Tuesday 6 June 2017

Walter George Darby (6.8.1865-7.2.1938)


Following on from Edward Ellis Abrahamson, we have an even bigger business character in Walter George Darby. He took over the running of the China-Borneo Company when Abrahamson left in July 1891. He arrived initially in September 1889 on the SS Memnon from Hong Kong to work as the accountant for the China-Borneo Company. Through his contacts, he also set up Darby & Co with interests in shipping, insurance, plantations etc. He was by far the wealthiest expatriate locally in those days. He continued to wield enormous power when he was in charge of Harrisons & Crosfield which took over most of the assets of the China-Borneo Company in 1919. He was definitely more influential and powerful than the Governor himself. He was also credited with importing the first motor car into North Borneo in 1914. It was believed to be a Chrevolet Baby Grand Touring. It was used for the short distance between his residence, Palawan House and work. Roads were almost non existent in North Borneo and there were 4-5 miles of road in and around Sandakan. The car was a great luxury and a grand gesture of power. 



Really a lot can be written about this card. It is full of wonderful information about the route and time it took for its journey from Suriname, a former Dutch colony on the north eastern Atlantic coast of South America, to Sandakan in North Borneo. The markings are quite clear. It went from Suriname to Le Havre, then to Paris, to Singapore via Penang, then to Jesselton and finally Sandakan. The whole journey took less than 2 months which was pretty remarkable. 
The important thing was that the card was addressed to Walter George Darby. There is scarcely any postal history around involving Darby directly as far as I know. There are a lot of post cards addressed to Mary Dolla Darby, the daughter, some of which are from her mother. Darby's wife was Violet Beeston who was the daughter of Captain Richard D Beeston, chief  of the Sandakan constabulary. They married in 1900. Violet Beeston was a contemporary friend of Ada Pryer as mentioned in her diary.




This pair are examples of postcards to Dolla Darby, the daughter. They were posted in Singapore on the same date and transited Jesselton before arriving in Sandakan. It has Jesselton D2 and Sandakan D8. They both showed the area in Singapore frequented by most expatriates.


Tuck's postcards were popular in those days and this was sent from UK to Dolla. It has Jesselton D2 and Sandakan D11. 


This was an incoming postcard from Manila in the Philippines. It went per SS Changsha and sent c/o Harrisons & Crosfields which was managed by Walter Darby.

S S Changsha
With this postcard, the S S Changsha arrived at Sandakan on 2 December 1921. It plied the route between Hong Kong, Manila and Australian ports. It was part of the Australian Oriental Line. It was delivered in 1886 and made its final voyage in November 1925 and sent to the breaker yard a year later.




This was a photo used as a postcard sent in 4 April 1937. The photo was the only one of W G Darby that I know. By this time, he was looking frail and he died less than a year later. His grave is marked by a modest tombstone in St Mary Churchyard, Warbleton, East Sussex near to Markly, a country estate which he inherited from his grandfather in 1931.
After almost 29 years in North Borneo, Darby retired in August 1918 and left for England.  They returned for visits in 1919 and 1921.  From 1928, there were frequent visits to North Borneo both for business and leisure including revisiting the very popular picnic excursions to Taganak, now part of the Philippines turtle islands when it was returned after WWll. On a clear day, Taganak can be seen in the distance from the Buli Simsim area of Sandakan.
During his retirement, he was chairman of Cowie Harbour Coal Co Ltd, Membakut Rubber Ltd, North Borneo State Rubber Ltd, Marudu Rubber Ltd as well as managing director of British Borneo Timber Co.
The postcard was written by the mother, Violet Darby to their daughter, Dolla who was Mrs Curteis by that time. She married Sir Gerald Curteis in 1936 when she was 34 years old. Mary Dolla Curteis died in Tunbridge Wells at the grand old age of 91 in August 1992. She had 3 children including 2 older girls who were twins. W G Darby also had a younger son Selby, named after his brother, but it is unclear what happened to him before or after the family left Sandakan in 1918.

Taganak Is in the distance and Berhala Is in the foreground, that is how near Philippines is to Sandakan. 

10 comments:

  1. This is some really good collection, I liked it and impressed. Thank you for sharing such good post with us

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  2. A more detailed article will hopefully be submitted to the Sarawak Journal by the end of the year.
    Thanks!

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  3. This is really a wonderful Collection.
    Moroni Stamps

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    1. I wonder, is this the same Walter Davis? Did he play hawaiian guitar?
      It is a fascinating guitar with some very unusual features like an extra set of sound holes, drilled into a well at the back of the bridge and a wide body. It uses bone tuners and a slotted headstock. l carried out a few repairs and set about trying to trace its history, with limited success.

      Through part of a broken shipping label with half a name and address on it, I discovered that the guitar had traveled on the P. & O. Steamship Comorin, which was built in Glasgow in 1925 and was used for passenger service to Australia and the USA. The owner at that time was a Mr. Walter Darby; a reference to his name was on the shipping label. Through the Guildhall library in London, I discovered that he had lived in Sevenoaks, Kent, from 1921 to 1938 when he died. Perhaps he was a gigging musician who traveled abroad for a tour. Despite trying to find further details of any descendants through the local Kent press, l have been unable to unearth anything further.

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    2. Thank you for your interest.
      He was a workaholic millionaire businessman in North Borneo.
      There is no suggestion that he played any musical instruement as far as I know.
      So I think it is unlikely that he was Walter Davis.

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  4. Dear Sir,
    I am doing a bit of research on my hometown Sandakan and came across your interesting blog. I am trying to picture where the old colonial houses/structures used to be in Sandakan town. You mentioned "Palawan House" above as the residence of Mr Darby. I also came across (thru the North Borneo Herald), a bungalow called "Bintangor Besar" which used to be Mr & Mrs Pryer's residence. Would you happen to have any idea where these 2 residences were? Thank you and looking forward to hearing from you. PS I would also like to read your article submitted to the Sarawak journal and hope you can send me a link to where I can obtain it, thanks. Best regards, Judith

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    1. Sabah Hotel is the site of the former Governor's residence. Palawan House was further along and across the road at a place called Red Bridge. Bintangor Besar was probably at the edge of Beatrice Estate and probably on the same side as Sabah Hotel on the hilly bit before the road takes a dip. Beyond that is the race course and Beatrice Estate with Tam Kong Temple. Most of these is conjecture. I need someone who can do the ground work.

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  5. Very interesting! Will try & check out these places when I have the chance to go back to Sandakan. Thank you so much for the leads. As for Bintangor Besar, I'm wondering if it could also be on Jalan Bukit (next to Mile 1 1/2 roundabout). This steep hill was used by JPJ to conduct part of the driving test. Will update if I find anything. Best regards, Judith

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    1. What you proposed is very plausible as it overlooks Beatrice Estate. Ada Pryer stated in her diary that their house stood on an acre of land. The land probably has thin rocky soil as she complained that her flowers did not grow as well as other places. And also there was no landslip during the heavy rains end 1893 and start of 1894.

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