16 Facts About North Borneo

North Borneo was a British protectorate in the northern part of the island of Borneo, which is present day Sabah.

The territory of North Borneo was originally established by concessions of the Sultanates of Brunei and Sulu in 1877 and 1878 to a German-born representative of Austria-Hungary, a businessman and diplomat, Gustav Overbeck.

North Borneo produced timber for export; along with agriculture this industry remained the main economic resource for the British in Borneo.

William Hood Treacher was appointed as the first governor, and Kudat at the northern tip of Borneo was chosen as the Provisional Association administration capital.

In May 1882, the Provisional Association was replaced by the newly formed North Borneo Chartered Company, with Alcock acting as the first President and Dent becoming the company managing director.

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North Borneo subsequently acquired further sovereign and territorial rights from the sultan of Brunei, expanding the territory under control to the Putatan river, the Padas district, the Kawang river, the Mantanani Islands and additional minor Padas territories .

In 1890, the Crown Colony of Labuan was incorporated into the administration of North Borneo, before returning to British government direct rule in 1904.

In World War II, the Japanese invasion of the island of North Borneo started with the unopposed landing of the Japanese forces at Miri and Seria on 16 December 1941, with the objective of securing oil supplies.

The war ended on 15 August 1945 following the Japanese surrender and the administration of North Borneo was undertaken by the British Military Administration from September.

Company administration established a foundation for economic growth in North Borneo by restoring peace to a land where piracy and tribal feuds had grown rampant.

The State of North Borneo shall continue to be governed and administered as an independent State by the company in conformity with the provisions of the said Charter; under the protection of Great Britain; but such protection shall confer no right on Her Majesty's Government to interfere with the internal administration of the State further than is provided herein or by the Charter of the Company.

In 1882, the North Borneo authorities appointed Walter Henry Medhurst as Commissioner for Chinese Immigration in the mission to attract more businessmen to invest in North Borneo by providing a workforce.

At the early stage, the Japanese encouraged their farmers to go to North Borneo to cultivate rice, as their country depended on rice imports.

North Borneo was connected to the Singapore-Hongkong submarine cable by a link from the island of Labuan to Menumbok.

North Borneo Railway opened to the public on 1 August 1914 as the main transportation facility for west coast communities.

Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society and British North Borneo Herald held a significant amount of records regarding North Borneo before and during the British administration.