Agnes Keith House

Agnes Newton Keith came to North Borneo in 1934 with her husband, the conservator of forests, and wrote three books about it - the first, Land Below the Wind, gave Sabah a nickname it still uses, and the second, Three Came Home, is an account of her internment by the Japanese with her husband and small son, later filmed. The house on the hill above Sandakan is a reconstruction: the original was destroyed in the war, rebuilt in 1946 and again restored and opened as a museum in 2004, furnished in period with her books, photographs and household objects. It is a small museum and the interest depends heavily on knowing the writing, but the account of the occupation years is handled seriously rather than as decor, and the verandah view over the bay is the one she described.

History

In 1934 Agnes married Harry Keith, a British forestry official posted to Sandakan, and they lived for years in a government house on this hill (Wikipedia, Agnes Keith House).

What you'll find

• A rebuilt colonial house - the 1946 reconstruction, restored and furnished in period.
• The writer's rooms - books, photographs and household objects on display.
• The occupation years - the internment story told alongside the domestic material.
• A verandah over the bay - the view across Sandakan harbour.

When to go

All year; mornings are cooler on the hill. An hour or two.

Practical notes

It is a reconstruction, not the original house. Small, and much more rewarding if you have read the books. The climb from town is steep in the heat.

Nearby

The Sandakan Memorial Park and the English Tea House are close; Sepilok is out of town.

Key facts