Who Are The Hubback Brothers?

Originally Published: 15 June 2010 | Last Updated: 21 June 2026

Brigadier General Arthur Benison Hubback (1871–1948)
C.M.G., D.S.O., F.R.I.B.A. – Architect & Soldier

Brigadier General Arthur Benison Hubback C.M.G., D.S.O., is widely regarded as the master architect who designed The Kuala Lumpur Train Station (now commonly referred to as the Kuala Lumpur KTM Komuter Station) and the adjacent Railway Administration Building in Kuala Lumpur during the era of massive construction and colonial expansion.

Born on 13 April 1871 in Liverpool, England, Arthur was the son of Joseph Hubback, who served as Lord Mayor of Liverpool in 1870. After training in Liverpool, he arrived in Malaya in 1895, and by 1900 was appointed chief government architect of the Federated Malay States. His architectural signature is defined by the Indo‑Saracenic Revival style – a distinctive blend of Islamic, Mughal, Gothic, and Romanesque elements that gave Malaya's colonial architecture its romantic and exotic character.

Notable Buildings by A.B. Hubback

The Railway Station, Ipoh, Perak
The Old City Hall, Kuala Lumpur (now Panggung Bandaraya)
Ipoh Town Hall Building, Perak
The White House of Klang (now Galeri Diraja Sultan Abdul Aziz, under the auspices of the Sultan of Selangor)
Jamek Mosque, Kuala Lumpur (Masjid Jamek)
Ubudiah Mosque, Kuala Kangsar (Masjid Ubaidah, under the auspices of the Sultan of Perak)
State Secretariat Building, Seremban (now State Library)
Numerous smaller buildings in Medan Pasar, Kuala Lumpur
Post Office, Kuala Lumpur
Kowloon Canton Terminus, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Known as A. B. Hubback when he arrived in Malaya, Arthur would later return to the United Kingdom to begin his distinguished military career. He served in France during World War I and was promoted to Brigadier General – making him the first British architect to achieve the rank of Brigadier General.

📌 A Note on Spelling: The family name "Hubback" is frequently misspelled as "Hubbock" in books, publications, magazines, websites, and even on plaques displayed at the buildings he designed. The same inaccuracy applies to his initials, A. B. This archive exists to correct such mistakes and preserve his true legacy.

Theodore Rathbone Hubback (1872–1942)
Engineer, Hunter, Conservationist & Founder of Taman Negara

Theodore Rathbone Hubback was born on 17 December 1872 in Liverpool, the younger brother of Arthur. He studied at University College, Liverpool, before joining his brother in Selangor in 1895 as a civil engineer on the Malayan Railways tracks.

An avid sportsman, Theodore played first‑class cricket as a wicket‑keeper for Lancashire in 1892. Together with his older brother Arthur, he also represented Malaya in a test match in Hong Kong organised by the British Colony.

In his later years, Theodore left engineering to become a rubber planter with land in the state of Pahang. Due to the nature of his career in the Malayan wilderness, he became a renowned big game hunter, organising numerous trips with his fraternity. Described as debonair, dashing, and suave, he oozed charm and always found a way to obtain what he wanted.

Fortunately, Theodore was never contented with his life. He underwent a remarkable transformation – trading his guns to become one of the earliest "progressive thinking" practitioners of wildlife conservation. He began to study wildlife using his hunter instincts and published numerous journals and books on the wildlife of Alaska, Africa, and Malaya at his own expense. Many of his publications are now considered rare books.

He discovered a Malayan species of Seladang or Malayan Gaur, scientifically named Bos Gaurus Hubbacki in his honour. He was also appointed Honorary Game Warden in Pahang from 1920.

Theodore's greatest contribution to Malaya was the formation of The King George V National Park, where he relentlessly lobbied the Sultans of Pahang, Terengganu, and Kelantan to set aside land for forest conservation. He was appointed as the park's first Chief Warden and, unsurprisingly, guarded it largely at his own expense. This forest conservation is now known as Taman Negara, Malaysia – one of the world's oldest tropical rainforests.

Much of Theodore's work on wildlife conservation is still in use today, particularly on rhinoceros research by organisations such as WWF Malaysia.

Bishop George Clay Hubback (1882–1955)
Bishop of Assam, Bishop of Calcutta & Metropolitan of India

The youngest of the three siblings, Bishop George Clay Hubback was born on 7 April 1882. He was educated at Rossall School and Liverpool University, and began his career as a civil engineer before being ordained for the priesthood in 1910.

After a curacy at St Anne's, South Lambeth, he joined the Oxford Mission to India. In 1924, he was consecrated Bishop of Assam. In 1945, he was translated to Bishop of Calcutta, and with that role, he assumed the title of Metropolitan of India – the highest Anglican ecclesiastical office in the Indian subcontinent. He retired in 1950 and passed away on 2 November 1955.

It is with regret that, while focusing on contributions to Malaya, I have yet to chronicle Bishop Hubback's full story. I hope to do so at a later stage.

Our Mission: Preserving the Hubback Legacy

This online tribute would not have been possible without meeting Mrs. Yvonne Barbor (née Hubback), the daughter of the late Brigadier General Arthur Benison Hubback C.M.G., D.S.O., to whom this tribute is dedicated.

I would like to thank Mrs. Yvonne Barbor, Dr. Peter Barbor (grandson of A.B. Hubback), and the entire Hubback family for opening their hearts and sharing their remarkable family history with me.

I hope that this online archive serves as a valuable reference for future generations – and that it opens your eyes, dear reader, to the extraordinary legacy of the Hubback brothers.