Climbing Mt. Kinabalu in British Borneo. Unpublished manuscript journal.
MANUSCRIPT JOURNAL
FEMALE PHYSICIAN'S MOUNTAINEERING EXPEDITION - BORNEO 1949
TWO RESILIENT AVANT-GARDE WOMEN CLIMB MOUNT KINABALU
[Travel] Wylie, Marguerite. Climbing Mt. Kinabalu in British Borneo. 1949.
43 manuscript pages; marbled black and grey cloth over marbled mauve boards.
Manuscript journal of Marguerite Wyile, English female physician who at the time was one of the
first and few women to summit Mount Kinabalu in Southeast Asia, and who for two years resided
at Jesselton (Kota Kinabalu, Malayasia, Borneo). Irregular pagination, but complete.
The author's post war medical work in North Borneo involved maternity, child welfare, and
experimenting with malaria treatments, as part of the British government's “Colonial Office
Reconstruction and Development Plan for North Borneo: 1948-1955.”
Although she would have chosen for her credentials and skills, Mrs. Wyile often found the latter
being invalidated, her efforts disregarded... and her interest in mountaineering much more so! Yet
she remained unfettered and unconfined by the narrow thinking, and in October 1948 set out for
the first time to explore the possibility. On this journey she learned that the season for climbing
was not until spring, but she did convince the chief, after some time, to support her expedition at
least in providing coolies the following spring.
Accompanied by her friend and colleague Dorothy Lane, a few coolies, “Joseph” the
inexperienced Chinese co , and the mandatory native priest who would make sacrifice rituals
deemed necessary by the local chief, the determined Doctor Wyile departed on the first day of
March 1949, spearheading a mountaineering adventure, disregarding all repressive nay-sayers
and common beliefs of the era which limited women's role and participation in society.
Unfolding more than an exciting adventure, this unusual manuscript account embodies an
archetype of sociological change and empowerment for women, presenting occasional evidence
of opening hearts and minds.
British botanist Lilian Gibbs became the first woman and the first botanist to summit Mount
Kinabalu in February 1910. In 1949, the author of this journal, Mrs. Doctor Wyile, may very well
be the second woman to have done so.
Excerpts:
“When we arrived in Jesselton, British North Borneo in 1947, the Acting D.M.S. to us along to
his house... evidently thought a woman's place was in the house and he certainly had no time for
women doctors... a small rough Australian who feared women and always said what he
thought.”
“In two years I learned to speak Malay and I learned a great deal about the mountain.”
“In October 1948, I did a trip round the interior... In projecting this trip I became friendly with
an Australian girl who wanted to see the interior and also wanted to climb Kinabalu. As I was not
allowed to travel alone, it was arranged that Laurel should come with me. “
“... Bundu Tuhan was cold, wet, & terribly windy and native Chief Gunting was a silent,
disapproving and scowling man... not at all pleased that we broached the subject of climbing...
said flatly that no-one would be willing to take us up there, we should get blown clean off by the
wind. So we had to abandon the project for the time being.”
“We left Jesselton at 7 am. on March 1st and motored out to Temparuli... reached Dallas Rest
Housem its a quaint little bambo house... A dresser and a policeman came up to the Rest House
to meet us, both had been sent by the District Officer, to accompany us up the mountain, both
expressed their unwillingness!”
“Most of the coolies travelled bare-footed... After eleven we arrived at a little clearing in the
jungle..., gathered this was Lunu-Lunu where the first sacrifice to place. After... climbing
vertically up a ladder made of branches we found ourselves at the top of a razor-edged hill... a
wonderful view... across the Tempassuk plain to the sea.”
“... how those bridges stood us, let alone c
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