Vintage postcards of Penang in the 1960s

I recently went on a week long trip to Hong Kong, and during my time at The Peak, I thought about how similar my hometown in Penang was to Hong Kong – what with its furnicular trams, prestigious hillside residences and traces of colonial Britain.

Here are some postcards I found at home of Penang taken in the 1960s, at a time when I was yet to be born. They are of places that my parents used to take me to as a child, bringing back some very precious childhood memories.

Penang Hill
Furnicular tram up Penang Hill
Penang Swimming Club
Penang Swimming Club
Old Esplanade
Old Esplanade
Gurney Drive
Gurney Drive
Beach Road
Financial district along Beach Road
Air Itam dam
Bridge at Air Itam dam
Air Itam
The Air Itam dam
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4 Comments

  1. Love these pictures – very retro and nostalgic! I also miss those halcyon days of my youth in Malaysia. So many things have changed now!

  2. backpackingbez says:

    Hi. I’m an EFL teacher, based in Penang, and was looking for some good images to show one of my classes of Penang 50 years ago. These are absolutely perfect so thank you!

    PS I also enjoyed some of your posts about Manchester, as that’s actually my home town!

  3. wanphing says:

    Thanks Peter, feel free to use these photos, they are scanned from an old stash found at home. I hope you enjoy Penang for as long as you’re here!

  4. Thanks very much. I think my teenage students won’t be able to believe it when they see the picture of Gurney Drive! I’ve been in Penang for just over 18 months and I’ve really enjoyed it. Only a few months to go on my contract though unfortunately! Then it’s back to Manchester!

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