The Historians

Monday, March 9, 2015

CREDITS


Patrick and Ni Swen



      

Patrick: For so kindly offering to help takephotos for us throughout the whole journey.



Ni Swen: For being the videographer and creating the videos for the whole journey



Jeremy


Jeremy: For planning out and arranging the route we should take for this project (displayed in the sidebar of our blog) and so kindly offering to drive us around and foot the bill for the parking fees :D



Yen Hui


Yen Hui: For designing, co-ordinating and doing the arrangements and organization for the presentation of the blog and Facebook page


Nisa



Nisa: For organizing, arranging, checking and collating all our references for our research for this trail


Jia Hui
               


Jia Hui: For helping type out arrange and find the addresses of the places to provide our blog visitors information for the locations we visited 




Overall thank you all Historians for the team effort !


- FIN -

REFERENCES


Chen, J. (2012, October 21). Stamford Arts Centre. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://www.ghettosingapore.com/stamford-arts-centre/
Chijmes. (n.d). Heritage. Retrieved from http://chijmes.com.sg/heritage/
Chinese Calligraphy Society of Singapore. (2011, April 11). Brief introduction of Singapore calligraphy Centre. Retrieved from http://www.ccss.org.sg/calligraphy.asp?id=26&edition=en
Cormellus, V. (1999). Bras Basah Road. In Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_227_2005-01-25.html
Cormellus, V. (1999). Bugis street. In Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_184_2005-01-25.html
Cormellus, V. T. (2001). Fort Canning Park. In Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_8_2004-12-10.html?s=fort canning
Edwards, N., & Keys, P. (1996). Singapore: A guide to buildings, streets, places (pp. 263, 271, 283 – 289, 361 - 362). Singapore: Times Books International.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 EDW)
Foo, E. (2012, August 2). A walk down Niven Road. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://www.goingplacessingapore.sg/project/2012/NivenRoad.aspx
Koh, V., & Han, J. (2014, November 19). Trishaws. In Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_932_2005-01-24.html
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. (n.d). Our history. Retrieved from http://www.nafa.edu.sg/about-nafa/corporate-information/history
Nasir, H. (2010). Selegie Road. In Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/search.aspx?q=selegie
National Arts Council. (2014, November 26). Waterloo street arts belt. Retrieved from https://www.nac.gov.sg/arts-spaces/arts-housing-scheme/waterloo-street-arts-belt  
National Library Board Singapore. (2014, August 28). History of national library Singapore. Retrieved from http://www.nlb.gov.sg/About/HistoryofNationalLibrarySingapore.aspx
National Library Board Singapore. (2013). PictureSG. Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/pictures/Results?q=national+library&qt=content
Savage, V. R., & Yeoh, B. S. A. (2003). Toponymics: A study of Singapore street names (pp. 402-403). Singapore: Eastern Universities Press.
(Call no.: RSING 915.9570014 SAV)
Singapore Council of Women’s Organisation. (n.d). Our history. Retrieved from http://www.scwo.org.sg/index.php/about-us/our-history
Tan, B. (2010). Former St Joseph’s Institution. In Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1625_2009-12-31.html
Tan, L. (2011, March 18). Untitled they paint. Retrieved from http://www.herworldplus.com/lifestyle/women-now/united-they-paint#.VL2mHZX9lxg
Thulaja, N. R. (2003). Waterloo Street. In Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_270_2005-01-25.html


Thulaja, N. (2004, December 20). Bugis Junction (indoor streets of Bugis). Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_297_2004-12-20.htm


Thulaja, N. (2005, January 3). Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple. Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_275_2005-01-03.html


Thulaja, N. (2004, December 24). Sri Krishnan Temple. Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_276_2004-12-24.html
Urban Redevelopment Authority. (2015, March 05). Mount Sophia. Retrieved from http://www.ura.gov.sg/uol/conservation/conservation-xml.aspx?id=MTSOPH

OUR REFLECTIONS


JEREMY LIM 



Embarking on the Bras Basah Heritage Trail was a definite eye opener! I have had the opportunity to go on this journey of discovery with Cheak, Nisa, Niswen, Patrick and Jiahui who were remarkable company to be with.


Process of Planning


The planning started out with us looking through the trail routes, working in a collaborative manner to research on the different places before reaching on a decision on the places to go.


