The Astana, Sarawak

This article is about palace in Sarawak. For capital of Kazakhstan, see Astana.

Astana
Front view of the building from Kuching Waterfront
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Governor's residence
Location	Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Coordinates	1°33′49″N 110°20′44″E / 1.56361°N 110.34556°E / 1.56361; 110.34556Coordinates: 1°33′49″N 110°20′44″E / 1.56361°N 110.34556°E / 1.56361; 110.34556
Completed	1870
Technical details
Lifts/elevators	Unknown

The Astana is a palace in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, on the north bank of the Sarawak River, opposite the Kuching Waterfront. It is the official residence of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak, the Governor of Sarawak. The name is a variation of 'istana', meaning 'palace'.^[1] It was built in 1870 by the second White Rajah, Charles Brooke, as a wedding gift to his wife, Margaret Alice Lili de Windt. The palace is not normally open to the public, although the landscaped gardens are, which can be reach by a boat ride across the Sarawak River.

History

The Astana, then called the Government House, was built in 1870 by the second White Rajah, Charles Brooke, as a wedding gift to his wife, Margaret Alice Lili de Windt. The couple married at Highworth, Wiltshire on 28 October 1869 and she was raised to the title of Ranee of Sarawak with the style of Her Highness upon their marriage.

Ranee Margaret arrived in Sarawak in 1870, and the royal couple then occupied The Astana as their main home.^[2] She later reminisced about life in The Astana and colonial Borneo in her memoir My Life in Sarawak, which was published in 1913.

Brooke is said to have cultivated betel nut in a small plantation behind the Astana, so that he could offer fresh betel nut to visiting Dayak chiefs.

The Astana in 1896
The Astana in 1959
The Governor's office in 1959
Ranee's bedroom in 1959

Architecture

The residence was originally three separate buildings, with each connected to the other by short and narrow passageways. In 1883, a clock tower was added at the front of the palace in memory of Charles Brooke, who was the first resident.

The Astana has since undergone major renovations and alterations befitting it as the official residence of the Governor of Sarawak.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Astana, Sarawak.

Colonial architecture of Malaysia

British	All Saints' Church All Souls' Church Atkinson Clock Tower Church of the Assumption Church of the Immaculate Conception Church of the Risen Christ City Hall Coliseum Theatre Eastern & Oriental Hotel Fort Cornwallis Fort Hose Fort Margherita Fort Sylvia Holy Spirit Cathedral Hotel Majestic Istana Besar Istana Bukit Serene Jubilee Clock Tower Kellie's Castle Kinarut Mansion Labuan Chimney Labuan Clock Tower Malacca Light Malay and Islamic World Museum National Textile Museum One Fathom Bank Lighthouse Pisang Island Lighthouse Undan Island Lighthouse Sacred Heart Cathedral, Kota Kinabalu Sacred Heart Cathedral, Sibu Sarawak State Museum St. Anne's Church St. George's Church St. John's Cathedral St. Mary's Cathedral St. Michael's Church, Penampang St. Michael's and All Angels Church, Sandakan Suffolk House Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque Sultan Ibrahim Building The Astana

Dutch	Christ Church Dutch Fort Governor's Museum Malaysia Architecture Museum Proclamation of Independence Memorial Stadthuys St. John's Fort St. Peter's Church

French	Church of St. Francis Xavier

Portuguese	A Famosa Cape Rachado Lighthouse St. Paul's Church

Historical related buildings, memorials, monuments and sites in Malaysia

West Malaysia

Buildings	A Famosa Abidin Mosque All Saints' Church All Souls' Church Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple Buddhist Maha Vihara Cape Rachado Lighthouse Church of the Risen Christ City Hall Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion Cheng Hoon Teng Christ Church Coliseum Theatre Church of St. Francis Xavier Church of the Assumption Church of the Immaculate Conception Dhammikarama Burmese Temple Dutch Fort Eastern & Oriental Hotel Fort Cornwallis Governor's Museum Holy Spirit Cathedral Hotel Majestic Istana Ampang Tinggi Istana Besar Istana Bukit Serene Istana Seri Menanti Jalan Baru Sri Muniswarar Temple Jehan Chan Art Gallery Johor Bahru Old Chinese Temple Jubilee Clock Tower Kampung Hulu Mosque Kampung Laut Mosque Kapitan Keling Mosque Kek Lok Si Kellie's Castle Khoo Kongsi Kong Hock Keong Temple Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan Lebuh Aceh Mosque Macau Gallery Malacca Light Malay and Islamic World Museum Malaysia Architecture Museum Malaysia Youth Museum National Mosque of Malaysia National Textile Museum Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple One Fathom Bank Lighthouse DBKL City Theatre Penang Islamic Museum Perak State Museum Poh San Teng Temple Proclamation of Independence Memorial Pisang Island Lighthouse Undan Island Lighthouse Snake Temple Sin Sze Si Ya Temple Sri Aghora Veerapathra Temple Sri Kandaswamy Kovil Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Penang Sri Marathandavar Bala Dhandayuthapani Alayam Temple Sri Poyatha Moorthi Temple Sri Sunderaraja Perumal Temple Sri Sithi Vinayagar Temple Stadthuys St. Anne's Church St. George's Church St. John's Cathedral St. Mary's Cathedral St. John's Fort St. Paul's Church St. Peter's Church Straits Chinese Jewellery Museum Suffolk House Sultanah Aminah Hospital Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque Sultan Abdul Samad Building Sultan Ibrahim Building Taiping Hospital Tamil Methodist Church Thni Kong Tnua Wat Chayamangkalaram Wat Phothivihan

