The History of Kellie

8/6/2019 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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The History of Kellie

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