By : Chha
Many people probably have seen this very iconic building at Weld Quay Penang but how many of you actually know the history and the name of this building ?
Guilty as charge, even me myself does not know the name and history of this place. The only thing I know is, this is the Royale Chulan Penang hotel, so I did some google search to learn more about it. This is actually a combination of two different building called the Schmidt Küstermann Building and the other one is the Boustead and German Merchant Houses.
The Royale Chulan Penang Hotel now occupies the first two prominent buildings. Boustead & Co. has its founding roots in Singapore, where Edward Boustead began a mercantile business in 1828. A branch of the company was established in Penang in 1864. Boustead company continued and was one of the first mercantile firms to utilise the reclaimed land on Weld Quay. Designed by Swan & Maclaren, construction of the impressive building we see today began in 1891 and was completed in July 1892. The company even had its own jetty directly opposite. Behind the Weld Quay façade were the company offices, then a long row of godowns accessed via a central granitepaved laneway and extending right through to its original premises on Beach Street. The company soon became one of the most successful British firms in the Malay Peninsular, with direct involvement in the formation of companies such as the Straits Trading Company, the Tanjong Pagar Dock Company, Shell and many others. (Source : A Guide to Georgetown's Historic Commercial and Civic Precincts)
While the Schmidt Kustermann Building was constructed at a slightly later date than Boustead & Co’s building by a German-Swiss mercantile company, Schmidt, Kustermann & Co. The Penang branch of the company was first established in Beach Street in 1858 and dealt in a variety of merchandise. In the 1870s they were agents for Ohlendorff & Co., London, which specialised in the supply of Peruvian guano as fertiliser for sugar cane, tapioca, rice, tea and coffee. (Source : A Guide to Georgetown's Historic Commercial and Civic Precincts)
These building which is located in the heart of George Town's UNESCO World Heritage Site is now available as a fridge magnet at Royale Chulan Penang Hotel. It is really nice to have something with a historical value of Penang as souvenir for family and friends back home. This unique fridge magnet can be purchase from Royale Chulan Penang's souvenir store. Get one today as a gift, may it for yourself or for family and friends as a remembrance for your travel to Penang.
Address :
No. 1 and 2 Pengkalan Weld
George Town
10300, Penang
Malaysia
Telephone :
+6 04 - 2598888
Email :
info.rcp@royalechulan.com
Webpage :
GPS Coordinate :
5.417119, 100.343713
Map :
Posted Date : 16 June 2024
Posted Time : 9.38 am
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