Brooke Dockyard Industrial Heritage Museum: Sarawak’s Latest Attraction

KUCHING, April 21 (Bernama) -- The Brooke Dockyard Industrial Heritage Museum, which showcases Sarawak's maritime legacy and early development under the White Rajahs, is set to become a premier historical attraction in the state.

Located in the heart of the state capital, the museum features galleries housing original shipyard machinery and a replica of the HHY Zahora, a vessel that once played a pivotal role in the state's colonial administration.

Highlighting Sarawak's industrial history, the Zahora, a 350-tonne vessel measuring some 40 metres in length, served the second and third Rajahs of Sarawak from 1896 to 1928.

During that period, the vessel acted as a vital link across the state’s vast river networks, easing travel from Kuching to the interior and bringing the administration closer to the people.

The museum houses several key galleries providing a comprehensive overview of Sarawak's evolution.

Among these is the ‘Revolution’ gallery, which takes visitors through the state’s modernisation journey under the rule of Charles Brooke. It highlights Kuching’s development into an administrative capital through the establishment of essential institutions, including government offices, hospitals, schools, and religious centres, culminating in its city status proclamation in 1988.

Meanwhile, the ‘Men of Steel’ gallery spotlights the individuals who formed the backbone of the Brooke Dockyard operations.

The exhibition introduces the roles of local workers and European officers who pioneered the industry, charting the workforce's evolution from basic labour to semi-skilled, skilled, and management roles in carpentry and electrical engineering.

From humble beginnings, the shipyard evolved into Brooke Holding Sdn Bhd, which now employs over 400 staff, reflecting the progress of the local industry from the colonial era to the present day.

The ‘River and Vessels’ gallery depicts the Sarawak River, which flows 120 kilometres from the Kapuas Mountains to Muara Tebas, as the lifeblood of the state.

The gallery focuses on the river’s crucial role in shaping early settlements along its banks and Kuching’s development as a trade and administrative hub.

Additionally, the ‘Back in Time’ gallery transports visitors to the inception of the Brooke Dockyard, first proposed by Rajah Charles Brooke in 1870 as part of Sarawak’s economic advancement.

It explores the construction of one of the oldest dry docks in Borneo between 1908 and 1912, which was officially opened by Ranee Muda Sylvia.

The ‘Great Gears and Engineers’ gallery showcases the industrial heart of the Brooke Dockyard, where ship hulls and machinery were repaired and maintained.

It features original machine tools, welding equipment, and copper smelting furnaces, most of which were imported from Britain in the early 20th century, reflecting the engineering prowess behind the early industrial and infrastructural development in the Land of the Hornbills.

At the inauguration ceremony yesterday, Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the museum's opening was timely, as it would remind the younger generation of Kuching’s historical development.

“It serves as a symbol of the state's engineering and cultural legacy that must be preserved as part of the Sarawakian identity,” he said in his speech.

He also announced plans to construct a 4.8-kilometre waterfront extension connecting the museum to the Satok Bridge, serving as a landmark of Kuching’s heritage and modern development.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, said the transformation of the Brooke Dockyard into an industrial heritage museum was a high-impact initiative implemented in stages from 2020 to 2025, involving a cost of RM46.7 million.

-- BERNAMA