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Agnes Keith House, Sandakan

Agnes Keith's House in SandakanAgnes Keith's House in Sandakan
photo sourcehttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Agnes_Keith_House#/media/File:Sandakan_Sabah_AgnesKeithHouse-01.jpg
authorshipCEphoto, Uwe Aranas
photo licensing

Agnes Keith House (GPS: 5.84305, 118.11563) is a heritage building in Sandakan, Sabah, that was once the home of famous American writer Agnes Newton Keith. It is located on the hill with Sandakan Bay in front of it, and the Sulu Sea behind it. Agnes Keith came to live in Sabah with her husband in the 1930's. While she was in Sabah, Keith wrote several novels, the most famous of which was Land Below the Wind, written in 1939.

Agnes Keith's house was destroyed during the Second World War. During that time, Agnes Keith endured imprisonment under the Japanese, while at the same time trying to raise her young son. This is documented in the house.

In 1946, following the war, the government rebuilt it on the same foundation. The Keiths continued to stay in there house, as Mr Keith worked for the government as the conservator of forests. Their son George was born in the house. After the Keiths left Sabah in 1952, the house continued to be known as the Agnes Keith House. It fell into disrepair by the 1990's, but was eventually restored and conserved as a heritage building, providing visitors a glimpse of life during the British administration of North Borneo. There is also an English Tea House within the compound - a departure from Agnes Keith's attempt to make her home more American and less British.

Agnes Keith HouseAnother view of the exterior of Agnes Keith's House
photo sourcehttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Agnes_Keith_House#/media/File:Newlands-the-home-of-Agnes-Newton-Keith-Sabah-Borneo.JPG
authorshipWarren Apel
photo licensing

Agnes Keith HouseThe living room at Agnes Keith House
photo sourcehttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Agnes_Keith_House#/media/File:Sandakan_Sabah_AgnesKeithHouse-12.jpg
authorshipCEphoto, Uwe Aranas
photo licensing

Agnes Keith HouseThe dining room at Agnes Keith House
photo sourcehttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Agnes_Keith_House#/media/File:Sandakan_Sabah_AgnesKeithHouse-02.jpg
authorshipCEphoto, Uwe Aranas
photo licensing

Getting there

Go along Jalan Singapura and then turn right up the hill.

Address

Agnes Keith House
Jalan Istana
Admission: RM15.00, includes entry to other branches of Sabah Museum even in Kota Kinabalu.

Agnes Keith House is on the Map of Sandakan, Sabah

List of Historic Buildings in Sandakan, Historic Buildings in Sabah and Historic Buildings in Malaysia

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Disclaimer

Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.

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About this website



Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.
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