Eugene Quah

is an independent researcher and writer who is working on a book tentatively called “Illustrated Guide to the North Coast of Penang”.

30 posts

Mariophile: The Early Days of the Estate and Country Retreat of the College General

11 min read

THE COLLEGE GENERAL, off Jalan Cengal, is a venerable Catholic seminary emphasising a prayerful and secluded life for its students—…

Bencoolen: The Forgotten British Outpost

10 min read

IN THE HEART of Singapore’s bustling Central Business District, Bencoolen Street hums with activity. Locals and tourists alike traverse…

Penang's Magazines Preserve The Past and Shape the Future

8 min read

In early 1989, Ganesh Kolandaveloo, a Form 5 student at St. Xavier’s Institution, would visit his grand-uncle’s newsstand on Prangin Road after school.

Local History Matters Most Immediately

7 min read

IN THE GRAND theatre of social media—where cat videos reign supreme and discussions about anything often devolve into spirited…

Recognising Penang’s Global Legacy Around Its Esplanade

9 min read

IN EARLY MAY, I was invited to the annual state-level Vaisakhi festival at Fort Cornwallis by the Sikh community. The choice of the fort as an annual venue for...

The Story of Early Juru

9 min read

IN LATE APRIL 1845, James Richardson Logan, a Penang lawyer and ethnologist, visited Bukit Tengah and Juru. He noted that land bounded by the Prai and Juru rive...

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...

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...

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...

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...

When Penang Was an Axis Submarine Base

10 min read

ON THE MORNING of 27 April 1943, the Imperial Japanese Navy cruiser submarine I-29, codenamed Matsu, was sailing slowly through choppy waters up the M...

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...