Atkinson Clock Tower

　　Kota Kinabalu(KK) had been referred to as Jesselton under the British reign. I had free time until the meeting time with N chan's family for dinner, and visited one of the tourist spots in KK, Atkinson Clock Tower, which was built in the period of British governing. This was apparently one of three buildings which survived the last war. In the commemoration of the first governor of Jesselton who had died young suffering from Malaria, the Clock Tower was constructed by his mother's will. The Jesselton Station used to stand beneath the tower and passengers knew the time from the Clock Tower. Old pictures in our hotel showed that the station was located at the seaside. That is to say, almost all of the present KK was supposed to be formed on reclaimed soil.
　　Borneo Island had been placed under the management of other countries, including Japan, until its independence. I had thought that people in Borneo had been oppressed for centuries and they must have hated their rulers, so when I knew the derivation of the Clock Tower, I was surprised to know that it was carefully preserved. Are they thankful to be governed? Do they acknowledge its historical importance? Or, are they taking their membership of the Commonwealth of Nations into consideration? I don't know.
　　The inscription plate in the fifth picture was attached to the stone panel in the busy square. I wondered whether people in Borneo were grateful to Australia. Or does it come from a sense of social obligation as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations? I thought this inscription plate was far from the National Monument in Kuala Lumpur in terms of its notion. When I visited a certain country, I've made it a rule to learn its history to some extent, but I realized that my knowledge about Borneo was nowhere near enough.

(Vocabulary)
oppress 《[他]通例受け身形で》(フォーマル)  …を圧迫する, 虐げる

マレーシア旅行記：　ジェッセルトン、その歴史

イギリス統治時代のコタキナバルはジェッセルトンと呼ばれていた。Ｎちゃんファミリーとの夕食の約束時刻まですこしあったので、その当時の建物、アトキンソン時計塔へ行ってみた。戦火を免れた貴重な建物の一つだという。これは、若くしてマラリヤに倒れたジェッセルトンの初代郡長を記念して、その母親の意で１９０５年に建てられたもので、かつて時計塔の下にはジェッセルトン駅があり、鉄道利用者に時を告げていたという。ホテルにあった古い写真を見ると、駅は海岸に建っていた。ということは、今のＫＫの街はほとんど埋め立てて作られた土地の上にあることになる。
　
独立するまでいろいろな外国の支配を受けてきたこの地域。虐げられてきたイギリスの支配者を記念する建物が残っていたことに驚いたが、歴史的価値があるから残っているのか、イギリスに感謝しているのか、イギリス連邦に加わっている手前、残しているのか、、、よくわからない。
　
５枚目の写真は９月４日に見つけた銘板だが、これは中心部の広場に埋め込まれていたもの。ボルネオ島の人々はオーストラリアに感謝しているのだろうか？イギリス連邦加盟国の一つとしての義理なのか、、、クアラルンプールの国家記念碑とは随分とかけ離れた概念の銘板と思われた。これまでの海外旅行の折り、訪問国の歴史をある程度学んだ後で訪問してきたが、ボルネオ島の歴史の理解はまだまだ出来ていないと感じた。
　
さて、ホテルへ戻ろう。夕食だ。