COMPANY SIDE

When the Perim Coal Company set up its coaling station in 1883 it did so on the western half of the island. It soon became to be referred to as ‘Company Side’, to differentiate it from ‘Government Side’ on the eastern half. This article is a brief tour of Company Side, concentrating on the main landmarks on the peninsula and spit running southeast from below the Lloyds Signal Station.

Apart from the interest of the shipping in the harbour, the photograph on the first postcard, probably taken around 1910, includes several of the Perim landmarks on Company Side.

The most obvious is the tennis court, in an area sufficient for at least another court, which there may have been at some stage. The tennis court area is plainly visible today on Google Earth. Other landmarks are the water condensing plant, the coal sheds and, in the distance on Pirie Point, Point House. The nearest of the ships is probably the Perim Coal Company’s maid-of-all-work (salvage ship and despatch vessel being its main tasks), the Sheikh Berkhud.

The next photograph, from around 1928 (plus or minus about 5 years), is from a postcard entitled ‘Engineering Works Perim’. In the foreground are the sheds and hardstand for repairing and maintaining the lighters, with behind them the coal sheds.

Note the crane to the left of the condenser shed – in 1964 this was estimated to have a lifting capacity of 10 tons.

On the right edge of the photograph in the foreground is the small whitewashed mosque for the coolies and beyond that the hotel (the furthest away of the two 2-storey buildings). Of perhaps the greatest interest are the oil tanks near the end of the spit, this side and to the right of Point House. Where they were located can be seen on the map of 1958 and also on Google Earth. They were probably dismantled soon after the closure of the coal company in 1936.

Now compare the 1928 photograph with one taken not later than 1901. All the landmarks are in evidence (less the oil tanks, which were not built until around 1921/22) – from left to right: the condenser; Point House; the engineering works; the coal sheds; the mosque; and, on the extreme right the hotel.

The next two photographs are not quite a panoramic view of the desolation of Company Side as it looked in 1964. When the Perim Coal Company went into liquidation in 1936 anything that was worthwhile was taken from many of the buildings, in particular roofing materials. In the upper photograph the more modern bungalow beyond the hotel was still in use but the hotel (the 2-storey building) lacks a roof. In the foreground are the remains of the coolie lines.

In the lower right picture two structures stand out: the condensing plant in the tall rectangular shed, still in working order and providing the water supply for all those on the island; and two tanks – not the same ones as those in the 1928 photograph. They were much nearer Pirie Point and much squatter.

Looking at Google Earth, only one tank remains (slap in the middle of the former cricket ground!) To the amateur eye the condensing plant looks to have gone – and unless it was replaced by another would explain why the island appears to be more or less deserted, in particular no boats of any kind drawn up on the beach at Meyun.

On the other hand Google Earth appears to show many more complete buildings on Company Side than were there in 1964. Presumably these were put up when a number of missile boats and other craft were based there in the years after the British left. But there is no sign of any seaworthy craft now (2006/07).

The lighthouse can be seen in the background, on the hill above the condensing plant. All ships anchoring in the harbour would enter their position in their log by taking bearings on the lighthouse and other pinpoint features. On the skyline to the left of the lighthouse is a hill on the Arabian shore, above Sheikh Syed.

View of company side looking northwest towards the hotel