George Town's Historic Commercial & Civic Precincts

The development of George Town’s historic commercial and civic precincts occurred under two distinct administrative phases: 1) under the British East India Company (EIC) (1786–1858) 2) under British Crown rule which lasted until just after the Japanese Occupation (1941–1945) during World War II (WWII). Beach Street was one of the first thoroughfares established in George Town and once literally ran along the seafront, with mercantile businesses hugging the seaward side. Business was derived from visiting EIC ships on the Britain to China trade route as well as free ‘country traders’ and local and regional trade. The owners of these properties gradually extended them seawards leading to a ‘defacto’ reclamation of seafront land for which owners of property along Beach Street were issued grants in 1870. A second reclamation was undertaken by the government between 1883 and 1889. This land too was granted to the adjoining landholders at nominal cost. In the early years British and other European merchants tended to dominate the northern end of Beach Street with Chinese, Indian, Arab and Malays the balance......

• Author: Marcus Langdon

• ISBN 9789671228128

• Dimension: 24.5 cm x 21 cm