Do
you know which is the original Raffles Statue and where did
it stand prior to its current position?
The
statue of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles was unveiled on 27 June
1887, as part of celebrations for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee.
This was the original statue of Raffles and was made of bronze
and it stood at 2.44 metres. Its original site was the Padang
and the Governor Sir Frederick Weld (the tallest man standing
in front of the statue) unveiled it.
It
cost $20,446.10 to build the statue and it was sculpted by
T. Woolner.
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Source:
Lu, G. (1999). Singapore – A Pictorial History (1819-2000).
Singapore: Didier Millet.
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Source:
National Archives of Singapore |
In
the photograph, the Raffles statue can be spotted on the right
hand side of the Padang, in the background.
Intended
as an open space for recreation, the statue proudly stood
in the Padang as development took place around it.
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The
Raffles statue was then moved to take up residence in front
of the Victoria Memorial Hall in 1919. This was part of the
Centenary Day celebrations. The photograph shows the crowd
that had gathered in front of the Hall on that day to witness
the unveiling of the statue.
|
Source:
Lu, G. (1999). Singapore – A Pictorial History (1819-2000).
Singapore: Didier Millet. |
|
Source:
Lu, G. (1999). Singapore – A Pictorial History (1819-2000).
Singapore: Didier Millet. |
During
the Japanese Occupation, the Raffles Statue had its third move.
It was removed from its place in front of the Victoria Memorial
Hall to the Shonan Museum on 13 September 1942.
The
photograph shows the process of which the statue was removed
and shifted. |
After
the war, the Raffles statue was officially returned to its
original position in front of the Victoria Memorial Hall and
Theatre by the Governor Sir Franklin Grimson in 1946.
In
this position, he had stood quietly observing the great changes
that had taken place in a small island country that he had
founded.
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This
white polymarble statue of Raffles was a replica of the original
statue. It was placed next to the Singapore River on what was
believed to be the landing site of Raffles when he first came
to Singapore on 29 January 1819.
However,
if one was to read the inscription found at the base of the
statue, one would notice that there is an error in the date
engraved. |