Prior Perception of Singapore History and Heritage


I would call it an adventure as my prior perception of Singapore history and heritage was kept to my childhood days where television broadcast showed Chinese drama serials such as “Tofu Jie”, “He Ping De Dai Jia”. Family trips to the old Sentosa (before the Integrated Resort was built), Har Par Villa shaped my perception together with stories told by my Grandparents.    


Further perception on Singapore was shaped by the narratives that were presented in textbooks which seemed to be uninteresting. Therefore, there was a lack of interest to go beyond the textbooks to find out more. However, i would say at present that “nothing beats researching and viewing the “live-heritage” of Singapore”.


A Change in Perception


The experience of the trail has impacted my perception of Singapore History and cultural heritage in a way that there is much more than that presented in textbooks which seemed to be “just the tip of the iceberg”. One has to get out from lectures and books in order to experience the true esscence of “doing history”. By doing fieldwork and engaging in research such as the Bras Basah trail that i embarked on, i discovered that learning and teaching history can be “interactive and fun.”
As a young nation with 50 years of “registered existence”, i feel that Singapore has built a unique cultural heritage and landscape. Through exploring on the “signs” present at the current Bugis junction, i have learnt interesting facts such as Bugis Street being a popular place known for transvestites through research. Furthermore, the location where Bugis Junction is built on now was previously the intersection of Hylam Street, Malabar Street to name two examples which are not in existence now. I would compliment Bugis Junction for their efforts to preserve heritage by putting up signages to give a brief history of the Bugis people and pre-1819 Singapore which were relatively unexplored by Singaporeans at large.


One aspect that i regret through the preparation phrase was to convince my group members not to embark on the Selegie area as everything was based on architecture.. However, after much further research, i came to realise that the architecture tells “a thousand words”. For instance, many two storey buildings were built by Indian convicts, the Ellison and David Elias buildings showed the Jewish presence in Singapore, Mount Sophia having its unique legacy of being home to many education institutes and the home to Eu Tong Sen. Therefore, i planned a family field trip, to bringing the whole “gang” on an exploration of Selegie, sharing the experience with my group members. I planned my own walking route, based on my initial research as i felt that the walking route provided was not enticing.


My portion of the blog will illustrate some of the conservations we had as a family during the trip. Please read the “preparation to the Lim Family Field Trip” before going on to the blog to get a better background idea. Furthermore, I would also suggest that the Heritage Trail brochures to include a brief historical description that invokes people’s curiosity to encourage these trails to be embarked on by both Singaporeans and tourists alike.


Conclusion:


In conclusion, the Bras Basah trail has given me an insight that Singapore History is unique like “Singlish” and can only be tasted like  “wine” if artefacts or fieldwork experience are used concurrently with textbook to enable History learning to be more authentic. If i feel it this way through the experiences of preparing for the blog and the field trip, so will our students in Schools feel the same way!




CHEAK YEN HUI

What was your impression of Singapore History and cultural heritage before going on the trail?


Singapore History: Singapore's past events
Personally my impression of Singapore History was only based on what I vaguely remember of my History classes during my lower secondary school days. Perhaps just names of:


1. certain places of importance with a brief knowledge about their background and significance in Singapore's History e.g: Bukit Chandu, Fort Canning, Singapore River, 


2.  more prominent pioneers such as Sir Stamford Raffles, William Farquhar, Lim Bo Seng, Lieutenant Adnan, Elizabeth Choy 


3. events like the Japanese Occupation, Maria Hertogh RIots and


4. certain groups of people in Singapore's past such as Force 136, Coolies, Samsui Women, Rickshaw Pullers and Secret Societies. 


All these places and people were introduced in our History textbook. I admit having underestimated the expanse and depth of Singapore History and having
 only a superficial understanding of Singapore's History. 


Cultural Heritage: Valued objects and qualities such as historic buildings and cultural traditions that have been passed down from previous generations OR denoting or relating to things of special architectural,historical or natural value that are preserved for the nation


As for cultural heritage, places such as Chinatown, Little India, Kampong Glam will be the first few places to cross my mind. Preserved buildings would be Saint Andrews's Cathedral, the Armenian Church, Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple and Sultan Mosque- ( having visited these places for my past art assignments which required the analysis of their architecture - not really history).The only artefact I know would be the Singapore stone. That was more or less all I knew. 


