“This place has seen more than its fair share of history,” whispered a tourist, gazing out at the bustling port of Muara Town. Muara Town. A name as simple as its meaning, “river mouth”, yet hinting at a legacy far grander than its humble appearance.
Situated at the mouth of the majestic Brunei River, Muara Town has been a silent witness to centuries of change, its identity shaped by ambition, conflict, and ultimately, resilience. Long before the advent of towering cranes and container ships, Muara Town was a sleepy fishing village, its shores dotted with traditional houses on stilts. The 19th century, however, brought with it the thunder of industry. Coal, the “black gold” of the era, was discovered in nearby Serai Pimping, and Muara Town, with its access to the sea, was destined to be thrust onto the world stage.
The name “Brooketon” became synonymous with Muara Town, a nod to the ambitious Rajah Charles Brooke of Sarawak, who saw the potential of the coal mines and the strategic location of the town. A wooden railway, a novelty for its time, snaked its way from the mines to the newly constructed deep-water anchorage, ferrying coal to fuel the engines of a rapidly industrialising world.
But like the tides that relentlessly shape its shores, Muara Town’s fate shifted once more. The Brooketon Colliery, once a symbol of progress, succumbed to the pressures of a global recession in 1924. The once-booming mine fell silent, leaving behind the ghost of an era gone by.
Yet, Muara Town refused to be forgotten. Under the reign of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III, a visionary leader, the town shed its coal-dusted past and embraced the future. A deep-water port, a testament to Brunei’s ambition, rose from the ashes of the old colliery. Muara Town, no longer a coal town, became the lifeblood of Brunei’s trade, a modern port connecting the nation to the global market.