‘Discovering’ Perak…
Here’s your “homework” for today: Study these pictures carefully. How many of these places do you recognise? Some clues can be found here. 😉
Museums
Taiping News
Ever wondered what happened to the building that housed the first Post & Telegraph office back in 1883? Yes, I’m talking about that building in Jalan Stesen, Taiping. Well, it is now a Telegraph Museum!
Employment Vacancy
We are currently planning to run an exhibition called “A Mining Family” at Falim House. This is not about one family, but an amalgam of more than 200 photographs and a large number of artifacts that show the lifestyle and labours of several of Ipoh’s Mining Towkays. The exhibition is targeted to open on 1st May 2013 […]
Staff Quarters Along Tiger Lane
This came to us via Ruth Rollitt – showing what we believe to be the living quarters for the staff who worked at the Geological Museum along Tiger Lane. The house was either down the road from the museum or behind it. Not sure if this place is still there today. What say you, dear […]
Soon There Will be None Left
This was Tapah Road Railway Station in 1980. Old fashioned, rustic and clearly a leftover from the Colonial days that Malaysia seems to be so ashamed of. But those who feel this way won’t have to be ashamed of their history for much longer as we are told that KTMB are to demolish all the old stations. Kuala Kangsar, Batu […]
A Walk Back in Time – Time Tunnel
Last week I had a meeting in The Cameron Highlands and took time out to visit a rather special place called “Time Tunnel”. Branded as “The Local Museum” this attraction features the personal collection of Mr. See Kok Shan – a fascinating collection of almost everything old found locally. Long and wide it is just […]
New Book Hot Off the Press – “Tin Mining in Malaysia: the Osborne & Chappel Story.”
“Tin Mining in Malaysia: the Osborne & Chappel Story” was launched today by YB Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, Minister of Tourism Malaysia, in conjunction with the opening of Gopeng Museum’s second premises, the Heritage House, Gopeng. The book, written by David Palmer, who was part of O & C in Malaysia from 1960 until […]
MORE Pretty Girls from Ipoh!
Here we have Miss Telekom (centre), with the 1st and 2nd Runners-up. This was back in the 1950s. Do you remember them? The winner and queen of the contest is Ms Asmah and her runner up on the right is Lee Lai Quan (or Kwan). Can anyone give us the name of the other runner […]
Making Gopeng a Tourist Attraction
On Thursday 7 October 2010, Nanyang Siang Pau dedicated almost its complete front page of the Perak Edition to an article (shown above) with the headline “Making Gopeng a Tourist Attraction” . The story is great for Gopeng and heritage if it all comes to fruition. The plan is to provide three new museums/galleries/displays to add to the […]
Meet the ‘Lions’ of Falim
Remember them? (see picture below) (These lions can be found on either side of the front porch, of the Falim House) Yes, these are the two faithful lions who ‘guard’ Falim House; we were also told that these lions were made of cast iron, not stone! They are painted red, obviously for “good luck”. I […]
Time to Visit the Gopeng Museum Clock Exhibition
As you can see from the above the Gopeng Museum is currently holding a one month Clock Exhibition until 16 March 2010. There are more than 185 old (antique!) clocks on display. Almost all the pieces have been lent by local people. Some are shown here. The normal exhibition remains on show which also includes […]
A Grand Home for a Tin Mining Elephant
The photograph shows the view from the gate of the Matang Historical Complex which was originally Ngah Ibrahim’s fort built in 1865. It was initially simply a home for Ngah Ibrahim, who after his elephant went tin mining became a powerful and wealthy tin miner, but he fortified it to save himself from the Chinese triads […]
Perak’s First Tin Miner was an Elephant!
