Atkinson Clock Tower Kota Kinabalu 31st Aug 2011

In the morning, on our way to the Green Connection, we did pass through this eye catching clock tower. We decided to come back and have a check at this clock tower after our visit to the Green Connection. First impression to us were this must be a very old time tower by looking at its appearance. We parked our rental car at the car parking area located at the bottom of the hill. We walked up through a steeply staircase.

Eventually , after we reach at the top, it turns out to be one of the most enduring landmarks in Kota Kinabalu. It stands prominently on a bluff along Signal Hill Road adjacent to the old Police Station. Built in 1905, this all-wood, no-nails structure was built in memory of Francis George Atkinson - the popular first District Officer of Jesselton during the British North Borneo Chartered Company Administration, who died at the age of 28 from “Borneo Fever”, which I believe is the malaria.

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This Clock Tower has the distinction of being the oldest standing structure in the whole of Sabah that survived the destruction of Jesselton town during World War II. Built with public donations and of merbau timber, the tower has been replaced several times by the city council. It was refurbished in 1959 to celebrate the city’s diamond jubilee. It is said that the original clock, a double-face clock that was a gift from his mother to Atkinson, was replaced in 1964. Over the years, through repairs and extensive renovations, the original facade has altered significantly. The tower once served as a lighthouse to guide sailors, when it was nearer the coast. Till today, it still serves to keep the city's time.

The Atkinson Clock Tower was designated a heritage site in 1998 and it is managed by the Sabah Museum under its Antiquity and History section currently.

Daddy took a few shots of the clock tower. We unable to enter to the clock tower, as it was gated and not permitted to go in.  But, any how, it was a great experience indeed!