St Michael And All Angels Church

One of the oldest buildings in Sandakan is the St. Michael's and All Angels Church.

It is the first stone building ever constructed in Sabah. It began in 1893 and was only completed in the 1906. Designed by New Zealander Mr. B.W Mountfort, the building was first constructed with Belian wood, followed by brick and finally stone!

The stones were delivered from Buli Sim Sim by prison labour at RM1.25 per cubic yard. A cubic foot of stone weighs approximately 140 lbs and each stone was painstakingly laid atop each other. The white stones that adorn the windows and doors are from Hong Kong.

On 30th September 1906, the nave and transepts were finally dedicated during the Michaelmas Celebration. Three services were held that day to celebrate the goodness of God and the faith of His people.

However, the western porch (the main entrance) of the Church was not completed and dedicated until 1925 - 32 years from the date of its construction!

The Church avoided major damages during the Second World War in the 1940s and remains one of the very few stone buildings in the whole of Sabah. The Church was also one of the many places where the Prisoners of War who trekked the Sandakan Death March spent a night before continuing the march.

The beautiful stained glass windows found here were donated by Australians to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the end of World War II.

Image Credit: Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / CC-BY-SA-3.0
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons