Penang Album

Memories of Penang & Malaysia

Penang, the E & O, Teng Tek, K.K. Grocery Store, Seng and Sheriff Store, Cold Storage, games of Mah Jong with the neighbours, NAAFI, the hostie, Radio Butterworth, the Swimming Club, the Golf Club, the Sports Club, the "SNOWs" Club ("SNCOs" Senior Non-Commissioned Officers), amahs, the Base, the Fleetwood Mac, the Kangaroo Den, Eden Cafe, trishaws, moni drains and the colour and life of Malaysia, the Cameron Highlands ... may all be in the past, but the memories last forever. Following is a collection of photos to help remind us of some of these our once favourite places.

New Scout Rock images

> Chinese Swimming Club
> The Eden Cafe
> The Snows Club
> Scout Rock
> Cameron Highlands
> Local Traders
> Astra Cinema

Mount Pleasure Pool

Mount Pleasure Resort
Tanjong Bungah

The Eden Cafe
Jalan Hutton
An oasis in Georgetown! The inside walls were painted with fantastic murals of images of the Garden of Eden. Although the murals are different now, the cafe is still as wonderful as I remembered it. Delicious food - and lovely and COOL inside!

1998

Chinese Swimming Club

1998
The Chinese Swimming Club has not changed much at all since the late sixties. Management very friendly and welcoming to a visitor from 30 years on!

(Courtesy Kevin Cragg)

1968
A pic of the Chinese pool in 1968, taken from Kevin Cragg's
balcony in Tanjong Bungah Road.

The 'Snows' Club

(Courtesy Claire McLucas)
1969
Senior NCOs Club

Movie (mpg)
(Courtesy Leon Williamson)

Click to play

This file sent in by Leon pans Jalan Pantai Molek, taking in the local traffic, buses and the Senior NCOs Club.

Guillemard Reservoir

(Courtesy Frank Shilton)

For further information on the reservoir.
http://facethewall.com/penang-reservoir.html

The Ferry

Ferry

The ferry terminal - Penang side.

The passenger and vehicle ferry traverses Penang and the mainland 24 hours a day from between 10 minute intervals during the day to 1 hr intervals in the early hours. Costs to travel today are for adults RM0.60 and children RM0.30. Extra for cars. The journey takes approximately 20 minutes. the Penang bridge was completed in 1985, offering an alternative to ferry travel.

More Photos of Ferry

Car entrance to ferry
Penang from the ferry

Around Town

1969
You'd want to watch your step around town! Mum demonstrates a dangerous footpath in the middle of Georgetown.
Cynthia

(Courtesy Michelle Preece)

1999
A reminder of how deep the monsoon drains were/are, and need to be.

New photos from Kevin Cragg

1969
A local shop

Typical Malay house

Trishaws on Penang Road

These black and white photos were taken in 1967. Familiar sights for us of the local people and their lifestyle.

Danger

1978
(Courtesy Rob Vermay)

What about this for a power pole! A most interesting display of lines, knots and meter boxes - and a very unusual concept which worked successfully in spite of the obvious hazardous arrangement.

Penang Sports Club

Riot Wagon - 1969

(Courtesy Kevin Cragg)

Scout Rock

(Courtesy Neville Mitchell)

1971
Above, on the left, looking to Scout Rock. Right, from Scout Rock to Jln Azyze and the School.

(Courtesy Claire McLucas)

1970
These photos of Scout Rock were taken from Claire's front yard which was directly opposite the school in Jalan Azyze.

View from Scout Rock area

(Courtesy Kevin Cragg)

(Courtesy Linda Thomas)

1975
Icecream Cart

Cold Storage Creamery

1960 - The Odeon

(Reproduced by permission, Derek Tait)

Hillside Sign

(Courtesy Kayes, Penang Talk)

Familiar signpost directing traffic to Hillside.

Astra Cinema

(Courtesy raf-butterworth-penang-association.co.uk)

The Astra Cinema
This photograph of the Astra Cinema is the only one I've seen. Those who lived on Butterworth will most likely remember going to the "flicks" here.

Tanjong Bungah Beach

(Courtesy Robin Tobler)

1962

The Rock Pools

1998
The Rock Pools, Batu Ferringhi ("Foreigners Rock"). A playground for young and old.

The Rock Pools
(See children playing near top)

1992
Market gardens on Tanjong Tokong Road, just past the RAAF Club.

NAAFI

(Courtesy Russell Cole)

The NAAFI Store - 2006
(Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes) Remember calling in at the NAAFI store on Penang? This pic taken in 2006 - if anyone can send in a pic of the store taken between 1958-1988 that would be a valuable addition to the site. Remember also the NAAFI Sandycroft Leave Centre nearby which catered for British servicemen.

