Before the first building was built, the Sarawak Museum began in the 1870s collecting specimens of flora, fauna and cultural objects around Borneo. The first temporary museum was opened in 1886 which was just a long narrow room above the Old Kuching marketplace along Gambier Road. A proper museum building was then opened on 4th August 1891 during the rule of the second White Rajah, Sir Charles Brooke. The museum has stood the test of time, even surviving the Japanese occupation during the Second World War. The Sarawak Museum remains as a keeper and protector of the rich culture, diversity and history of Sarawak and of Borneo.