Jardine’s North Borneo stint
Published on: Saturday, March 06, 2021
By: British North Borneo Herald
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IN our last issue we published details of the interchange of / telegrams which took place between Jesselton and Freetown, Sierra Leone, following the announcement that amongst the Colonial Office list of recipients of Birthday Honours there was the name of H.E. Mr D J Jardine who had been promoted to become a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George.
It is therefore not out of place to recall briefly some of the outstanding points of Mr Jardine’s career in this State.
Mr Jardine came to North Borneo from East Africa in September 1934, and left the country on his appointment to the Governorship which he now holds, in May 1937, a period of 2 years and 9 months.
Immediately upon his arrival he was confronted with difficult problems arising out of the Rubber Regulation Scheme.
Wide though Mr Jardine’s experience of many differing branches of colonial agriculture and produce was, here was a new product to which he was not used; and with characteristic thoroughness he threw himself into the task of learning to appreciate the various factors and forces underlying the industry which has for so long been the backbone of North Borneo economic organisation.
The great and untiring efforts which he made during 1935 to obtain an increase in North Borneo’s exportable quota are known to many of those who worked with him; and though they were not successful that fact does not render those efforts any less admirable nor their author any less deserving of the thanks of all connected with the industry within this State.
His Excellency the Governor in his opening address to the Legislative Council in December of last year, aptly said of Mr Jardine that “he revitalised our administration of our subject races”.
During Mr Jardine’s period of office a start was made with a modified system of native self-administration, and a modified system of Bingkor on the native self-administration, centre at Keningau plain.
There is every hope that his energy and the enthusiasm with which he backed the proposed centre, will in years to come gain for Mr Jardine a high place amongst the pioneers in the history of this State.
There was hardly a branch of the country’s administration wherein he interested himself on which Mr Jardine’s energetic and practical personality did not leave its mark.
Amongst innovations of his were a complete re-survey and reconsideration of the road building policy of the State; a drastic reorganisation of the administrative districts and commands; the handsome championing of the local coffee industry; the reviving of the Native Chiefs’ Advisory Council; and a complete survey of the economic hygienic and biological life of the aboriginal tribes of the State.
Thus for many of his far-reaching reforms Mr Jardine will be long remembered. But for nothing, we take leave to doubt, will he be more remembered and respected than for his policy towards Native Education.
At the end of 1933 there was 8 Government Vernacular Schools attended by 397 pupils. At the end of 1937 there were 16 Schools attended by 1,175 pupils.
Mr Jardine (Sir Douglas Jardine as he is now) is now many miles away from North Borneo, on the other side of the world. But his work lives on in this country and is, we are sure, the memorial by which he himself would most wish to be judged.
Popular Wedding at Sandakan Sykes — Cuming
The wedding of Mr Hugh Oliver Edward Sykes, Under Secretary to the Government of North Borneo, and Miss Bertha Glady Marie Cuming of Camberley, England, was solemnised at St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, Sandakan, at 5.15 p.m. on Monday, March 7th. There was a large congregation at the ceremony which was conducted by the Rev. Father A.F. McCarthy, the Rector of St Mary’s Roman Catholic Mission.
The bride who was given away by the Hon. Mr C D Martyn, looked delightful in a really beautiful wedding gown of parchment satin with tulle veil to match, and carrying a sheaf of white orchids and asparagus fern to tone with her gown.
Little Elizabeth Taylor was a very sweet figure as brides-maid in a long pale blue frock with a contrasting pink posy. The Hon. Mr R G P N Combe was the bridegroom’s best man.
After the ceremony the happy couple returned to the Residency, where all the bridegroom’s fellow Government Officers and their wives and families were guests at a reception given in honour of Mr and Mrs Sykes by the Hon. Mr C D Martyn and Mrs Martyn.
On arrival, the guests were first introduced to Mrs Sykes, ‘the bridegroom’s mother, who is paying her son a visit, and then passed on to offer their congratulations and good wishes to Mr Sykes and his bride, who was looking very happy and extremely charming at his side.
At last all the guests had arrived, and it was time to embark upon the serious business of drinking the health of the newly wedded pair. Mr Martyn in a few prefatory sentences recalled the bridegroom’s service on the East and West Coasts under the speaker.
Turning to the bride, the speaker voiced the wish of all present in expressing the hope that she would find her life in Sandakan a happy one, and the determination of all her new friends that it should be through no fault of theirs if she did not. (Here the bridegroom was understood to add that equally it should certainly not be his!).
Then Mr Martyn called upon all present to drink to the good health and prosperity of Mr and Mrs Sykes, to which call the party responded with a hearty good will.
Shortly afterwards the lucky pair left to embark on the s.s. Darvel, after running the gauntlet of showers of Confetti and rose-leaves to Mr D Weaver’s big saloon car which was waiting to waft them away on the first stage of their honey-moon which will be spent in Kudat.
It may have been too dark at the time for them to notice the Shoe which had been attached by a well-wisher to the rear of the chassis. But the tying of the shoe in its time-honoured position, was only a way of expressing the general feeling of warm good wishes for their future health and prosperity now extended by every one of their friends, new and old, to Mr and Mrs Hugh Sykes.
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