This model of a full size elephant and handlers stands in the entrance to a building in Perak. Legend has it that one day he ran amok into the jungle and when he was finally caught he had a silvery substance smeared all over his left front leg. When his handlers had quietened him down […]
The Dredge is to be SAVED – State Government Pledge
This information is taken from the latest post on the Ipoh Echo blog at http://ipohecho.com.my/v2/2010/01/22/state-government-to-keep-the-dredge/. This striking decision was made public by Dato’ Hamidah Osman the Senior State Executive Councilor for Tourism via an Echo reporter on on Wednesday 20 January during an interview in Taiping to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the Taiping Peace […]
A Most Unusual Mosque and a Great Restoration
Perak has plenty of heritage buildings, many of which seem to be ignored by their owners or the government. But here is a wonderful heritage building for although not more than 100 years old it has just been restored by the National Heritage Department. Many will not believe that this building is a mosque for it is square, […]
Buy One, Free One – Courthouse and Church
This old photograph shows the first courthouse in Teluk Anson (Teluk Intan), built in the late 1870’s or very early 1880’s. It also doubled up on a Sunday as the Anglican Church for there was not one available in the district. However, the hard wooden benches suitable for a court house were just too uncomfortable […]
Soya Sauce the Traditional Way
This little environmentally friendly Soya sauce factory lies just behind the police station in Gopeng. Here the elderly couple have been producing thick and thin sauce and fermented bean paste for most of their lives, but sadly have no children to take over this thriving business. However, there is hope that it will continue as a […]
The Gopeng Coolie Lines
This picture was taken a little over a year ago and shows the original accommodation for the tin mining coolies, known as the “Coolie Lines”. Here the coolies would eat and sleep when they were not slaving in the mines or visiting those places of entertainment in the town that provided either female company for […]
Tilley Oil Lamp
Known as the Tilley F L 6 Floodlight Projector, this kerosene lamp was used in underground mining in the New Lahat Mine Sdn Bhd during the 20th century. One wonders how did the miners use the lamp, since it looks bigger and heavier, compared to some other oil lamps. This type of lamp dates from before the […]
Dredging Up Memories
Some time ago Jeya mentioned that it is still possible to visit a bucket dredge some 10Km from Batu Gajah on the Tanjung Tualang Road. This is dredge number TT5 and it is open to visitors for a small entrance fee. You may walk on the dredge to get a feel for its massive size […]
Dem Bones, Dem Bones, Dem Dry Bones
Just a set of bones, but a very important set at that! For this is Perak man. The oldest skeleton found in the Peninsula so far. He is believed to be a male (but the experts are not absolutely sure) with a height of approximately 157cm, aged about 45. It was discovered in 1991 and the […]
An Important Street in Ipoh in 1950
This photograph came with the caption “An important street in Ipoh in 1950”. However we cannot name it nor decide why it is said to be important. Can you? Don’t be shy just drop us a line by clicking om “Leave a comment” under these words. We guarantee not to use your email for any […]
A Close-up of the Previous Picture- Doesn’t Anyone Care?
There is nothing to add to my previous comments except to ask “Doesn’t anyone care?”
A Second Visit to Gopeng
Our last Gopeng post related to the new museum there and also remarked that parts of the town were falling down. For those of you who do not know the place, here is a photograph of a row of houses just a few yards from the museum. What a dreadful sight to greet the visitor […]
The Sitiawan Settlement Museum
Sometime ago we made an afternoon visit to the Settlement Museum within the Kampong Koh Memorial Garden. Opened in September 2003 and sited in the 70 year-old house of the Methodist Pastor, the museum traces the Foochow settlers’ history from leaving their original homeland in China in 1903 until the present day. This history covers, […]
A Visit to Beruas Museum
The virtually unspoilt town of Beruas is well off the beaten track for most of us, but I actually made the effort and got there last year. The museum is set in the heart of the town about 40Km away from Sitiawan and is housed in what used to be the town’s court building. Set […]
A Glimpse of Gopeng’s New Museum
Click on Picture to Enlarge For those of you who do not get the Star Northern Edition or the Ipoh Echo, here are some glimpses of Gopeng’s Own Hometown Museum. Opened on 18 April, World Heritage Day, the museum is downstairs in the ancestral home of Bernard Yaw. The upstairs remains as accommodation. There are […]