Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower | The Clock Tower that turns 122 years this year

Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower

In conjunction with Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and in his strife to please the British Colonial Government, the highly successful Chinese businessman, Cheah Chen Eok, expressed his intent to contribute to the construction of a memorial clock tower.  

It was reported that a special meeting of the Municipal Commissioners which was attended by all commissioners, took place on 15 June 1897 to consider a proposal made by Cheah Chen Eok for the erection of a Diamond Jubilee Clock Tower and a Fountain.  

After the Municipal Commissioners accepted the proposal made by Cheah Chen Eok, they launched a contest looking for designs and offered a prize of $150 for the accepted plan while $50 for the design that they may deem the second best. The competition was to be closed in November 1897.

Cheah Chen Eok emphasized that he would prefer the tower to be 60 ft tall, one foot for each year of the reign, to which the Commissioners agreed.

The design submitted by Mr Pierce who was the municipal engineer was chosen as the winner.  After much deliberation the construction started in 1900 but only after Cheah Chen Eok contributed another $5000.  Construction was carried out by Messrs Barnett and Stark together with local contractors except the clock which was brought from Europe.  In complying with Cheah's requirement, the clock tower did stand at 60 feet tall if measured from the ground to the centre of the clock but 97 feet if measured up to the top of the cupola.  

Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower

The clock tower stands at the junction of Light Street and Beach Street in George Town, Penang overlooking the town and sea. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (Weekly) dated 31 July 1902 reported that on Wednesday, 30 July 1902, the handsome clock tower presented to Penang in commemoration of Her Late Majesty's glorious reign by Cheah Chen Eok was opened in a ceremony which was largely attended and most successful.

The general style of the structure was Saracenic.  The belfry above the clock contained five bells which chimed the Westminster quarters, and the hour bell weighs one ton. The clock has windows of opal glass and was originally illuminated at night by acetylene.

When the Japanese bombed Penang in December 1941 the clock tower was damaged. This, combined with allied bombing in 1945,caused the tower to lean slightly. After the Japanese Occupation the clock and chimes were repaired and once again rang out the time for George Town. Today, sadly, the chimes are silent once again. Born in Penang in 1852, Cheah Chen Eok began the mercantile firm Chen Eok & Co. in 1876. He later held the highly lucrative rights to operate the opium and spirit monopolies in the Straits Settlements and died a wealthy man in 1922 at the age of 70 years.

Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower at sunset

 

REFERENCES

A new clock tower for Penang. (1902, July 31). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (Weekly).

Langdon, M. (2010). George Town’s historic commercial and civic precincts. Retrieved June 8, 2015 from http://gtwhi.com.my/images/pdfs/George%20Towns%20Historic%20Commercial%20and%20Civic%20Precincts.pdf

The diamond jubilee clock tower and fountain. (1897, June 16). Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle.