- Address: Kota Kinabalu, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- Phone: +60 88 212 121
- Date of construction: 1905
- Working time: daily and round the clock
One of the famous sights of Kota Kinabalu, the oldest bench construction in the city is the Atkinson tower clock. It is a tower of fifteen meters high, by the hour of which the capital of Sabah has been comparing time for more than 110 years. The tower is an architectural monument and works under the auspices of the Sabah State Museum.
How was the tower built?
In 1902, a famous politician, the head of the administration of the city of Francis George Atkinson, died of malaria at the age of 28 in Jesselton (as Kota Kinabalu was called before 1968). His mother in memory of his beloved son decided to do something for the city, for the benefit of which he worked.
The construction of the tower was financed not only by Mrs. Atkinson, but also by the numerous friends of the deceased. The work was carried out by naval carpenters of the navy. In 1905, the construction of the tower was completed, and it was installed hours of work of the British watchmaker William Potts. The battle of the chimes is heard anywhere in Kota Kinabalu, it was first heard on April 19, 1905.
Due to the well-chosen location, the clock tower served as a reference point for ships, since the top of it was illuminated. It was used as a kind of lighthouse until taller buildings appeared around it.
During the Second World War, the tower was badly damaged, and the clock itself was damaged. In 1959 the structure was thoroughly reconstructed, and the clockwork was repaired much earlier, immediately after the war was over. In 1961, the watch dial was replaced.
Features of the structure
The tower clock of Atkinson is made of merbau - wood of high hardness and wear resistance. History says that the tower is built without the use of nails. It is crowned with weathervanes, which depict the letters of the winds.
How to get to the clock tower?
The tower can be reached by car along Jalan Tun Fuad Stephen, Jalan Istana or Jalan Tuaran.