Chapter 30: Hillside Residence of Bygone Era

In the past, hilltop or hillside around Kota Kinabalu city centre overlooking either the South China Sea or Mount Kinabalu were favorite sites for private residences or government quarters. This preference may have waned somewhat over the years after numerous land slides triggered by heavy rainfalls

On 17 October 2021, in our usual morning cycling along Istana Road (formerly Harrington Road), we stopped at a bend to look at an old abandoned house. This house was abandoned long before major land slides occurred around hill slopes in KK, Sabah. This house was once a prestigious government quarters built in the 1950's initially for expatriates posted to work in Jesselton (former name of Kota Kinabalu) during the British colonial era.

I still have good memory of this premise because my mother once worked as a house keeper for the occupant for a short while around 1961 or 1962. She took over from a friend who needed a break.

The house was then occupied by a British expatriate electrical engineer, Paul Ravelry who worked in PWD (now called JKR).

The house had a lockable garage next to the main road. It was just big enough for one single car. Paul had a tiny two-seater red sport car which eventually became part of his identity. I was told that when he eventually had to dispose off his car just before returning to UK, he kissed the car and cried over it before finally letting go his beloved car!

After 60 years, the house is now in ruin and the compound overgrown with thick vegetation, trees and creepers. Still, key distinguishable features remain. The rubbish and litter found around the compound indicate possible occupation of the premise by squatters or drug addicts after it was abandoned!

A concrete stair linked the garage to the house proper built on a flattened platform on a hill slope. This single storey house was meant for single or newly married couple. Its unique design was the huge entrance with sliding door facing the little lawn in front of the house. The roof covering extended beyond the sliding door to cover a long and wide patio painted yellow. This is a feature of the house that forever locked into my memory. This patio was favorite area for Paul and his guests to chat over a glass of beer.

The elevation of the house may not command a spectacular sunset view of the seafront compared to houses built at higher elevation in Signal Hill. It was however compensated by its proximity to the town centre. The house is a mere 200m away from the town padang and the adjoining town centre.

After the end of the colonial era in 1963, more and more locals were assuming duties once held by the expatriates. I remember, a current close friend, Peter Siau once stayed there when he was a young officer with the Finance Ministry of the Sabah State in 1968, more than fifty years ago. He was single then.

Part of the wall of the garage is still visible.

Concrete stair looking up from garage.

Concrete stair looking down toward the main road.

The frontage of the house with the huge entrance for sliding door and patio are still clearly visible after 60 years!

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Another unique design of the house is the stone-pitched walls for some of the walls. This type of wall common in colonial era is hardly seen these days. This is probably because of the lack of labour skill and high labour cost!

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Almost all colonial era government quarters were built with attached labour quarters or workers quarters or nearby. Behind the particular house just outside the small kitchen at the rear, a short concrete paved walkway linked to a flight of steps that led to the workers quarter. The labour quarter was of rectangular shape. There was a single bedroom at one end, a small kitchen in the middle and two cubicles at the other end, one for the squad-typed toilet and the other was the shower-typed bathroom.  

Our house then at the village was a mere half a Km away. We kids loved to go there during weekends just to spend a night at the quarter. With no electricity and piped water at our house (Read here), this quarter was considered a luxury.

I attempted to have a closer look at this labour quarter but was prevented by the thick vegetation. I did get a glimpse of the unit. The bulk of it has disappeared and only the end with the toilet and bathroom remain. The two door openings of the two cubicles are still clearly visible.

Life indeed has many twists and turns. In the early 1960's, I was a primary school student while Paul Ravelry was a graduate Electrical Engineer working in PWD. In 1978, I too joined PWD as a Civil Engineer after my graduation. I was posted to supervise the construction of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport. Paul by then worked as a consultant engaged by the Civil Aviation Department to upgrade the runway lighting system. In a way, we became peers in our respective professional endeavour!

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I  recall writing about an incidence when I walked home after watching a Dracula movie way back in 1968 close to midnight (Read here).This house is very near to the spot where a man committed suicide by hanging in a nearby tree!