In discussions of local history, often only the well-known dates and events are mentioned, such as the Fall of Singapore or National Day. But, yet, a large and significant part of our shared history lay hidden within the lesser known tales behind the locations, establishments and buildings that still exist all around us. I have chosen a sampling of these fascinating yet relatively overlooked events and places on our little island nation, and included a brief write-up about their past below.
1942: The Punggol Beach Massacre took place where about 400 Chinese Civilians were executed by gunshot by the Japanese as part of Operation Sook Ching. A memorial to the victims now stand at the spot as a reminder of the atrocities that took place here.
1950: The Princess Elizabeth Estate in Upper Bukit Timah was built by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) for the residents working in the industries located in the area. The estate was named in commemoration of the princess’s wedding that year.
1974: The Singapore Cable Car began operations, linking Mount Faber, HarbourFront and Sentosa Island, becoming the world’s first ropeway system to span a harbour, and it was built as part of a plan to promote tourism on Sentosa Island
1924: The construction of the Fullerton Building commenced on the former site of Fort Fullerton. The building began its life as the General Post Office building, but today, it is a posh hotel and a recognisable landmark of Marina Bay.
1908: Bidadari Cemetery was officially opened, and served as the main and largest Christian cemetery in Singapore until its closure in 1972. The graves were exhumed in 2006 for what will soon become a new HDB estate.
1951: The Singapore Red Swastika School was founded in Changi by the World Red Swastika Society as a means of providing free education to the poor students in the area. It has since moved to a larger premise and has grown to be well-known school in Singapore's Eastern Region.
2008: Tanglin Post Office, one of Singapore’s oldest post offices, was demolished. An austere two-storey colonial bungalow, it was a landmark of the Tanglin area and later housed the offices of the Ministry of Science and Technology
1930: The Queen’s Theatre began its operations in Geylang as the Wembley Cinema. The theatre was a renowned entertainment venue in the area for the next 52 years until its closure in 1982. The façade of the building has been preserved and is now part of a commercial development.
1971: The Bedok Food Centre opened in Kampong Bedok. The food centre, famous for its chng tng, a local dessert, features a Minangkabau horned roof design, which is a tribute to the area’s past as a Malay coastal village.
1890: The first blueprints of the Anguilla Mosque was drawn up. The mosque was built and named after Mohammed Salleh Eusoof Anguilla, who also donated the land for the mosque. This historic place of worship is now an important place of prayer for Muslims in Little India.
1956: A Mrs Sng acquired the land on which the last Kampong on mainland Singapore now stands. Kampong Lorong Buangkok (or Kampong Selak Kain) housed about 40 families in its heyday, but the land and the village is now threatened by development.
1950: The Church of Saint Alphosus was built by the renowed architectural firm Swan and Maclaren. The church, better known as Novena Church because of the prayer devotions that made the church famous, is the reason why the area and the nearby MRT station is known as Novena.
I hope you learnt something new!
Now it's time to find a cache:
