WHEN WAS GLUGOR HOUSE DEMOLISHED?

December 1923 brought news of a "new Marine Depot behind Glugor House." In mid-1937 it was announced in the Government Gazette that a new military barracks at Penang will be on part of Glugor Estate, near the fifth mile of the main road to Bayan Lepas, 259 acres of which was being negotiated for that purpose. It was understood that this was being made up from two separate sections in Mukim 13, one piece measuring 237 acres and the other 22 acres. Beginning near the fifth milestone of the Glugor-Bayan Lepas Road on the way to the Penang Aerodrome, it was to extend as far as the village of Bukit Sungei Dua. Work began on barracks and batteries at Glugor in March 1938. A cantonment was built, intended to provide barracks for a troop of around 700 souls. The new barracks was said to be an improvement on those at Selerang Park, where the 2nd Battalion, The Gordon Highlands, were quartered. Early March 1939 brought news of the occupation of the barracks at Glugor. The War Office, Penang, then situated at the F.M.S. Railway Building, transferred to the newly completed barracks at Glugor. The Singapore Free Press published, "The area acquired at Glugor for the barracks has now completely changed from its former aspect. The swamp has been filled and levelled, and a big playing field has been completed by the side of the road, while the barracks occupy the small hill. The area has been turned into a model colony." At that time work widening the road from Jelutong to Glugor and the aerodrome was almost complete. The 6th Singapore Heavy Battery, Hong Kong-Singapore Royal Artillery was expected to relocate to Penang on 15th March. At the end of March 1939, the press reported that a new telephone exchange, called Batu Uban, was opened in the district in line with the occupation of the military barracks at Glugor. Tenders were called for in December 1952 for fruit gathering rights at Minden Barracks, Glugor. In the Straits Times of 24th February 1957 Donald Davies wrote, "Glugor House, which once stood on the site of Trainer Bagby's racing stables, was demolished years ago and all that remains today is a heavy marble bath imported from Italy." This he repeated in the Straits Times Annual of 1961, where he added that the bath was in the possession of the estate manager and the "Many ancient and gnarled angsana trees, which at one time surrounded the old mansion, still survive." Davies had in December 1955 written of John Turnbull Thomson's visit to Glugor house on 7th August 1838, in the Straits Times of December 1955, but at that time he had made no mention of its demolition or the Italian bath that remained of it. There was an article in the Straits Times from November 1949 written by Katharine Sim. And it is the best source, so far, to pin down the time of the demolition of Glugor house. The relevant part of it reads, ".....and his house was built on lavish lines, sprawling all over the little hill top that lies next to the army's own hill now at Glugor; the big stone gate posts can still be seen on the highroad and the great angsana trees that once outlined the drives are still alive. The house was standing 25 years ago..... .....At first it is difficult to find the least vestige of any building, but we met an old Tamil labourer who showed us the bricked kitchen floor and even the place where the great dapurs had stood, as he remembered them in his youth; and from there, no doubt, he feasted on rice and curry cooked for the labourers at festivals." If accurate, this last means that Glugor House was torn down around 1924. This seems to be consistent with the news of the new marine depot at the back of Glugor House in 1923, probably the beginning of land acquisition of Glugor Estate for military use. But as it was not demolished for the construction of the barracks, the actual reason for its demolition still remains a mystery. References - The Straits Times, 6 December 1923, Page 8 - Pinang gazette and Straits chronicle, 19 July 1937, Page 2 - Straits Budget, 3 March 1938, Page 11 - The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 6 March 1939, Page 7 - Pinang gazette and Straits chronicle, 29 March 1939, Page 16 - The Straits Times, 3 November 1949, Page 8 - The Straits Times, 20 December 1952, Page 2 - The Straits Times, 11 December 1955, Page 14 - The Straits Times, 24 February 1957, Page 12 - Straits Times Annual, 1 January 1961, Page 24-25