Martin & Osa Johnson Gallery Aims to Boost Tourist Arrivals

15 June 2025

SANDAKAN : Historical tourism in Sandakan is expected to receive a significant boost with the upcoming establishment of the Martin & Osa Johnson Gallery at the vacant PWD 2002 Building, located near the iconic Agnes Keith House.

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Seri Christina Liew, stated that the development of the gallery will not only offer visitors an opportunity to explore the American couple’s legacy of exploration in North Borneo (now Sabah), but will also complement existing attractions such as the Agnes Keith House, which draws approximately 21,000 visitors annually.

Agnes, an American author, resided in the house with her husband, Harry Keith, who served as the Conservator of Forests for North Borneo, based in Sandakan.

“The Agnes Keith House is currently conserved by the Sabah Museum Department, an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment (KePKAS).

“Together, the Johnson Gallery and Agnes Keith House, alongside other historical landmarks in Sandakan, form a vital foundation for the town’s historical tourism appeal.

“As a tribute to the Johnsons, the gallery has the potential to attract more American visitors, particularly if included in tour packages by local operators. Their 1920 silent film Jungle Adventure, which showcased the native people and wildlife of Kinabatangan, is widely regarded as the world’s first wildlife documentary,” said Liew.

The Agnes Keith House and the nearby St Michael and All Angels’ Church are key attractions along the Sandakan Heritage Trail.

Citing data from the Sabah Museum Department, Liew noted that the Agnes Keith House received 64,849 visitors, both foreign and local, between 2022 and 2024. From January to April this year alone, the site recorded 7,976 visitors, comprising 1,529 international and 6,447 domestic tourists.

The house was opened to the public as a heritage attraction in 2004. Since then, thousands of visitors from over 50 countries have been drawn to the site, which includes a museum narrating the story of Agnes Keith and the house she made famous through her award-winning book Land Below the Wind, a title that has since become synonymous with Sabah.

Former Curator of the Sabah Museum, Stella Moo (now retired), confirmed that she and the Chief Editor of the Daily Express, Datuk James Sarda, had received a collection of more than 2,000 photographs taken by Martin and Osa Johnson in the 1920s and 1930s.

The photographs were handed over by Jacquelyn Borgeson, Chief Curator of the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum in Kansas, USA, during her visit to Sabah in 2004.

"That year, Jacquelyn brought the Johnsons’ photographs for the Sabah Museum and was also involved in the conceptual planning of a dedicated exhibition space for the couple at the proposed Sandakan Heritage Museum," Moo recalled.