It is only through attending this module and doing more research on my essay topic that I realise there is SO MUCH MORE to know about Singapore's past and sometimes with misconstrued information that I had been believing all these years. :O


As such, I was very excited to embark on this history trail to get to know more about Singapore's past, particularly in the area where the sole of my feet had tread on for 3 years during my training at NAFA. Furthermore with two other group members from NAFA, I guess Bras Basah was the best place to go exploring together! (:


Photo Credit: Jeremy Lim
During our intial sharing of research and discussions, all of us felt that the Bugis area was indeed a place with very diverse backgrounds and cultures melded in one location. All of us were truly satisfied with our choice of location for the Trail!


How has your experience of the trail changed your perception of Singapore history and her cultural heritage?

The whole experience was certainly an eye opener apart from my term paper and weekly lectures. Furthermore getting to experience and witness it FIRSTHAND is a really different experience altogether, compared to just reading about it in books or online. The ability to be physically present in the space and environment, to imagine people of the past were 'once there' or to re-imagine the space as it was supposed to be used for its 'original function', was a really enjoyable and insightful experience for me. 


It was particularly in the Bras Basah area that I felt a deeper sense of Singapore as a multicultural society with a diversity of architectural buildings being preserved. They served significant in representing Singapore's past as it remains standing and continues interacting with the present.There is so much more to Singapore's history and cultural heritage than the usual, propounded narrative. Our people should be made aware about them!


Share some insights about Singapore's past and the way it is represented (symbolically and physically) that you have gained from the trail.


 With this trail I realised we have actually been in such close 
proximity and interaction with our past (for example the the history of the National Library, Singapore Art Museum and even  Hylam street in Bugis Junction - on the right) but we seem to be in total oblivion to them. This raised serious questions for me as I contemplated the reasons for this lack of awareness. Is there not enough emphasis placed on the history of such places?  As I reflected in my posts on the places I researched, really more can and should be done to raise awareness of these histories to the general public. Inanimate signs and markers for these places are simply insufficient to catch the attention of passer-byers in a world buzzing with activity. 


It also made me prepare myself and reconsider my role as a history teacher. With history as my second teaching subject, the probability of myself teaching the lower secondary pupils are much higher. From my personal experience, whatever is taught in the classroom stays with the student as unquestioned truths about Singapore's History. Its implications are great- I have indeed a grave responsibility to bear! Through this, I feel simply going on school heritage trails or field trips to Kampong Glam, Little India and Chinatown are simply insufficient. There is so much more heritage out there quietly present, just waiting for our discovery!  Maybe I shall embark on 
a search during my holidays and perhaps propose alternative heritage trails when I get posted to school. (:



LIM JIA HUI

Prior to the trail, I strongly believed that Singapore has a rich history and a rich mix of different cultures and ethnic groups living side by side for centuries aside from the 50 years of independence. However, I felt that Singapore history has not been explored extensively as I previously intended, with more Singaporeans being more concerned about other issues than keeping in touch with the past, acknowledging it and remembering them for the sake of our future generations in understanding the country we reside in.


While there were much more information to come by for the more ‘common’ places such as Fort Canning Park and Bugis Junction, information on other places such as Albert Centre, which has stood for a few decades, were hard to come by. That was the point where I feel that we have not been invested enough to find out more about our local history and just like places with a long history such as the Old Parliament House and Raffles Hotel, these places matter too and should be considered a part of our Singapore history and identity.


My experience of the trail has made me want to cherish the monuments that our forefathers have built over the past two centuries. They served as a constant reminder of how far we have come since the early days and why they considered Singapore their home in the first place. Also, it made me believe that there’s more we can do to study in depth on lesser known monuments .


Students would be surprised that the places that they thought are boring will be surprised at how much history is behind the places they have heard. Take Bugis Junction; it was a place of settlers and entertainment more than a century ago. Students would find it pleasant in finding out that the common places they hang out may reveal a hidden side of Singapore that they never know about.
Thinking about how these places of different cultures and religions, like the Kuan Im Temple and the Sri Krishnan Temple standing side by side and next to each other for decades, no wonder many locals and tourists alike think that Singapore is a melting pot where different cultures thrive and accepted regardless of beliefs. This may not reflect the attitudes of the people back then, but it remains a living proof of different people living next to one another. With Singapore’s landscape ever changing, even more so in a country like Singapore where land is scarce, these landmarks served a purpose of


A world that is becoming more technologically advanced and a world becoming smaller and smaller by the day, all the more the need to preserve and to remember the monuments.


