๐๐ข๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ค๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ฌ? ๐โ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ ๐ต๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ค ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ โ๐ข๐ก ๐๐ค๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ก๐.
Current photo of Darbar Hall.
Along the busy Jalan Burma stands a bungalow painted orange with green windows that is slowly falling into disrepair. Looking at the tired old building surrounded by an overgrowth of trees and plants and partially hidden by metal hoardings, one would never have guessed that this used to be Darbar Hall and a school. [1] The two-storey Straits Eclectic style bungalow is believed to have been built at the turn of the 20th century. [2]
Not much has been known about the bungalowโs earlier history, except that the original owner is believed to be linked to the Conference of the Malay Rulers, which explains its name, Darbar Hall.
Darbar or durbar refers to the Conference of the Malay Rulers. [1]
An old postcard with the image of Darbar Hall. Credit: Penang Heritage Trust
While efforts to research the first owner are underway by heritage conservation NGO Penang Heritage Trust (PHT), the NGO uncovered interesting historical records. Darbal Hall was used by the Lasalle Brothers of St. Xavierโs Primary School as a boarding house for an extensive period until 1977 before Uplands School occupied it until 1987. Then, when the growing number of students called for a bigger space, the school moved to another location at St. Joseph Novitiate (now part of Gurney Paragon) at Jalan Kelawai. [3]
Then, sometime in the late 90s to the early 2000s, the site turned into an eatery known as Safari Food Court.
Old photo of Darbar Hall. Credit: Penang Heritage Trust
In 2011, Darbar Hall was threatened by demolition when its owner submitted an โapplication for planning permission to demolish an existing buildingโ. PHT voiced its disapproval and wrote that the NGO โis gravely concerned with the application". [3].
There was supposed to be a hearing on the application to demolish the bungalow, but it was canceled when the owner withdrew the application. [1]
Today, the heritage bungalow is still standing, awaiting its fate, saved from being knocked to the ground for now. Special thanks to Tan David for inspiring this post.
๐ณ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐? ๐ฏ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐! โค๏ธโ๐ฅ Sources: [1] https://www.malaymail.com/.../after-runnymede.../1064297 [2] https://www.penang-traveltips.com/457-burmah-road.htm [3] https://pht.org.my/proposed-demolition-of-457-burmah-road/