The Astana, Sarawak
Official residence in Sarawak, Malaysia
1°33′49″N 110°20′44″E / 1.56361°N 110.34556°E / 1.56361; 110.34556The Astana (Malay: Astana Sarawak) is a palace in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, on the north bank of the Sarawak River, opposite the Kuching Waterfront. It is the official residence of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak, the governor of Sarawak. The name is a variation of 'istana', meaning 'palace'.[1] It was built in 1870 by the second White Rajah, Charles Brooke, as a wedding gift to his wife, Margaret Alice Lili de Windt.[2][3] The palace is not normally open to the public, although the landscaped gardens are, which can be reached by a boat ride across the Sarawak River. It is part of the Kuching Heritage Trail.[4]
History
The Astana, then called Government House, was built in 1870 by the second White Rajah, Charles Brooke, as a wedding gift to his wife, Margaret Alice Lili de Windt.[1][2][4] The couple married at Highworth, Wiltshire on 28 October 1869 and she was raised to the title of Ranee of Sarawak with the style of Her Highness upon their marriage. Ranee Margaret arrived in Sarawak in 1870, and the royal couple then occupied The Astana as their main home. She later reminisced about life in The Astana and colonial Borneo in her memoir My Life in Sarawak, which was published in 1913.[5] Brooke is said to have cultivated betel nut in a small plantation behind the Astana, so that he could offer fresh betel nut to visiting Dayak chiefs.[6]
-
The Astana in 1896 -
The Astana in 1959 -
The Governor's office in 1959 -
Ranee's bedroom in 1959
Architecture
The residence was originally three separate buildings, with each connected to the other by short and narrow passageways. The Astana has since undergone major renovations and alterations befitting it as the official residence of the governor of Sarawak.[2][3]
See also
References
- ^ a b Tamara Thiessen (2008). Bradt Travel Guide - Borneo. Bradt Travel Guides. pp. 242–. ISBN 978-1-84162-252-1.
- ^ a b c Graham Land (2018). "Kuching's colonial heritage". Asian Correspondent. Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ a b Sam Bedford (29 May 2018). "The Astana: Kuching's Palace of the White Rajahs". Culture Trip. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ a b "Old Kuching Heritage Trail". Sarawak Tourism. Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ Margaret Brooke (Ranee of Sarawak.) (1913). My Life in Sarawak. Methuen.
- ^ Alan Teh Leam Seng (8 October 2017). "Home of the White Rajahs". New Straits Times. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
External links
Media related to The Astana, Sarawak at Wikimedia Commons
- v
- t
- e
- All Saints' Church
- All Souls' Church
- Atkinson Clock Tower
- Batu Tinagat Lighthouse
- Church of the Assumption
- Church of the Immaculate Conception (Johor)
- Church of the Immaculate Conception (Penang)
- Church of the Risen Christ
- Coliseum Theatre
- Eastern & Oriental Hotel
- Fort Alice
- Fort Cornwallis
- Fort Cornwallis Lighthouse
- Fort Hose
- Fort Margherita
- Fort Sylvia
- Holy Spirit Cathedral
- Hotel Majestic
- Istana Besar
- Istana Bukit Serene
- Jesselton Freemason Hall
- Jesselton Hotel
- Jubilee Clock Tower
- Kellie's Castle
- Labuan Chimney
- Labuan Clock Tower
- Malacca Light
- Malay and Islamic World Museum
- Melalap railway station
- National Textile Museum
- One Fathom Bank Lighthouse
- Penang City Hall
- Pulau Pisang Lighthouse
- Penang High Court
- Penang Masonic Temple
- Penang State Assembly Building
- Penang Town Hall
- Sabah Tourism Board
- Sacred Heart Cathedral, Kota Kinabalu
- Sacred Heart Cathedral, Sibu
- Sarawak State Museum
- Seri Mutiara
- Seri Teratai
- St. Anne's Church
- St. George's Church
- St. John's Cathedral
- St. Mary's Cathedral
- St. Michael's Church, Penampang
- St. Michael's and All Angels Church, Sandakan
- Suffolk House
- Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque
- Sultan Ibrahim Building
- The Astana
- Undan Island Lighthouse
