Page 76 - Sarawak-Visitors-Guide-2014v1
P. 76
MIRI & NORTHEAST SARAWAK
Combine this with vibrant night-life, bustling naive
INTRODUCTION markets, a number of popular beaches nearby and
even a top class marina, and Miri makes an ideal base
for exploring the Naional Parks, the ofshore reefs and
the other natural and cultural atracions of Northeast
Sarawak. It is also a great place to relax for a few days
ater the rigours of jungle trekking.
MIRI
Note: The area code for all telephone numbers in Miri
and its surroundings, unless otherwise stated, is 085
from outside the area and +6085 from overseas. Where
no postcode is given, all addresses are 98000 Miri,
Miri is Sarawak’s second largest city and the gateway Sarawak, Malaysia.
to the state’s fascinaing northeast region. A rapidly
expanding business and commercial centre and the A Brief History
home of Sarawak’s oil industry, Miri is located in The history of Miri is also the history of Sarawak’s oil
Northeast Sarawak close to the Brunei border. In recent industry. The area had long been known for black oil
years Miri has become a major tourism gateway and that seeped from the ground, as noted by the Resident
the jumping-of point for some of Sarawak’s world- of Baram, Claude Champion de Crespigny, in 1882.
famous Naional Parks, including Niah Caves, Gunung One of de Crespigny’s successors, Dr Charles Hose,
Mulu, Loagan Bunut and Lambir Hills. Other interesing persuaded the Anglo Saxon Petroleum Company, a
possibiliies include the remote Bario Highlands and the Briish subsidiary of Shell, to conduct exploratory
mighty Baram River, as well as a number of excellent drilling in the area, and on August 10 1910, the irst oil
ofshore dive locaions. was struck on a hill overlooking the small ishing village
Miri’s original populaion was primarily Melanau, of Miri, at a depth of 123 metres. The well, subsequently
christened the “Grand Old Lady”, coninued to produce
but since the development of the oil industry people oil unil 1972.
have locked here from all over the state, and Miri’s
300,000 inhabitants relects Sarawak’s diverse ethnic With the discovery of commercial quaniies of oil, Miri
make-up. Chinese, Ibans, Malays, Melanaus, Bisayas, was rapidly transformed from a sleepy ishing village to
Orang Ulus (mostly Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit and Lun a booming oil town. By the mid 1920s it had become
Bawang), Bidayuhs, Indians and Eurasians all make their the administraive centre of the Baram region, and
home here, along with West Malaysians and a sizeable coninued to thrive unil the onset of World War 2.
expatriate community. Shell staf did their best to sabotage the Miri oilield, to
The city is fast becoming prevent the invading Japanese forces from making use
of it, but resourceful Japanese engineers soon had the
an important tourism ield back to pre-war producion levels.
desinaion in its own
right, in line with its During the late 1950s, the onshore oilield began to dry
oicial designaion; “Miri up. Prospecing in remote peat swamp forest yielded
- Resort City”. The city poor results, so exploraion moved ofshore with the
has an excellent range development of mobile exploraion rigs. By the early
of hotels in all price 1970s ofshore producion had reached 95,000 barrels
categories and a wide
a day, but the onshore ield was now in terminal
selecion of food outlets. decline, and was closed down on 1 October 1972. At
st
67
Combine this with vibrant night-life, bustling naive
INTRODUCTION markets, a number of popular beaches nearby and
even a top class marina, and Miri makes an ideal base
for exploring the Naional Parks, the ofshore reefs and
the other natural and cultural atracions of Northeast
Sarawak. It is also a great place to relax for a few days
ater the rigours of jungle trekking.
MIRI
Note: The area code for all telephone numbers in Miri
and its surroundings, unless otherwise stated, is 085
from outside the area and +6085 from overseas. Where
no postcode is given, all addresses are 98000 Miri,
Miri is Sarawak’s second largest city and the gateway Sarawak, Malaysia.
to the state’s fascinaing northeast region. A rapidly
expanding business and commercial centre and the A Brief History
home of Sarawak’s oil industry, Miri is located in The history of Miri is also the history of Sarawak’s oil
Northeast Sarawak close to the Brunei border. In recent industry. The area had long been known for black oil
years Miri has become a major tourism gateway and that seeped from the ground, as noted by the Resident
the jumping-of point for some of Sarawak’s world- of Baram, Claude Champion de Crespigny, in 1882.
famous Naional Parks, including Niah Caves, Gunung One of de Crespigny’s successors, Dr Charles Hose,
Mulu, Loagan Bunut and Lambir Hills. Other interesing persuaded the Anglo Saxon Petroleum Company, a
possibiliies include the remote Bario Highlands and the Briish subsidiary of Shell, to conduct exploratory
mighty Baram River, as well as a number of excellent drilling in the area, and on August 10 1910, the irst oil
ofshore dive locaions. was struck on a hill overlooking the small ishing village
Miri’s original populaion was primarily Melanau, of Miri, at a depth of 123 metres. The well, subsequently
christened the “Grand Old Lady”, coninued to produce
but since the development of the oil industry people oil unil 1972.
have locked here from all over the state, and Miri’s
300,000 inhabitants relects Sarawak’s diverse ethnic With the discovery of commercial quaniies of oil, Miri
make-up. Chinese, Ibans, Malays, Melanaus, Bisayas, was rapidly transformed from a sleepy ishing village to
Orang Ulus (mostly Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit and Lun a booming oil town. By the mid 1920s it had become
Bawang), Bidayuhs, Indians and Eurasians all make their the administraive centre of the Baram region, and
home here, along with West Malaysians and a sizeable coninued to thrive unil the onset of World War 2.
expatriate community. Shell staf did their best to sabotage the Miri oilield, to
The city is fast becoming prevent the invading Japanese forces from making use
of it, but resourceful Japanese engineers soon had the
an important tourism ield back to pre-war producion levels.
desinaion in its own
right, in line with its During the late 1950s, the onshore oilield began to dry
oicial designaion; “Miri up. Prospecing in remote peat swamp forest yielded
- Resort City”. The city poor results, so exploraion moved ofshore with the
has an excellent range development of mobile exploraion rigs. By the early
of hotels in all price 1970s ofshore producion had reached 95,000 barrels
categories and a wide
a day, but the onshore ield was now in terminal
selecion of food outlets. decline, and was closed down on 1 October 1972. At
st
67
