One of the most enduring landmarks in Kota Kinabalu, it stands prominently on a bluff along Signal Hill Road adjacent to the old Police Station. Built in 1903, this all wood, no nails structure was built in memory of Francis George Atkinson – the popular first District Officer of Jesselton during the British North Borneo Chartered Company Administration, He died of ‘Borneo fever’ in 1902 at the young age of 28.
This Clock Tower has the distinction of being the oldest standing structure in the whole of Sabah that one of three buildings survived the destruction of Jesselton town during World War II.
Built with public donations and of merbau timber. The tower has been repair several times by the city council. It was refurbished in 1959 to celebrate the city’s diamond jubilee. It is said that the original clock, a double-face clock that was a gift from him mother to Atkinson, was replace in 1964.
The clock was originally lit up at night acted as a beacon for shipping. Over the year it has undergone renovations and repair but has managed to retain most of its original characteristics. Till today, it still serves to keep the city’s time.
The Atkinson Clock Tower is managed by the Sabah Museum under its Antiquity and History section.
Getting There Photo credit to www.sabah.edu.my
