NEW IMMIGRANTS TO BAU

In 1867, 10 years after the abortive Anti-Rajah Movement, the Rajah Government invited Liew Syn Ted and his group from Simunjan to Bau in order to rework the gold mines, Liew Syn Ted and his group were loyal Chinese (Hakka) who originally came from Sambas, Indonesia some time in 1840, but had gone direct to Simunjan to work in the coal mines there. Under the leadership of Liew Syn Ted, more Chinese either from Sambas Indonesia or Kuching eventually came to work in the gold and antimony mines. Within a period of 5 years, i.e. from 1867-1872, a new Bau Bazaar was built at the site of the existing Bau District Council and Kg. Melayu Bau. Most of the shop-houses were made of Atap, Kajang and other wooden materials. Most of the buildings were simple and single storey. The road was narrow with some parts paved with gravels.

Mau San (Bau Lama) was left as it was. Bushes and creepers took place of once prosperous China Town, while more and more residential houses were built in and around the new Bau Bazaar. The population was slowly spreading over to Paku,Jambusan, Taiton and Bidi areas. The first Chinese primary school was built at Paku (5 kilometres from Ban) by the Rajah Government to provide Chinese education to the children of the Chinese miners in 1870. A few years later, another Chinese primary school known as Fah Khiaw Chinese Primary School was built in Ban to cater the children of the Chinese miners there. The Roman Catholic Mission under Monsignor Dunn started an English primary school at Bau on 16.3.1898.

In view of the increasing Chinese population in and around Bau, Liew Syn Ted was appointed as a Magistrate in Bau under the rule of Rajah Charles Brooke to settle disputes among the Chinese miners.

Bau became prosperous. Antimony production reached the peak year in 1872. A total of 3,285 tons of the ore was produced. However, it slowly shranked to 469 tons in 1877. The Borneo Company commenced working on gold in a large scale in 1881. On 30.11.189:5, Rajah diaries Brooke came up lo Upper Sarawak (Bau) and officially declared open the Borneo Company Gold Mining. Improvement of water supply to Bau Ba/aar was carried out in October 1901. Water supply by bamboo pipe from the dam belonging to the Borneo Company was replaced by iron pipes and taps. The new water supply system had not only served the existing Bazaar, but also the 30 new houses (area along Jalan Datuk Salau) Bau. Some 110 houses also benefited from the water system.

While the Borneo Company was concentrating on the gold mine operation, Rajah Charles Brooke went for agricultural development in the rural area of Bau. In 1902, a big- rubber estate was established at Dahan in the Jambusan area. More than 2,000 acres of the land were planted with rubber trees.

Prior to 1898, "coarse gold" deposits were worked out by the old methods - panning and sluicing. In order to increase the production, the Borneo Company introduced the cyanidation method together with the use of crushing mill. It was reported that from the year 1898 to 1921, 983,255 ounces of gold valued at $25,995,222.00 were produced from Bau.