St.Mary's Cathedral
Miss Edith Stratton Brown, a missionary who started Kuala Lumpur's first girls' school, wrote, "all were expected to attend dressed as they would in England - the men in tophats and long black coats, etc., the women of course in long silk or muslin dresses and hats and bonnets, gloves etc. The Resident was always there and kept a sharp eye for any junior officer not present." By 1890, the European community in Selangor was only 200 strong. Not all lived in KL and some were Roman Catholics who had built their own church. Funds were later raised to build a new Anglican Church, the Anglican Church of St.Mary, the Virgin - which was later raised to the status of a cathedral in 1983.
Its location was ideal at the North end of the Padang, close to the Selangor Club. The original building was shaped like a cross. It could accommodate 200 people. One can just imagine a scene out of a screenplay from the classic 'Passage to India' . Sunday service was an all-important social affair and all manners of appropriate conduct were to be observed. Many of the congregation arrived in pony traps having endured a journey to the church dressed in their Sunday best, exposed to the intense heat of the midday sun. Brings to mind a phrase, ' Mad dogs and the English man sit under the hot day sun!'
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Miss Edith Stratton Brown observed that, ' Inside the church, a sizeable choir led the singing to the accompaniment of a harmonium. Over their heads a heavy air of the enclosed building moved sluggishly under the swish of the punkahs, pulled by Tamil punkah wallahs outside tugging on ropes.' It must have been difficult indeed to maintain crisp, clean clothing having to travel through the main street of town where red dust from the crumbling laterite roads hung to the dense, humid air. The stream of bullock carts laden with supplies and tin had reduced the roads to dust and pot holes. During the early mornings, gaol warders would lead prisoners in ball and chain to sweep and sometimes water the streets to settle the dust but to no avail.
Only after the war when tarmac was used, was a solution found. The original windowpanes at St. Mary's were removed and stored away during World War II to avoid being damaged in the bombing raids. Unfortunately, they were never found again and had new ones placed in 1955. The windowpane at the rear of the nave was donated by the United Planting Association of Malaya to commemorate all planters who died during the Emergency period.
The Railway Station
The railway station in the 1890's. courtesy of Arkib Negara Malaysia |
By the 1890's the population had grown to about 20,000, much of this facilitated by the building of the railway from Port Swettenham to Kuala Lumpur. The inaugural run in 1886 was officiated by the Governor of the Straits Settlement, Sir Frederick Weld and was joined by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Abdul Samad. His Highness then over 80 years of age, enjoyed his first experience on a train tremendously and likened the ride to be quite the best bullock cart ride he ever had! Mr.Hubback, PWD's architect designed the railway station in 1900 but was delayed over a number of years over structural discrepancies and was finally completed in 1911. Minarets piercing the azure sky and the continuous colonnaded arches propping the entire weight of the building is a fine example of Mogul architecture and a wonderful representation of Islamic influences in the country. It was most fortunate that the station was spared during the bombing raid in the Second World War. Being a vital target as all war strategies include the crippling of all communication and transportation links; the station was in fact targeted for destruction.
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Fortunately, the bomber's bombs missed the station completely, flattening the Selangor Museum instead. Which wasn't a good thing either as prehistoric artefacts excavated in the early 1900's were destroyed. The perfect location for a hotel impelled the railway management to include the Station Hotel in its plans, now known as Heritage Station Hotel. The leading hotel of its day, many visitors who could afford a little luxury would book into the Station Hotel, whereas planters and miners strapped for cash chose little motels downtown such as the Coliseum Hotel or the Rex Hotel when these hotels were built later. The exterior of the railway station as well as the Malayan Railways Administrative Building across the road has been remarkably preserved. There is much to be said about the interior, however.
Refurbishment work in recent times has not taken into consideration that conservation work on heritage buildings includes the inside as well as the outside. Now that the KL Sentral has almost completed its infrastructure, the railway has been transferred there and the old buildings are rumoured to be used as a shopping mall. Majestic Hotel Across from the railway station stands a place with lots of stories hidden within its walls. Having had much trouble letting out its apartments during the slump period, the building was converted into a hotel. During the 1930's, the Station Hotel and Majestic Hotel were the leading hotels in KL.
Majestic Hotel
Majestic Hotel had a perfect evening setting. the unrelenting tropical heat cooled by the evening breeze, a crimson sky, a silhouette of the minarets reaching high with swirls of swallows in the air, as the last glimpse of daylight speckled over the scattered zinc roofs beyond. It certainly would be the perfect place for romantic travellers to hang their Panama hats for a while. And so they did. Artists, writers, actors, politicians walked down the hallways and graced the suites for a few nights of blissful slumber , sheltered from the tropical heat. David Niven who made a film in Malaysia called Paper Tiger during the 1970's was on the guest list. The founders of UMNO, the United Malay National Organisation which is now the representative member of the National Front coalition held meetings at the rooftop night-club having discussions after discussions on the issue of independence from the British.
