Return to Margherita Fort: The Story of Rajah, Ranee and Dum Spiro Spero

Margherita Fort: The White Old Building

This English-castle style fort at Kuching was built in 1879 and completed 2 years later to protect the town of Kuching from surprise attacks by enemy forces.  Its position by the river (Sarawak River) allowed defenders the clear and unobstructed view of the surroundings.  However, even the main purpose of this fort is to protect Kuching people from the sudden attack, it was never been used in any kind of battle or receive attacks from any opponent.

Margherita Fort Map
(open new tab for better view)

Margherita Fort had seen different governments and different flags since it was built, starting with Brooke's official flag, followed by Japanese 'The Rising Sun' in World War II, British 'Union Jack' in colonial era and Sarawak Flag. In 1971, this fort served as Police Museum for many years until it stopped apparently in early millennium and handed over to Sarawak State Government.

How Margherita Fort Got Its Name?

Ranee Margaret Brooke

When Sir Charles Brooke become the second Rajah at Sarawak, he now ruled the Sarawak territory and receiving a huge responsibility. At the age of forty, he knew that he missed something important-a wife. So, he returned to England, looking for the one. At the end, he found Margaret Alice Lili de Windt,  the daughter of his first cousin. 

The marriage was not based on a passionate-love affair, but actually it was more to 'heir-purpose' (Charles) and 'adventure travel (Margaret). So, there was, they were getting married at Highworth, Wiltshire on 28 October 1869 and Margaret gained the title 'Ranee of Sarawak'. Margaret is the most beloved wife Charles ever had and that was when he decided to build a fort, he named it as 'Margherita', which sounds a bit Latin but that's Margaret.

Margherita Fort to Police Museum-so well, it's empty now.

That's my home site at old Briged (now becomes 
part of recreation park at Wisma Bapa Malaysia)

While served as the Police Museum (starting in 1971), it was situated at Police Field Force Brigade Headquarters, Petra Jaya (also known as Kem Polis Briged PGA). Apparently in 2004, half of the Police Headquarters become the site project for New Sarawak Legislative Assembly Building and in 2006, the whole place becomes State's territory and the new Brigade Headquarter is now at Batu Kawa. So, my home site becomes the recreation park and my kindergarten school becomes the seedling bed for Taman Orkid... sad~ 


Back to its heyday as the museum, it was the place for the fascinating exhibits of weaponry, old vehicles, the evolution of police apparels at the 3rd floor (I think..), the opium-wax man on the ground floor (scary..), the 'laughing skull' at the tower (more scary..), few isolated rooms on the top, the well-preserved rooster on the second floor, and the hangman's noose. Outside, there's a stone memorial for Brooke families (large addition symbol). After 2008. the whole display items were returned to Sarawak Museum and Police Museum at Kuala Lumpur.

Back in 90s, this fort was the center of activities for Brigade Headquarters, Astana and also involved in Sarawak events such as Regatta, the ornamented boats and ships at Sarawak River, family day, Police Open Day, children contests, lively tourism for the nearest school (which is SK Gersik) and foreign attentions (especially from UK, Australia, Denmark and Netherland- I met one of them when I was 11). It was surrounded by several kind of trees such as "pokok kayu manis", "pokok bunga cengkih", "pokok rambutan"-so sweet even it's still green, "pokok mancis" and "pokok ara". But now, it's all empty...empty...empty~

The Spirit of Dum Spiro Spero

Sarawak Royal Emblem
(coat of arms)

As North Borneo (Sabah) used to have its motto-Pergo Et Perago, which means "I Undertake and I Achive", Dum Spiro Spero was the motto of Sarawak Kingdom which means  "While I breath, I hope". This Latin motto was generally attributed to Marcus Tullies Cicero (also known as Cicero or Tully). It also a motto of various places and families such as:

• State motto for South Carolina in 1776.
• The motto of Principal of Hutt River, appears on their coat of arms.
• The motto of Burstow Park House (Surrey-England), appears on their coat of arms.
• The kingdom motto for the Kingdom of Sarawak.
• The Clan MacLennan (Highland Scottish Clan)
• The Olphert Family (Ballyconnell, Ireland)

Okay, let's focus on the Kingdom of Sarawak.

Back in 1841, when James Brooke discovered Sarawak (gave by the Sultanate of Brunei as a reward for helping fight the piracy and insurgency), he declared Sarawak as one of British family-based kingdom. It simply means that Sarawak is the only place that been conquered by a British family, not a British colony. So then, 'Dum Spiro Spero' becomes the motto of Sarawak Kingdom or in Malay it means, "Berharap Selagi Bernafas". And still, this motto is still exist at the front door of Margherita Fort.

<< see the black circle (and that's me in the mid)

And those are my Sarawak stamps of 1 cent, 2 cent, 4 cent, 6 cent, 12 cent and 15 cent, which included the image of the Queen and the Sarawak old emblem. Those stamps might be introduced during British colonial era in Sarawak (as the reason why the Queen shows up on this paper).

Here ye, here ye~ that's the end of my story.

Never did this without references-so Gratias Vobis Ago!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Sarawak

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dum_spiro_spero

http://borneotip.blogspot.com/2008/11/fort-margherita.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Margherita

http://hintstoladytravellers.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-ranee-of-sarawak.html
et cetera...et cetera...et cetera~

#MaGi2012