King Edward VII Memorial Hospital Building

King Edward VII Memorial Hospital Building, Macalister Road, George Town (3 August 2008)


The former King Edward VII Memorial Hospital Building, now used as Museum at Macalister, a branch of the Penang State Museum, is a heritage building along Macalister Road. It used to function as a maternity hospital. In 2008, when this is written, the building was restored and is awaiting reoccupancy.


King Edward VII Memorial Hospital Building (3 August 2008)


The idea to found a maternity hospital can be traced back to around 1912 when two British colonial officers, William Evans and William Peel, proposed at a maternity hospital be set up in memory of King Edward VII. Sir William Peel was the President of the Municipal Commissioners in Penang in 1911 and Acting Resident Councillor of Penang in 1917.

The King Edward VII Memorial Fund, which was set up for this purpose, received the support from various members of the Penang business circles. Among the donors include the Huttenbach brothers, Tye Kee Yoon, the 4th Chinese Consul to Penang; the Sarkies Brothers of E & O Hotel fame; various clan associations, and other pillars of society of early 20th century Penang. A plaque at the hospital building shows that the fund managed to raise $65435.

The resulting building constructed for the maternity hospital was occupied for that purpose from 1915 to 1955. In 1955, the Maternity Hospital was moved to Jalan Residensi, where it is still located. The King Edward VII Memorial Hospital building was then handed over for the use of charitable organizations, among them the St John Ambulance Brigade of Penang, which occupied it until 1978.


King Edward VII Memorial Hospital Building (3 August 2008)


Between 1955 and the 1980's, the building was occupied by various organizations including the St John Ambulance, the Red Crescent Society, and as a vocational training centre for adults. In 2008 the building was restored and taken over by the Penang State Museum.

Getting there by Public Transport

Rapid Penang Buses 10, 101 and 104 pass through Jalan Macalister in front of this building.


King Edward VII Memorial Hospital Building (3 August 2008)



King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (3 August 2008)



King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (3 August 2008)



Tim and Chooi Yoke at the unrestored wing of the hospital (3 August 2008)


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