The History of Kellie
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Transcript of The History of Kellie
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THE HISTORY OF KELLIES CASTLE
Screams from a newborn baby echoed through the corridors of a small farmhouse,
one spring day in the year 1870. A healthy baby boy was born into the Easter
Kellas estate to the Smith family and was christened William Smith. The golden
year of the Victorian Era was at its peak. The British Empire was secured spanning
from the New World to India and into South East Asia.
William Smith grew up in a little farm close to Dallas on the Moray Firth in
Scotland. As the Victoria era blossomed for a new class of elite, spearheaded by
innovative technology and inventions - the working class were pushed harder into
poverty and frustrations. Perhaps it was the drive to escape from the droll of
intense poverty that sent William Smith to far off lands looking for opportunities.
Young William Smith who later called himself William Kellie Smith, (Kellie being
his mother's maiden name) left his home farm in Dallas in search of the rich life hedreamt. It is not known when Smith arrived in Malaya nor do we know why he
chose to explore opportunities in Malaya. However, the young, amicable man of
6ft 3ins in height was accepted into the community with ease.
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In a small working community of planters, miners and entrepreneurs, Smith found
business opportunities readily available. Having bounced around on a few
successful and unsuccessful ventures, he finally had a great windfall working with
a rubber planter named Alma Baker. Alma Baker had obtained a few government
contracts to make roads in South Perak. William Smith snapped up his invitation to
work together and made a huge profit from these projects. With the money, he
purchased 900acres of land just south of Ipoh and cleared the jungle for his rubber
plantation and homely estate. He named this estate, Kinta Kellas - Kellas in
memory of his family farm back in Scotland and Kinta being the area of the large
basin in where the estate is situated.
With his empire falling into place as planned, William Kellie Smith formed a
London-based company. He was then appointed manager of the estate and was
paid a handsome salary by the London Board. Rubber being in demand in the early
years, he made a fortune. Running in parallel with the demands of raw materials to
fuel the new industrial boom, he further amassed more wealth as larger dividends
were paid out to him by his London based company.
In 1909/1910 he built a Moorish styled manor for himself, his wife Agnes Smith
and their first child, Helen Agnes. The manor sat on a little knoll just by the bendof Sungai Kinta or the Kinta River, commanding a clear, unobstructed view of the
Kinta Valley. Its grounds were groomed into pockets of lush gardens, open spaces,
lawns and a lake - added to complete the estate ambience. In Britain during the
Victorian era, many young, rich, enterprising men took to buying old manor
houses, castles and estates to accentuate their stature in the social circles and for a
long period, such activities were well accepted.
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Perhaps it was this influence; perhaps it was the birth of his son that niggled him
into building a larger more stately home. Construction of the new manor began
somewhere after the birth of his son Anthony in 1915. Not much of the first home
is left today, apart from the covered walkway, an open courtyard and part of acrumbling wall. The 'new' section of the stately home was to be an extension to the
existing home, hence there isn't a kitchen nor a servant' quarters to be found. Many
estate homes in the early years were designed so that the servants' quarters, utility
rooms and kitchens were housed in an annexe and connected only by a covered
walk path to ensure no disturbances.
This new wing was to take 10years to build. Smith had employed an Indian
taskforce to work on the construction. However, in the early 1920's, an epidemic of
'Spanish Flu' broke out and many of his estate workers including those working on
the construction died after a short period of illness. The heads of his workforcerequested that they build a temple for the deity Mariamman to ask forgiveness and
protection for the people living on the estate. Smith agreed and had all his people
feverishly working on the temple which was completed in a short time. The temple
was built some 1500m from Smith's home. Today, the local community still pays
homage to their gods at the temple. A little statuette of Kellie Smith stands
alongside the deities on the roof of the temple probably watching over his little
estate and the descendants of those that have worked and looked after him in the
years when he was Sahib of the Kinta Estate.
After the completion of the temple, everything returned to its normal state ofaffairs and work was diverted back to the construction of the manor house. In
1926, together with his daughter, William Kellie Smith made a trip home to
Britain. The reasons for his trip are unclear but it is believed that they were to
return to England for a short reunion with his wife and son. It is believed that
Anthony was sent home to continue his education and Agnes had accompanied
him. Back in Europe, William Kellie Smith was believed to have made a detour
trip to Lisbon, Portugal to collect a lift (elevator) which he had ordered for the
manor. Unfortunately, Smith never made it back to Malaya. In December 1926,
Smith succumbed to a bout of pneumonia and passed away in Lisbon. He was
buried at the British Cemetery. Agnes sold her interest in the Kellas Estate and
Smith's distraught family never returned to Malaya.