Tunku Abdul Rahman and Dato' Onn Jaafar, the founding fathers of UMNO were regular guests. Tunku Abdul Rahman at the helm won independence in 1957 and was to be our first Prime Minister.
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During the war, spies frequented the hotel meeting up with their informants at the bar. Despite stories and its history, Majestic Hotel also had its fun side. Weddings, New Year's eve parties, receptions were held at the rooftop. Guests came for tea and stayed on for dinner spoiling themselves rotten on immaculate service, beautiful china and silverware, carefully starched linen and of course, the company. A few guests never did leave! Mrs Buxton, High Commissioner Sir Gerald Templer 's Secretary, and a Mr. Donald Davies made their home at the hotel where they lived the next 20 years of their lives and died there. During the Japanese occupation between 1939 and 1945, the Japanese used the hotel as a transit camp. When news came through that the Japanese had lost the war, a soldier distraught by the news killed himself in his room. Some believe that his spirit is still trapped in that room, no.48.
But, you know Malaysians are terribly fond of spooky stories and we usually make a feast of it - true or otherwise! With competition from new hotels in the heart of town, Majestic Hotel's popularity waned and it was never able to regain its glorious past. In 1984, this building was converted from a hotel to the National Art Gallery and remained until the new National Art Gallery was completed in 1998. There were plans to resurrect the halcyon days of Majestic Hotel but shelved due to the current economic recession. There is hope yet in Kuala Lumpur, where too many heritage buildings are torn down to make way for intelligent 21st century buildings that someone out there may reminisce the old days and save this Hotel built from stories.
Loke Hall
A short distance away from the Padang, heading towards the Lake Gardens is an old, colonial mansion. Chow Loke Kit, a pioneering tin miner, a prominent entrepreneur and municipal councillor, built Loke Hall, his mansion used as town house and office in 1903. 5 years later, it was taken over by a group of Europeans and converted into a hotel, the Empire Hotel which housed many families of the British Army during their time in Malaya.
Only recently, Marjorie Bell, a Briton returned to Malaysia after 50years of absence, in search of the place where she grew up. She was 6 years old then, living with her mother and other families of mix races. She recalled those days when," We were too young to be afraid and used to wander for miles and often walked all the way to the Lake Gardens by ourselves."
A beautifully restored piece of architecture, retaining much of its interior - is now occupied by the Malaysian Institute of Architects and includes an art gallery and Charlie's Place, a cosy little restaurant overlooking the mansion's garden. For Marjorie Bell, the vivid memories of her childhood days are preserved in this building and coming back must have sealed those stories for years to come - told over and over again to her children and their children.
The Lake Gardens
Malay guns overlooking the lake gardens from the gardens of Carcosa. courtesy of Arkib Negara Malaysia |
As with all major cities around the world, the main parks are usually synonymous with the city itself for example, New York and Central Park; or London and Hyde Park. Lake Gardens was created by a visionary who proposed that KL needed a Botanical Garden - way back in 1888. Sir Alfred Venning, the chairman of the sanitary board succeeded in persuading Swettenham to allow him to landscape 170 acres of swampland into rambling trails through grassy knolls, manmade lakes and thick forested patches. The garden provided temporary reprieve from the blistering heat in the town centre and was a favourite setting for evening strolls among the European community; whilst the forested area was frequented by the more adventurous where they found wildlife such as the Black Panther, Golden Cats, Honey Bears, monkeys, mousedeers and lowland birds. Monkeys are still very much resident in the area and have run into more trouble than not as monkeys usually do.
With the expansion of the city, Lake Gardens has greatly reduced in size and now include within- a deer park, an aviary and a mousedeer enclosure - all for the benefit of the city folk.
Another favourite gathering place for the social elite of the colonial days was the Selangor Turf Club where the world's tallest buildings, Petronas Towers are situated. On racing days, like the Ascott in England, the socialites went dressed in their gowns and tophats to attend this event of the month. Edith Stratton Brown recalls, ' like a big family party. There was a native stand a short distance away from the club stand. Malay royalties and heads of the Chinese and Indian communities came to the European side being members of the club and owners of racehorses. Ladies did not do their own betting. A steward, one of the British members, took booking orders from the ladies.
