Farquhar Street

Lebuh Farquhar

Farquhar Street is one of the older streets in George Town. It stands at Pitt Street and ends at Northam Road (Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah), near the Protestant Cemetery.

Farquhar Street was named after Robert Townsend Farquhar (or R.T. Farquhar) the Lieutenant Governor of Penang in 1804-1805. However, the street already existed before 1804. In the early George Town map of Lieutenant Governor George Leith, Farquhar Street was known as Penang Road. It was only renamed during or after the term of R.T. Farquhar. It was R.T. Farquhar who, in an attempt to strengthen the position of the British port settlement of George Town, recommended that Malacca be abandoned. To ensure that the Dutch did not get back a strong Malacca, the Malacca fort was to be demolished. The person tasked with the demolition is another Farquhar, Major William Farquhar, who was the Resident of Malacca.

R.T. Farquhar is also remembered for constructing a four-mile long aqueduct to channel the water of the (now Penang Botanic Gardens) waterfall along Burmah Road (at that time, just a dirt road) to a reservoir where the E & O Hotel is located. From there, the water was sold to passing ships that needed to refill.

Getting there

You can reach Farquhar Street by taking the Rapid Penang Free Shuttle Bus to Station No. 6 (Muzium). Rapid Penang Bus 10 and 103 pass along Farquhar Street.

Sights along Farquhar Street

Click for list of Streets of George Town

Farquhar Street (30 November 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

Farquhar Street Location Map

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Penang Travel Tips is researched and written by Timothy Tye, universally known as Tim. The text is the copyright of Timothy Tye, and may not be copied for commercial use or re-published in another website without the author's permission. Information provided is in goodwill and is believed to be correct and up-to-date at time of writing. Photographs on this website are the copyright of the author and may not be reused without prior permission. For commercial licensing of photographs, read the licensing terms. Tim is a Christian. Click here to know more about his beliefs.