Briton returns to Sabah to honour late father
KOTA KINABALU: Christopher Knowles was only a child when his father, Robert Knowles (O.B.E.), moved their family of four to North Borneo – now Sabah – to assume the position of Assistant Commissioner of Trade and Customs in 1947.
Although the Knowles family left for Singapore en route to the United Kingdom months later, Robert returned to North Borneo alone the year after to resume his position in Kota Kinabalu, known then as Jesselton.
Forty seven years later, Knowles Jr made a visit to Sabah, this time together with his wife, Angela Knowles, to join Sabahans in honouring his late father, through the ‘North Borneo Sacred Legacy Photographic Exhibition VI: Robert Knowles Collection, at the Sabah Museum, here yesterday.
The exhibition was launched yesterday by Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun and will be held from February 18 to May 18.
Robert Knowles (O.B.E.) worked for the Customs in North Borneo from 1947 until he retired as the Regional Controller of Trade and Customs in 1963. His work had brought him to many parts of Sabah, during which he put his love for photography to good use.
His hobby in photography had enabled North Borneo’s post-war recovery, rehabilitation and growth along with its diverse culture and beauty of nature to be captured and preserved in a photographic documentation that is integral to Sabah’s cultural and heritage preservation.
In his launching speech yesterday, Masidi pointed out how the state’s diverse culture and beauty of nature had even then inspired Knowles to capture and document these assets, despite the post-war condition of the state back then. These assets, he said, continue to make Sabah a unique destination and attract tourists from everywhere.
He urged the museum fraternity as well as others to utilise their photography skills to immortalise the state’s legacy which will benefit the future generation.
Sabah Museum Department director Joanna Kitingan disclosed that Robert Knowles had contributed a total of 2,200 film negatives containing diverse images of North Borneo from 1947 to 1965, taken by Knowles through his lens, which he developed and printed himself at his home.
Due to space constraints, only 120 odd photographs covering people, events, places, buildings, boats, locomotives, and various economic activities have been selected for the exhibition at the Sabah Museum.
Source: Borneo Post
