In a posting on 7 June 2010, I mentioned some historical "facts" about Gantian, and Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu).
During the La Salle Alumni Dinner I attended, one of my classmates (Jeffrey C) told me that Gantian was on the mainland and not on Pulau Gaya.
That was true. The British North Borneo Company did started with some buildings on Pulau Gaya. This website, The Sabah Architectural Heritage Blog, gave the full story with interesting photos.
Apparently those first buildings were built on a jetty. So presumably the place did not get a name. After the burning by Mat Salleh in 1897, it was decided to relocate to the mainland; to Gantian, a place in Tuaran. Only in 1899, after Gantian was abandoned, was the present day site selected and the town was named Jesselton.
There are lots of interesting photos on that blog; well worth a visit.
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