KHARUNNISA ISMAIL

Recently, my team members and I embarked on a heritage trail around Bras Basah area to find out more on its historical and cultural value. Among all the trails listed, Bras Bash was the trail that catches our team attention. Our team felt that this area is quite diverse in terms of places of worships and races. On top of that, it evoke much heritage that is still unknown to us or at the very least, to me.
Prior to this trip, I had little to no knowledge of the places that we were about to visit. The only information I knew was that Bugis was planted with many shopping attractions and that it encompasses many places of worship for the different religions existing in Singapore. To be honest, I did not expect Bras Basah to be listed as one of the trails. I was initially incognizant of the fact that these buildings was rich in historical and cultural value that was worth visiting which became another reason that drew me to pick this location for our trail.
Before setting out on the trail our group decided to research more on the sites listed and narrow down the number of places to visit as it was impossible for us to cover the whole trail in one day! Through the research we have done and with the information shared by each team members, I was able to learn more about Singapore history, the story behind each sites, how the names of some of these places derived and how the buildings has evolved over the years. Example, I was previously unaware that Waterloo Street was named after the Waterloo battle and that some of the places used to function as schools before it was transformed. I also had no idea that some of these buildings existed way back since the Japanese occupation period.
However based on these findings, I find that some of the places were not significant enough to be included in the trail map. Such places includes NAFA, Dance Ensemble Singapore and Singapore Calligraphy Centre. While I do find that it adds to cultural and art value of the area, it was not valuable or significant enough in educating the public on Singapore’s history. Some of these buildings does not contribute much to Singapore’s history.I find that these sites does not provide us with much knowledge on the history of Singapore except on how the development of these buildings has influence the evolvement of the area. For example with the inclusion of NAFA and Arts Theatre of Singapore under the walking route, it only shows the public how the area has emerged to become a place significant for its art contribution. I personally felt that these places are only worth mentioning but not worth visiting.  
On top of that, I felt that not all buildings were helpful in educating the general public on the history of Singapore. In order for them to really benefit from this trail, some of these places requires additional research. Nevertheless this was only applicable to few areas. Majority of the places such as Fort canning and Bugis Junction include write ups and signs that provide useful information to the public. The conservation of the architectural elements of some the buildings and sites were also helpful.
Overall, embarking on this trail has not only enlighten me about the history of the area but how it has evolved over the years. To add on this trail has allowed the public and me to explore the architectural and cultural heritage that has been preserved over the years providing us with a glimpse of the past that was now considered a rarity. Regardless of the few downsides mentioned, I still feel that I have benefitted from this trail but that was largely due to the findings shared by my group members and I. Without the additional research done and with reference to only the brochure and covering all the areas mentioned, it would have been similar to a tourist jaunt that I believe would be less enriching for us. Lastly, if I were to recommend anyone on opting this trail, I would only choose certain areas to be covered such as Fort Canning, Museums trail, worship places and I would recommend them to read up more aside from just referring to the brochure provided in order to make it a fruitful trip.

WEE NI SWEN

When we first took up the AAH103 Singapore History module, I felt pretty overwhelmed when I first took a glimpse at the assignment list. In that list was this assignment titled the ‘Heritage Trail Blog’ in which students would be required to form our own groups and embarked on a Heritage trail journey to visit historical sites and places in Singapore. My mind was in a state of panic as I thought to myself: ‘How could our young nation, this small little red dot ever possibly constitutes sufficient historical sites for us to carry out this history project!” Little would I know that such assumptions would prove me so wrong in our Heritage trail journey.


Apart from the usual famous touristy historical sites like Fort Canning park in which I am frequently exposed to, I thought that Singapore would be lacking in its history especially along with the rapid modernisation and globalisation of our nation over the past few decades. ‘What history do we have to speak off?’ However, I was taken aback when our group managed to visit many other existing hidden heritage sites in our urban society! We started our Heritage trail journey from Bugis Junction/Street to Albert Center/Wet Market to Guan Inn/Krishnan temple to Waterloo street to Sculpture Square to Singapore council of women's organisation to Dance ensemble singapore and calligraphy society and ended our final stop of the day at Fort canning park!


