Sir
Thomas Stamford Raffles founded Singapore in 1819. When he
arrived at the Singapore River, there was just a small village
surrounded by swamps and forests. However, he saw great potential
in this island due to her natural deep harbour. In this well-sheltered
island, Raffles begain his plan to develop the country focusing
first in the area around the Singapore River.
Under
the colonial rule, Singapore, as a British settlement, began
to grow. Influences from all over the world arrived with the
people who came here to live and work. The architecture and
lifestyle soon mimic those of the west, even the holidays celebration
were in line with that of the England. However, all these made
it possible to Singapore to rise to her potential as a finance
and business centre for the area.
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Source:
National Archives of Singapore |
This
was the view of the Singapore River in the 1870s taken from
Fort Canning Hill. In the upper reaches of the river, there
was the Ellenbrough Market which served the people living
around the river. As the buildings during this period were
not tall, it was possible to see a great expanse around
the river.
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The
General Post Office was built in 1874. It was built in the European
style, with faux columns and high ornate roofs. This style of
architecture was commonly seen in the buildings built during
this period.
In
the foreground, there was a mixture of horse-carriages and rickshaws,
which were the typical mode of transportation.
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Source:
National Archives of Singapore |
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Source:
National Archives of Singapore |
Built
in 1887, the highly ornate Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank clearly
made its presence felt in the financial scene in Singapore.
Along with the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China,
the South Bank of Singapore River quickly developed to house
the headquarters of major banks and trading firms.
From
this humble beginning, Singapore's dream of being the financial
hub of the region grew.
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Raffles
Place in the 1900s was a far cry from what we see today. From
the colonial styled buildings to the rows of horse-carriages
in the street in front, all these showed the affluence's of
the people who worked and shopped in the area.
It
was interesting to note that John Little was around in Singapore
then. From the variety of shops and companies found in this
area, Raffles Place quickly rose to be the commercial centre
in Singapore, a trend that continues to today.
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Source:
National Archives of Singapore
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Source:
Liu, Gretchen. (1986). Singapore Historical Postcards.
Singapore: Times Editions.
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Victoria
Theatre and Memorial Hall was a building that was built in parts.
The theatre (the section of the building on the left) was built
as a Town Hall in 1856 – 1861. It provided space for municipal
offices, a library and meeting hall. It was only many years
after in 1900s when it was being converted into a theatre.
Architects
Swan and Maclaren integrated a new hall with the renovated existing
building and joined the two with a 54 metre clock, to commemorate
the Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria.
Construction
for the new wing started in 1902 and the clock was installed
in 1906. Upon completion in 1906, the building became a landmark
for the area.
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By
1891, a new Ellenbrough Market was built over its original site
next to the Singapore River. Also known as the New Market, it
continued to serve the residents of the area.
The
Ellenbrough Market continued to serve the people who lived along
the Singapore River well into the 1950s and was known to have
the freshest produce available.
In
the foreground, there was many bumboats that were filled with
sacks of goods, most of which were ferried between the ships
that were docked at the Singapore Habour and the godowns that
were located along Singapore River.
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Source:
Liu, Gretchen. (1986). Singapore Historical Postcards.
Singapore: Times Editions. |
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