Eugene Quah

is an independent researcher and writer who is working on a book tentatively called “Illustrated Guide to the North Coast of Penang”. He rediscovered the joys of writing after moving back to Penang.

36 posts

Flames of Fortune: The Chneah Hoay Ceremony at Penang’s Oldest Chinese Temple

4 min read

ON THE EVENING of 23 February, my friend—a heritage enthusiast from Penang Heritage Trust (PHT), Ganesh Kolandaveloo—and I went to see the venerable Chneah Hoay...

by Eugene Quah

From Hillview to Wellesley: The Evolution of a Pioneering Boys’ School

9 min read

JALAN SULTAN AZLAN SHAH, formerly known as Northam Road, hugs the contours of North Beach, extending towards Gurney Drive. With the panoramic views it offers of...

by Eugene Quah

A Short History of Pulau Rimau

9 min read

WALKING ALONG THE Queen’s Waterfront promenade at Bayan Lepas, you see a large, heavily forested island nearby that once hosted a leper colony and, later, a pri...

by Eugene Quah

A Grand Tour of the Genting Tea Estate

6 min read

THE GENTING TEA ESTATE is the private residence and research station of Henry Sackville Barlow, who has held several prestigious positions in his long career. A...

by Eugene Quah

When Penang Was an Axis Submarine Base

11 min read

The I-29’s mission to rendezvous with the U-180 was one of a series of long and dangerous missions to Nazi-controlled Europe, dubbed the Yanagi missions, for the exchange of technology, skills and military material.

by Eugene Quah

Penang Chinese Swimming Club: Birthplace of Olympians

8 min read

THE MELBOURNE SUMMER OLYMPICS of 1956, held in Victoria, was a game with many historic firsts. It was the first Olympics ever held in the southern hemisphere an...

by Eugene Quah

Early Days of Motor Buses in Penang

9 min read

It is often thought that the first motor buses, four Thornycrofts, were introduced in Penang in 1921 by the municipality. While Ric Francis and Colin Ganley cov...

by Eugene Quah

Penang Hill: A Natural Resource That Shaped The Settlement

9 min read

BESIDE THE HANDSOME George Town Dispensary building on Beach Street is a neat white shop house which today is occupied by an upscale artisanal retail store. On...

by Eugene Quah

Foo Hong Tatt's Poetry in Paint

5 min read

FOO HONG TATT was born on 9 April 1940, several months before World War II descended upon Malaya. He recalls hiding with his family at their estate in the hills...

by Eugene Quah

The Benevolent Madam Tan Say Seang: Penang philanthropist par excellence

9 min read

ON SATURDAY, 14 December 1907, at 12.30pm, the sentry on duty at the police station in the rustic village of Tanjung Tokong “noticed that one of the buildings i...

by Eugene Quah

The Spout: The Little Victorian Hill Resort

7 min read

ONE FINE MORNING last July, I went with my intrepid friend, James Wong, to explore the hills behind the Vale of Tempe in Tanjung Bungah. As we reached the end o...

by Eugene Quah

James Dollery Fettes of Penang Waterworks: A Life of Civil Engineering and Service (Part Two)

9 min read

DURING A MEETING on 30 April 1909, the President of the Penang Municipal Commission, James Wilson Hallifax, asked Leonard Moore Bell how long “the new engineer”...

by Eugene Quah