Memorials and monuments	Alor Gajah British Graveyard Batu Tenggek War Memorial Cheras War Cemetery Hang Jebat Mausoleum Hang Li Poh's Well Hang Tuah's Well Kedah Royal Mausoleum Kelantan Royal Mausoleum Kuala Klawang Memorial Lord Murugan Statue Al-Ghufran Royal Mausoleum Mahmoodiah Royal Mausoleum Heroes' Mausoleum Sultan Abdul Samad Mausoleum Tomb of Sultan Ali Tomb of Sultan Mahmud Shah II Malacca Warrior Monument Millennium Monument National Monument Old Protestant Cemetery Pahang Old Royal Mausoleum Penang Jewish Cemetery Seri Menanti Royal Mausoleum Statue of Kuan Yin Taiping War Cemetery Kris Monument Tun Teja Mausoleum

Site	Batu Caves Fort of Smelly Monitor Lizard Chinese Hill Princess Hill Chinatown, Kuala Terengganu Fort of Ruins Fort of Ngah Ibrahim's Lenggong Malacca General Hospital Markets of Taiping Morib Penang Botanic Gardens St. Paul's Hill Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital Biru Seri Kundang Lake

East Malaysia

Buildings	Atkinson Clock Tower Fort Hose Fort Margherita Fort Sylvia Kinarut Mansion Labuan Chimney Labuan Clock Tower Sacred Heart Cathedral, Kota Kinabalu Sacred Heart Cathedral, Sibu Sarawak State Museum St. Michael's Church, Penampang St. Michael's and All Angels Church, Sandakan The Astana Tua Pek Kong Temple

Memorials and monuments	Bronze Globe of Tanjung Simpang Mengayau Brooke Memorial Chartered Company Monument Cho Huan Lai Memorial De Fontaine Memorial Double Six Monument Gunner Cleary Memorial Keningau Oath Stone Kuching Heroes Cemetery Kundasang War Memorial World War II Memorial Last POW Camp Memorial Mat Salleh Memorial North Borneo War Monument Petagas War Memorial Quailey's Hill Memorial Rafflesia Monument Sandakan Heritage Trail Sandakan Massacre Memorial Sandakan Memorial Park Sandakan War Monument Starcevich Monument Tawau Japanese War Memorial Tun Mustapha Memorial Park William Pryer Monument

Site	Agop Batu Tulug Caves Batu Lawi Hill Batu Lintang camp Chinatown, Kuching Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu Nunuk Ragang Queen Elizabeth Hospital Sandakan camp Sarawak General Hospital

Museums of Malaysia

West Malaysia

Arts	Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum Batik Painting Museum Penang Cheng Ho Cultural Museum Islamic Arts Museum Kite Museum Macau Gallery Malacca Malacca Art Gallery Malacca Islamic Museum Malacca Literature Museum Malacca Stamp Museum National Textile Museum National Visual Arts Gallery Penang Islamic Museum Penang Museum and Art Gallery Petronas Gallery Straits Chinese Jewellery Museum Sultan Alam Shah Museum Wei-Ling Gallery

Historic house	Governor's Museum Istana Ampang Tinggi Istana Negara Istana Seri Menanti Kota Ngah Ibrahim Malaysia Architecture Museum Malaysia Youth Museum Perak State Museum People's Museum Proclamation of Independence Memorial Stadthuys Sun Yat-sen Museum Penang Tun Ghafar Baba Museum

History	Beauty Museum Chitty Museum Education Museum Gallery of Admiral Cheng Ho Malacca Al-Quran Museum Malacca Sultanate Palace Museum Malacca Transportation Museum Malay and Islamic World Museum Maybank Numismatic Museum National History Museum National Museum Orang Asli Museum Pulau Besar Museum Royal Malaysian Police Museum Time Tunnel

Maritime	Maritime Museum Flor de la Mar Royal Malaysian Customs Department Museum Royal Malaysian Navy Museum Submarine Museum

Science	Al-Khawarizmi Astronomy Complex Malacca Planetarium National Science Centre Planetarium Negara

Other	Democratic Government Museum Malacca UMNO Museum Museum of Custom and Tradition Toy Museum

East Malaysia

Arts	Kuching Cat Museum Sabah Museum

Historic house	Fort Sylvia Sarawak State Museum The Astana

Maritime	Labuan Maritime Museum

Science	Planetarium Sultan Iskandar

Kingdom of Sarawak

Rajahs

James Brooke (1841–1868)
Charles Anthony Johnson Brooke (1868–1917)
Charles Vyner Brooke (1917–1946)

Kingdom

Symbols	Constitution Coat of arms Currency Flag Anthem Revenue stamps Order of the Star of Sarawak

Organisations	Borneo Company Limited Sarawak Rangers

Buildings	Fort Margherita Fort Sylvia Sarawak State Museum The Astana

Dissolution

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, February 23, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.

The Astana, Sarawak

History

Architecture

See also

References