Behind the Story of the Construction and Mystery of Kellie's Castle
In the 19th century, Batu Gajah was a major tin and rubber production hub in Perak and Malaya. Because of this, many European entrepreneurs came to this area to invest and establish plantations and tin mines.
Among the Europeans who came to try their luck at becoming rubber plantation tycoons in Batu Gajah was William Kellie Smith. After spending a long time in Perak, he finally decided to build a grand mansion rich with architectural beauty. The mansion became known as Kellie’s Castle.
William Kellie Smith
Kellie’s Castle was built by a Scottish planter named William Kellie Smith, who hailed from a small town in Scotland. It is said that he built this structure as a sign of his love for his wife, much like how Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. However, the love story between these two individuals was quite different. In 1890, Kellie Smith, who was only twenty years old, left his home in Kellas to try his luck and build his fortune in Malaya. Not much information is available as to why he chose Malaya for that purpose. Nevertheless, he easily adapted to the environment and the society in Malaya at the time. He tried his hand at several business ventures, hoping to find the right field to succeed in, until he met a plantation owner named Alma Baker.
Baker had secured several government projects to build roads in Lower Perak and successfully obtained a concession from the state government to clear 360 hectares of forest in Perak. The collaboration between Baker and Smith on these projects yielded lucrative results. Smith began to get involved in rubber planting and ventured into the tin mining industry. At that time, he became the owner of the Kinta Kellas Estate for rubber plantations and the Kinta Kellas Tin Dredging Company, which operated tin mines. He later purchased a 960-acre plot of land to be used as a rubber plantation and the site for his home in Batu Gajah. Through various business ventures, such as rubber plantations and the tin mining industry, Smith's wealth continued to grow. In 1903, he returned to Scotland to marry his sweetheart, Agnes. He then brought his wife to Malaya, and a few years later, the couple was blessed with a daughter named Helen. He loved his daughter dearly but desperately wanted a son to be the heir to the business empire he had built over the years. However, it proved difficult for Agnes to conceive a second child. Only after eleven years did Agnes conceive again. In 1915, Agnes gave birth to a baby boy named Anthony. To celebrate the birth of his son, Smith began planning the construction of a large and beautiful mansion. Due to his interest in India and Hindu teachings, he incorporated these features into the architecture of his new home. Bricks and most of the building materials were imported from India. He even brought 70 skilled workers from Madras, Southern India, for the construction of the mansion.
Depiction of Spanish Flu patients
Unfortunately, it was as if he had been cursed. The construction of the mansion, which was his life's priority, did not go according to schedule. This was because, in early 1920, many of the contract workers contracted the Spanish Flu and passed away. Later, a temple dedicated to the deity Mariamman was built within 1,500 meters of the mansion site. Some state that Kellie built the temple to protect those living on his land.
Others say that Kellie built the temple as a sign of gratitude to the deity Mariamman for blessing him with a son. The temple built by Kellie still functions as a center for Hindu teachings to this day.
The construction of Kellie’s Castle made history as the first building in Malaya to have an elevator. This elevator was intended to function from the top floor down to the underground tunnels of the mansion. He also planned to build an indoor tennis court. The rooftop area was reserved for celebrations with entrepreneurs or dignitaries. However, the First World War caused further delays in the construction process of the mansion, and ultimately, Kellie’s Castle was never completed.
Smith made a brief visit to Britain in 1926 with his daughter. It is unclear why he then made a stop in Lisbon, Portugal. Some suggest that he went to Portugal to collect the elevator for the mansion he was building. In December 1926, he contracted pneumonia and passed away at the age of 56. Agnes later returned to Scotland with her children. She sold the mansion to a British company called Harrisons and Crossfield. Anthony Kellie Smith was killed in the Second World War, and Helen never returned to Kellie’s Castle. The only remains of the first house owned by Smith, located behind the unfinished mansion, are a walkway and several sections of collapsed walls. Kellie’s Castle has been restored and looks as if it has remained untouched since long ago. The mansion was also used in the 1999 film, Anna and the King.
Local residents in the area surrounding the mansion believe that the house is haunted by the Kellie Smith family. It is said that a figure resembling William has been seen at night in the corridors on the second floor of the house. Some also claim to have seen a figure resembling Helen, who had curly hair and wore a white blouse, in her old bedroom. Fragrant scents and apparitions have also been claimed to have been seen in the stables. Adding to the mystery of Kellie’s Castle, some believe that the spirits residing in the mansion inhabit the hidden rooms and secret tunnels found beneath the mansion.