Having embarked on an extremely splendid Heritage trail with my lovely groupmates, It is very interesting to discover that our little red dot, Singapore, has actually such a rich heritage and many fascinating historical sites to offer all of us in this heritage trail project! The historical sites and remains of old archaeological buildings and places has made me realised that the early days of Singapore were nothing like the modernised Singapore we see today. Our country’s early past were of humble beginnings.We were a small fishing port called Temasek in which our livelihood depended greatly on fishing and small trade exchanges.


As a young individual born under Generation Y, I learn to be more appreciative of how our forefathers and early Singapore had come a long way through blood, sweat and tears to help transform my country into such a comfortable, modernised state that we all live in today. I too realised that Singapore actually has many unique and hidden historical sites hidden in this hustling bustling city-state hence it would be really interesting for me to take more time out in future to explore not just the common touristy-sites but also the places that have yet been discovered nor explore by many and who knows, I might just be able to come up with my own version of Singapore’s historical past based on my own research process in the near future too!


One deeper insight which I have gained from the heritage trail is with regards to the history of Fort Canning Park. It is indeed very fascinating to know more about the distinct contrast in history between early and modern-day Singapore and how this unique historical site had transformed over the past few decades. In early Singapore, the Fort was originally sited as the palaces of the 14th century Malay Kings and served as the Headquarters of the Far East Command Center and the British Army Barrack during the commencement of World War Two. However in modern day Singapore, the Fort is now reserved and protected as an iconic hilltop landmark in which although it has lost it original function as a battle site fortress, it is symbolically one of the most significant site that has witnessed many of Singapore’s historical milestone since its early founding days.


In conclusion, I had a very fun yet fruitful time spent with my awesome groupmates in this Heritage trail project in which I got to go on an interesting learning  adventure with my fellow comrades to make new ‘discoveries’ of interesting and ‘unearth’ hidden unique historical sites and historical accounts/ stories in this urbanised little red dot. Thumbs up! (:


REFLECTION: On the Oral Interviews at Albert Centre



Madam Chai



Reflections of the two videos:


The moments shown in the two videos reminded me of my experience shopping at the market as a young girl. Hearing what Madam Chai had to say about her experiences in running her shop for about 5 decades was astounding, without considering the fact that her footwear store is the only one left standing after all these years and beating the rest of her competitors. It makes me how I wished I could have asked the shopkeepers about their life working in the market close to my house and probably reveal some of the extraordinary instances they come across over the decades spending almost their entire lives working in the market. If my students were to take their time and hear these stories of the market shopkeepers on their interesting stories, it could probably blow their minds, shedding a new light of life as a market shopkeeper by twofold.


Uncle and Aunty Butcher (forgot to ask their names)





The story told by the butchers had them reminiscences the way life at the market before the renovation. It was more chaotic, small and untidy, definitely, but that rustic charm of that chaos and familiarity can never be revived after the renovations made to Albert Centre. While encounters of visiting old markets that have been renovated hasn’t been new to me, there is a certain rustic charm in older markets that can never been replaced with the tidiness and order in the renovated markets.


The two interviews shows to prove that there are still many more stories to be told by these unsung heroes. Aside hearing stories of notable figures in our history textbooks, stories of the common people is the best way to bridge the gap of history. I believe the students and I can find stories of the everyday men or women more relatable, and that it makes history as a discipline more intriguing than simply reading facts on textbooks. I believe this could also spark students’ curiosity with the discipline, enabling them to find out other narratives on their own and come to a somewhat definite consensus on a topic they find interesting to work on.


-JIA HUI

ORAL INTERVIEWS AT ALBERT MALL


Oral Interview #1: Albert Mall- Madam Chai 


Video Credits: Ni Swen

This first video is about Madam Chai, who sells footwear for a living in Albert Centre for about 5 decades. She shares some knowledge with us about the history and business in Albert Centre before and after the renovation and her experience working in Albert Centre, particularly on how she got started at a precariously young age. She also talks about the demographics of customers she gets these days, with mainly the elderly, Malaysians and regular customers visiting the stores to purchase items.




Oral Interview #2: Albert Mall Wet Market- Butchers


Video Credits: Ni Swen

This second video is about an elderly couple working as butchers for a long time in the Albert Mall wet market. We managed to ask them some questions on their lives as butchers and the condition of Albert Mall pre-renovation. They took their time to explain how the wet market was like in its early days, with the stores uncategorized and different stores placed side by side no matter what sort of items are being sold.  


