Macalister Road is a major thoroughfare in the city of George Town in

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. The road stretches out of Magazine Circus next to

Komtar The Tun Abdul Razak Complex, ( Malay: Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak; Chinese: 光大大厦; Tamil: கொம்டார் கோபுரம்); colloquially known by its Malay acronym Komtar, formerly known as the Penang New Urban Center and t ...

in the city centre towards the leafier western edge of the city. The road was named after one of the

Governors of Penang The governor of Penang ( ms, Yang di-Pertua Negeri Pulau Pinang) is the head of state of the Malaysian state of Penang. The role of governor is largely ceremonial with the power vested in the executive branch of the state government led by the ...

in the early 19th century. Originally a dirt track, the eastern section of Macalister Road has become urbanised as part of the city centre. Notably, the westernmost section of Macalister Road still retains a quieter, greener character, with mature ''Angsana'' trees providing shade along this particular section of the road.

Etymology

Macalister Road was named in honour of a Scotsman, Colonel

Norman Macalister Colonel Norman Macalister (20 February 1760 – August 1810) was a Scottish officer in the Bengal Army and colonial administrator who was Lieutenant- Governor of Prince of Wales Isle (Penang) from 1808 to 1810. Macalister was born on the Isle of S ...

, who served as the Governor of the ''Prince of Wales Island'' (now Penang Island) between 1808 and 1810.

History

Penang State Museum, Macalister Road branch, George Town, Penang

During the colonial era, the Europeans tended to build their residences at Macalister Road. Tall ''Angsana'' trees were planted along the westernmost section of Macalister Road by Charles Curtis, who was the curator of the Penang Botanic Gardens in the late 19th century. In addition to the ''Angsana'' trees, a

baobab tree ''Adansonia'' is a genus made up of eight species of medium-to-large deciduous trees known as baobabs ( or ). They are placed in the Malvaceae family, subfamily Bombacoideae. They are native to Madagascar, mainland Africa, and Australia.Tropi ...

, planted by Captain Speedy, was planted at this section of Macalister Road as well and still remains at the same spot to this day; it is one of the only three baobab trees in

. Among the European residences at this particular stretch of Macalister Road are the ''Mayfair'', ''Union Villa'' and ''Seri Teratai'', the latter of which is the official residence of the

Chief Minister of Penang The Chief Minister of Penang is the head of government in the Malaysian state of Penang. According to convention, the chief minister is the leader of the majority party or largest coalition party of the Penang State Legislative Assembly. The chie ...

. St. George's Girls School, one of the premier English schools in

, was relocated to its present grounds at this stretch of Macalister Road in 1954. Further east, the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, named after

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

who was the

British monarch The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiwi ...

between 1901 and 1910, was completed in 1915. This maternity hospital was in operation until 1955; the building now houses a branch of the

Penang State Museum and Art Gallery The Penang State Museum and Art Gallery ( ms, Muzium dan Balai Seni Lukis Negeri Pulau Pinang) is a museum and art gallery in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. History The museum building used to house the Penang Free School in 1821–1927. Aft ...

. In 2013, a thunderstorm led to the collapse of the spire of Menara Umno, a high-rise at the eastern section of Macalister Road.

Landmarks

* ''

Seri Teratai The Seri Teratai is the official residence of Penang's head of government, the Chief Minister of Penang. It is located in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. The colonial-era double storey mansion was constructed in the early 20th century ...

'' * King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (now

branch) * Sun Yat-sen Memorial Centre

Education

Disted College Campus, George Town, Penang

* St. George's Girls' School * St. Christopher's International Primary School * Hua Xia International School *

DISTED College DISTED College is a private college within George Town, the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang. It was established in 1987 as the first Penang-based private tertiary institution. The college provides various pre-university, diploma ...

Health care

cmglee_Penang_Island_Hospital_from_Macalister_Road

Loh Guan Lye Specialists Centre The Loh Guan Lye Specialists Centre is a 273-bed private hospital in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Located at Macalister Road, it was established in 1975 and has been expanded over the years. The hospital now consists of three win ...

Island Hospital Island Hospital, founded in 1996, is a 600-bed hospital located in Penang, Malaysia. The hospital is recognised as one of the leading healthcare providers in Malaysia, serving patients from around the region. Island Hospital offers a wide range of ...

References