Chowrasta Market

Penang Road
The Chowrasta Market sells local food-stuffs, and in the mornings is the largest and busiest wet market in the inner city, and one of the cheapest.
(See more pictures at Penang Turf Club site.)

The E&O Hotel

The elegant Eastern & Oriental Hotel on 10 Farquhar Street was closed in mid 1996 for major restoration and refurbishment and due for re-opening in 1998. However due to the Malaysian economic crash of the late 1990s, renovations were temporarily halted, delaying re-opening to 2000.

Founded in 1885 by the Sarkies brothers (the same Armenian-born Malay Peninsula hoteliers who built Singapore’s Raffles Hotel), this grand hotel with its beautiful garden, grand lobby and famous guests has earned a place in history as one of the finest of the Bristish Empire. Patrons included wealthy elite, such as Noel Coward, Douglas Fairbanks, Rudyard Kipling, Somerset Maugham and Herman Hesse being among the more notable. See link for further details http://www.e-o-hotel.com/eohotel.htm

More of E and O Hotel
1960s

(Courtesy Robin Tobler)

Cameron Highlands

(Courtesy Martin Black)

1975
Lutheran Mission
The bungalow is run by the Lutheran Church and was a budget holiday venue for many RAAF families. Cosy with a log fire in the evenings and blankets on the beds!

"Tucked away at the end of a long rutted bridle track, it has a large grassy garden full of flowers, a tennis court, kids' playground and beautiful views of jungle-clad mountains. In the family annexe each room has a separate bedroom for the kids, a fireplace and a bathroom (with a big bath). Meals are served in the main bungalow - plain but delicious fare (roasts, sausages, steamed vegies, baked puddings, bacon and eggs etc) served dead on time (no begging the waiter for the 5th time to bring the kids' fried rice!). Under the rooms is a large recreation room with a view of most of the garden where you can read, play table tennis or other games while the kids run riot outside or sleep upstairs. We bought our own beer and wine and enjoyed raucous card games every night."
(http://www.ibufamily.org/travel/travel13.html)

Gunung Brinchang

Gunung Brinchang is the highest peak in Cameron Highlands and the highest point in Malaysia accessible by road. Standing at 2031m, it is visible from most parts of Tanah Rata and Brinchang with a telecomunications tower on the peak. The summit offers a great panorama of the surrounding areas and the Kinta valley. There is unfortunately a lot of scarring caused by development, but still beautiful.

Local Traders

The traders depended very much on the RAAF Hillside community for their income and when the last of the RAAF personnel left, it was a sad day for many people.

1968
Lim Khim Cheng
Local Fruiterer at Hillside and his delivery van.

1964
Mr Lim and his fruit and vege van, on Jalan Azyze.

* Ng Peng Seng was another grocer. Would anyone have a picture?

Sheriff Store
Jalan Sungei Kelian, Hillside

Rajah (or Raj) from Sheriff Store with his mobile library.

NB: Sheriff Store is now closed, but one of the former partners now operates his own bookstore at Transfer Road in Georgetown.

(Courtesy Martin Black)

1974
The Bread Man
Jalan Bunga Rampai, Penang

(Courtesy Martin Black)

1974
The Basket Man
Jalan Bunga Rampai, Penang

Other Photos

Penang Bridge
Batu Ferringhi in 1992
Hill behind Jln Cheah Phee Cheok

The View from the Beach

The sun was beginning to set as I stood on the shoreline of Butterworth. Splashes of deep red and yellow filled the sky. All was quiet except for the waves which gently rocked back and forth every few seconds. There was a cool gentle breeze stirring which blew my hair away from my face. Suddenly a few mudcrabs scuddled across the sand as if they were late for an important date and then disappeard into small worm-like holes. They left a delicate imprint of their tracks in the sand.

I dug my toes deep into the damp rough sand that was incredibly cool, and glanced casually over the sparkling ocean towards the faint outline of an island which was Penang. I could see some large sea vessels docked in the harbour; their lights were already on though it wasn't late. Dark shadowy figures were seen fishing in a small boat which bobbed up and down in rhythm to the waves.

This view I pictured filled me with a feeling of serenity as I slowly walked towards home

1981
Allison Winton
Year 10.1

"That evening after dinner,
Conway made occasion to leave the other and stroll out into the calm, moon-washed courtyards.
Shangri-La was lovely then,
touched with the mystery that lies at the core of all loveliness.
Conway was physically happy, emotionally satisfied and mentally at ease."

From Lost Horizon, by James Hilton


Memory! why, oh why, This fond heart consuming, Shew me years gone by, When those hopes were blooming. (Tennyson, Memory)