SELEGIE OVERVIEW - A Brief Research

Preparation for Lim family Field Trip


 Figure 1: Selegie Roadsigns
                                                 


SELEGIE AND ITS DIFFERENT NAMES

Did you know that the name "Selegie" originated derived from a Malay word that relates to a Wooden Spear sharpened and hardened by fire. It was believed that it originated to describe a Bugis pirate race, known as the Orang Selegie who based themselves near Selegie Road during Singapore’s early years.

However, the Chinese call the place Tek Kia Kha (The Foot of the small bamboos) derived from the presence of bamboo clumps in the neighbourhood or even Tek Kha tit koi (Foot of the bamboos, straight street). And the tamils call it Nagappenn Than (Nagappenn's water tank).

Source: Infopedia


Selegie's Legends


 Figure 2: Parameswara

According to legend, Selegie was the site of many battles fought during Singapore’s early years. In 1377, the ruler of Temasek was believed to have escaped through this road, made his way to seletar and escaped by boat. 

Source: Infopedia



Architectural Significance



The example shown above was the old Tiger Balm Building. It was the only surviving post-war building without a Jewish connection.

Ellison Building:



Ellison Building, located at the junction of Selegie Road and Bukit Timah Road, was named after the owner Isaac Ellison. This two storey building was built in 1924 by Isaac Ellison for his wife, Flora Ellison. Although the building bears a “Star of David” sign, there are debates on whether Ellison was a Jewish. It was reported that the colonial governors would sit at the roof of this building to watch races held each Sunday. Indian Convicts built the many unique two-storey shophouses there characterised by using timber beams with base-relief moulding used as decoration on the windows. 

Sources: Infopedia 1 and Infopedia 2




David Elias Building:


                                            
David Elias Building, located at the junction where short street and Middle Road meets Selegie Road, was built by a prominent Jewish Settler, David Elias in 1928, commissioned by Architects Swan and Maclaren. The building , which is 3 storeys highwas used mainly for commercial activities with its neo-classical architectural design characteristics popular in the late 1920s, featuring cantilevered bay windows and Italianate balconies and a corniced roof. The building features the six-pointed Star of David.

Source: Infopedia



Mount Sophia: Its Rich Legacy


                                                                                                       Figure 6: Mount Sophia


Mount Sophia with its only access by Sophia Road, was originally known as Bukit Seligi, Seligi Hill or Flint's Hill. 

Captain William Flint was the first resident there since the end of 1823. Flint was related to Raffles through his marriage with Raffles's favourite sister, Maryanne. Flint held the appointment of Singapore's First Master Attendant and grew spices on the hill.

Mount Sophia was named by Flint in honour of Raffle's second wife who is also his daughter, Mary Sophia Anne. However, the hill was later sold to Charles Robert Prinsep who also owned Bukit Cawa, now known as Mount Emily. 



However, there were also claims that the name “Mount Sophia” came from Sophia Blackmore who came to Singapore in 1887 and Sophia Cooke in 1853. Both ladies were missionaries who established the Methodist Girls School and St Margaret’s School. Till present, only St Margaret’s Primary School remained on the hill. The Methodist Girls have moved to Bukit Timah.




Sophia was once home to prominent businessman Eu Tong Sen. The famous Grand Eu Villa, the family home of Eu Tong Sen, has since been demolished. 


                                                                                                Figure 9: Selegie Primary School

Did you know that there was Selegie was known for its concentration of education institutions? The above picture shows the former Selegie Primary School, the first high-rise school in Singapore, that still stands along Selegie Road.

Interestingly, The Trinity College, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) was once located at Mount Sophia in 1983 before its relocation. Other schools included the Former San Shan School , Nan Hwa School and Chung Hwa Girls’ School, which has been demolished but was set up in a bungalow at Mount Emily. 

                                                                                                Figure 10: Church of Christ of Malaya

Mount Sophia was also a place of religious significance. The Church of Christ of Malaya (built in 1958) together with the former Trinity College Chapel were definite religious landmarks then.

                                                                                                          Figure 11: The Old Cathay

At the base of Mount Sophia, Selegie Road once stood Singapore’s first skyscraper, Cathay Building and Cinema, opened in 1939 but closed in 2000 after Cathy shut down their business but has since developed into a shopping, office and cinema complex.



                                                                                     Figure 12: The New Cathay


- Jeremy