The Chartered Bank closed on Race Days and took all their clerks and employees to the Turf Club who in turn ,ran the betting booths. 'Tea with ice cream was served. Ices were always made in those days in portable tubs specially made to contain freezing ingredients. At 5pm. When the last race was run people strolled about the Padang to get good views of all the dresses.' The evening would often end with a ball hosted by the Resident - a perfect day out.
The first motorcar
Later, motorcars were introduced to the society. Known as 'the coffee machine', the first of these contraptions had their engines warmed by lighting kerosene oil. A dangerous manoeuvre by any standard but considering the adventures of a new frontier.anything is one's imagination. In the 1900's, large corporations such as Guthrie & Co, Harrison & Crossfield transferred many Europeans to Malaya - mainly trading co.'s, mining and plantation corporations to man their properties.
Becha, a common mode of transportation for many. courtesy of Arkib Negara Malaysia. |
Other Europeans followed suit in hope of making big in this land of plenty. One mining engineer, a Mr. Harrison remembers his days in wild and beautiful Malaya where his travels and work exposed him to wonderful characters worth their story told. Harrison recalls,' At that time the chieftain of the St.Andrews Society in Perak was a tough old highlander called Grant Mackie, a red blooded man with a wild glint in his eye. I was to meet him for a fresh assignment and it was my privilege to join him at Kuala Lumpur where a new tin field was being opened up. Rooms had been reserved at the Station Hotel, a palatial building designed when spacious airy rooms were the acme of luxury. In due course Grant Mackie arrived at breakfast next morning, he called for a plate of coarse uncooked Scotch oatmeal on which he poured a bottle of stout and flavoured the whole with Worcester sauce!' On another occasion, Harrison met with a young man named Alex. A mysterious man seemingly without a past. The police headquarters had conducted intensive inquiries on him but with little result. It was much later, that the story became clearer. Harrison,' Somewhere in the far north-west of India an attempt had been made to kidnap and hold for ransom the daughter of a British General. The attempt had failed but one of the organisers of the plot was believed to be a white man, not seen again in that territory'. Alex's death was just as colourful. After Malaya, he moved on to Burma and in 1942, he was caught gathering information for the British Intelligence behind the Japanese line, apparently snitched by a local informant for a few coins. He was executed.
There were others too who were employed to carry out specific projects. Colonel Locke, a District Officer in the state of Terengganu was assigned to rid the area of nuisance tigers that preyed on cattle and young children. Within two years from 1949, Colonel Locke had tracked and shot 22 tigers. During the course of his work, he too had to contend with local superstitions and folklore of were-tigers where a person would change into tigers in twilight and back to human at break of dawn.
However, Tigers are now listed as a critically endangered species in Malaysia. With the plantation and logging concessions constantly approved and renewed for large areas, they have little hope of surviving even within the National Parks. A sad end for the most revered, proud beasts of the jungle.
Carcosa and the King's House
Overlooking the vast expanse of greenery of Lake Gardens looms Carcosa, once the official abode for the senior federal administrator, the Resident-General. The first occupant was Frank Swettenham who painstakingly worked with A.C Norman and Spooner in the hope of creating his ideal tropical dwelling. A literary man, Sir Swettenham named his new house 'Carcosa', a name taken from a poetic drama, 'The King in Yellow' - 'and beyond the towers of Carcosa rose behind the moon.' The mansion of 7 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms with a sprawling garden and a stretch of stables, was built in 1896 at $25,000.
A place of galas, receptions, and official functions hosted by the Resident-General until it was confiscated during World War II and turned into an officer's mess. After the war, the place was retained as the British senior officer's mess until it once again reverted to the official dwelling for high British officials. After Malaya's independence, our first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman presented Carcosa to the British High Commissioner as his official dwelling and remained so until 1986.
Carcosa, the British High Commisioner's residence in Kuala Lumpur until 1986. courtesy of Arkib Negara Malaysia |
Carcosa has been converted into a boutique hotel in 1989, recently voted among the 100 best boutique hotels in the world and is a member of the small luxury hotels group. Across the lawn is the King' House built in 1913 for the Governor of Singapore and later used to accommodate visiting dignitaries, royalty and high-profile guests. The king's House is currently undergoing extensive renovations. It was partly defaced in a recent fire. A fine demonstration of colonial resurrection. Each of the 7 rooms available is accompanied by a personal butler. The afternoon tea and scones is a delight to whet one's appetite for an evening of reminiscing; of a town brimming with exciting tales of pioneers, fighters, survivors, romantics and dreamers.
If you would like to be thoroughly pampered, Carcosa's service extends to provide a personal butler to cater to your needs.
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