It was intended to be the hub of social life for the area's wealthy colonial planters and administrators. A grand mansion with a six-storey tower, wine cellar ,stately columns. Moorish arches and walls embellished with Greco-Roman designs. There was to be a rooftop courtyard for parties and even an elevator, the first of this kind in the country. But the building was never to be completed. Work halted in December 1926 with the sudden demise of its owner, William Kellie-Smith. The estate on which it was situated was sold and the unfinished mansion soon surrendered itself once to the jungle. Today, the rediscovered mansion, popularly known as Kellie's Castle, still stands, having survived the ravages of time, it reflects the pioneering spirits of the early colonialists and the romanticism of a bygone era. Who was Smith and what prompted him to construct this palatial building?? Born in Dallas North-Eastern to a farmer and his wife on March 1, 1870, William Kellies Smith traveled to Malaya, at the tender age of 20 seek his fortune. Kellies was his mother's name. Smith was engaged by an estate owner named Alma Baker to help in the construction of public roads in South Perak. With his share of the profits from the venture, he bought 960 acres of jungle land in the Kinta District, and cleared it to plant rubber.
He later named the estate Kinta Kellas, after his home farm, Kinta Kellas, in 1909, Smith built his first mansion, Kellas House - a symbol of his prospering rubber estate venture. Five years later, with a birth of a son and heir, Smith that proved to be his ultimate follie.Kellie's Castle was to surpass his estate bungalow. Seventy tough workers, mostly from Madras, were employed. The bricks and marble were imported from Italy. But during the construction, tragedy struck.
A mysterious illness broke out, killing many of Smith's workers. The superstitious Smith was told that a temple must be built to appease the gods. He immediately transferred his workers to build a Hindu Temple nearby. Work resumed after the temple was completed but the castle was never to be realized. Tragedy struck again. On a visit to Lisbon, at the age of 56, Smith died of Pneumonia. His wife, sold the estate, and the passing of time, and the end of colonial rule, the castle soon faded into memory. Located on a ridge beside a meandering river near the town of Batu Gajah, Kellie's Castle easily spotted from the Batu Oajah - Jalan Gopeng Road. Etched against the blue sky, much of the structure is still intact. Over the years, the sturdy castle appears to have waged battle against the undergrowth. Although once creepers sprout from its interior and gnarled tree roots fill the compound, the interior is undamaged. Only the spiders and insects make home of the empty rooms.Despite signs of decay, the castle exudes, a certain air of dignity and grandeur. Moving from room to room, one can imagine the rich furnishing that would have filled the stately structure, had it been completed. As we wander around the castle, there is a eerie feeling of being watched. Sunlight streams through a series of arches on the two main floors, casting ghostly shadows on the verandah running the length of the building.
Perhaps, there is some truth to the local that the spirits of Old Man Kellie still wanders along the corridors...
SOURCE: Kellie's Castle entrance brochure
