The Astana is a palace in
Kuching,
Sarawak, on the north bank of the
Sarawak River, opposite the Kuching Waterfront. It is the official residence of the
Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak, the Governor of Sarawak. The name is a variation of '
istana', meaning '
palace'. It was built in 1870 by the second
White Rajah,
Charles Brooke, as a wedding gift to his wife,
Margaret Alice Lili de Windt. The palace is not normally open to the public, although the landscaped gardens are, which can be reach by a boat ride across the
Sarawak River.