Map of Miri in 1976

To picture Miri when the township came to know oil, we have to project ourselves into a very different past. When the original Shell men arrived, it consisted of 20 scattered houses and a few shops. These included a bazaar, a gambling farm, a pawn shop and an Arab shop. The trade of Miri consisted chiefly of jelutong, brassware, belachan and budu.

Long before Lutong bridge was constructed, the area had a ferry service, possibly at or near the site of what is now the Lutong bridge today. These pictures were taken on 4th July, 1945 during the ending stages of the Japanese occupation, by the Australian 2/13 infantry battalion aiming to reoccupy Sarawak from Japanese.

In the old days, a ferry allows commuters to cross the river from the town to the Miri peninsula conveniently. The ferry is also vital to the hospital emergency responses.