Anthony Kellie Smith was killed in World War II and Helen never returned.
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KELLIES CASTLE TODAY
A company has taken over the management of the castle and has converted it into a
tourist attraction. In June 2003, during a road widening exercise at the 6th
Kilometer stretch of the Gopeng-Batu Gajah road, road construction workers
accidentally unearthed a section of a tunnel which is believed to lead from the
castle to the Hindu temple nearby. This 1.5km high by 1m wide passageway wasdiscovered when an excavator broke through the timber structure. The Museum
Department has not concluded if the tunnels is directly linked to the castle but are
'looking into it'.
The mysteries and folklore that shroud Kellie's Castle and its creators still remains.
The beautiful part of an epic love story such as this, is that there isn't an answer to
everything. It leaves a part for us to fantasize, a dream that never ends and an
ending that is undefined....
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THE UNIQUES OF THE KELLIES CASTLE
The construction of Kellies Castle was very unique at that time. It was to boast an
elevator, a first in Malaya and pretty much unheard of at that time. The elevator
was to connect from ground right up to the top floor.
There exist two underground tunnels that run under the river. One tunnel leads to
the Hindu temple. The tunnels were discovered quite by accident during a road
construction in 2003. It was rumored that Kellie might have hidden his car in
another of the yet undiscovered tunnels! For safety, the authorities have sealed off
the tunnels, so any would be intrepid explorers wont go treasure hunting!
The second floor was to be an indoor tennis court, and on the highest floor it was
to be a rooftop courtyard for parties! The rooftop is still accessible, though if you
have vertigo and fear of heights, then your trip to the rooftop would give your legs
the shivers! There are no safety bars at the rooftop so going up there would be at
your own risk!
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THE ACCOMMODATION
Located in Ipoh, this property offers access to many major attractions in the area.
Perfect for both leisure and business travelers who needs an affordable place to
stay, Ritz Garden Hotel features modern designs and are decked with wood
furnishings. A cozy property indeed, all rooms are promised basic amenities
needed for a comfortable stay. Moreover, with variety of room styles available,
they offer rooms that are suitable for single, couple, family and even business
suites that are ideal for business travelers. Ritz Garden Hotel offers well appointed
and inexpensive accommodations. Ritz Garden Hotel too is the nearest hotel to
Kellie Castle, where are 7.92 km located from the castle.
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THE FACILITIES
Facilities 24hr room service, bar/pub, coffee shop, elevator, executive floor,family room, laundry service/dry cleaning, meeting facilities, poolside
bar, restaurant, room service, safety deposit boxes, shops, smoking
room, Wi-Fi
(Not available: babysitting, bicycle rental, business center, casino,
concierge, disabled facilities, hotel/airport transfer, nightclub, pets
allowed, salon, tours)
Room
Amenities
air conditioning, coffee/tea maker, complimentary bottled water, daily
newspaper, hair dryer, in room safe, mini bar, satellite/cable TV,
shower, television
(Not available: balcony/terrace, bathrobes, bathtub, desk, DVD/CD
player, fan, in room video games, in house movies, ironing board,
Jacuzzi bathtub, kitchenette, microwave, non smoking rooms, private
pool, refrigerator, separate shower and tub, shared bathroom,
television LCD/plasma screen, washing machine)
Sports and
Recreation
gym, massage, outdoor pool, pool (kids), sauna, spa, steam room
(Not available: garden, golf course (on site), indoor pool, Jacuzzi,
kids club, private beach, squash courts, tennis courts, water sports
(motorized), water sports (non-motorized))
Internet internet access, internet access (complimentary), internet access
(wireless), wireless internet access (complimentary)
(Not available: internet access (charges apply), wireless internet
access (charges apply))
Car park car park
(Not available: valet parking)
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THE TRANSPORTATION TO KELLIES CASTLE
BY CAR TO GET THERE
If you are coming for Kuala Lumpur, head for PLUS North South Expressway andexit the Gopeng Toll Plaza. From here, take a right turn towards Gopeng town.
After passing Gopeng town, you will see a sign that directs you to turn left towards
Kellies Castle. Keep going along this this Gopeng-Batu Gajah road and you will
see the mansion to your left. Clearwater Sanctuary GolfResort is also located
within the vicinity of this place.
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THE REFRENCE
www.journeymalaysia.com www.agoda.com www.ritzgardenhotel.com www.google.com www.yahoo.com www.malaysiavacationguide.com www.perak.info.com
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THE ATTACHMENT
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