was one of the partners on the board of that amusement ground.
My grandfather is Wong Fook Hoi of the earlier mentioned (somewhere up the comments thread) Fook Hoi kopitiam.
there are interesting stories of the "White British Colonial building" ... was a hospital in its days, with related stories to the Round Tower (S'wak Craft Council) & the GPO opposite of it.
Ah, and the walking trail. Sarawak Heritage Society prepared 2 sets of trails; 1st on the right side from the Old Courthouse, all the way to TuaPekKong and the 2nd on the left side, all the way to the old state Mosque, past the old railway tracks (which are still there) ;)
Thanks for sharing those historical details, Pegs. And a warm welcome to the site.
ReplyDeletei would like ask a question from an veteran here... how many cinema in kuching long time ago? i mean there 1 cinema located at jalan satok last time... what the name?... there i use to play arond in 1980's when i still 4-5 years old...
ReplyDelete2 cinemas at satok road were Miramar and Swee Hua. Correct or not Mr History Jaga?
ReplyDelete@LS ... That's about right, if you don't count the house near the kampong where they strung up the white bedsheet and starting showing P. Ramlee movies to all their neighbours :)
ReplyDelete