McNair Street, George Town

Lebuh McNair

McNair Street, or Lebuh McNair, is a street in the Seven Street Precinct of George Town. McNair Street forms a sort of spinal artery running from north to south across the Seven Street Precinct. It starts at the junction with Magazine Road and ends at Sandilands Street.

McNair Street was named after Major John Frederick Adolphus McNair, the acting Lieutenant-Governor of Penang between 1880 and 1884. McNair, who was born in England in 1828 became an employee of the British East India Company in 1845, at the age of 17. He was posted to Madras, India, where he became fluent in Hindustani.

In 1853, McNair was posted to Malaya working for the Madras Native Artillery under J.B. Westerhout, who was then the advisor to the government of the Straits Settlement. McNair was station in Malacca for a couple of years. Later on, he was transferred to Singapore, to be the private secretary and aide-de-camp to the Governor of the Straits Settlements, who at that time would be Edmund Augustus Blundell. In 1857 he became the Executive Engineer and Superintendent of Convicts in the Straits Settlements, with responsibilities over Penang, Malacca and Singapore. He was also in charged of Public Works and the Jail in Singapore. His fluency in Hindustani enabled him to converse well with the Indian convicts, some of whom was given charge over the other prisoners as only McNair and his assistant were officers. He documented his experiences in managing prisons in Malaya in the book Prisoners Their Own Warders.

McNair was in 1869 the colonial engineer involved in the construction of Government House in Singapore, which is now called the Istana. He was also involved in the reconstruction of St Andrew's Cathedral.

Getting there

Rapid Penang Bus 302, 401, 401A and 704 pass through McNair Street.

Sights along McNair Street

Cecil Street Market

Click for list of Streets of George Town

McNair Street sign (2 December 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

McNair Street Location Map

Photos of McNair Street

McNair Street (2 December 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

Old houses at the junction of McNair Street (2 December 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

Old houses at junction of McNair Street and Tye Sin Street (2 December 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

Straits Eclectic shophouses, McNair Street (2 December 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

View of McNair Street towards Komtar (2 December 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

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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.