Orchard Heritage Trail Booklet
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1 CONTENTS Orchard Road: From Nutmeg Orchards to Urban Jungle 2 The Origins of Orchard Road 3 Physical landscape From Orchard to Garden 6 Gambier plantations Nutmeg orchards Singapore Botanic Gardens Green spaces at Orchard Road At Home at Orchard Road 22 Early activities along Orchard Road A residential suburb Home to the diplomatic community The Istana Conserved neighbourhoods Schools and youth organisations Community service organisations Landmarks of faith Social clubs Orchard Road at War 48 Life on Orchard Road 50 Before the shopping malls MacDonald House Early entrepreneurs of Orchard Road Retail from the 1970s Screening at Orchard Road Music and nightclubs at Orchard Road Dining on the street Courting tourists to Singapore A youth hub Selected Bibliography 74 Credits 77 Suggested Short Trail Routes 78 Orchard Road’s historical gems Communities and cemeteries From orchard to garden Heritage Trail Map 81 2 3 ORCHARD ROAD: THE ORIGINS OF FROM NUTMEG ORCHARDS ORCHARD ROAD TO URBAN JUNGLE he earliest records of Orchard Road can Leng Pa Sat Koi or “Tanglin Market Street” be found in maps from the late 1820s in Hokkien after a market that once stood Twhich depicted an unnamed road that between Cuppage Road and Koek Road (near began at a point between Government Hill present-day The Centrepoint). (now Fort Canning Park) and Mount Sophia, and continued north-west towards Tanglin. Tamils used the name Vairakimadam or The name Orchard Road appeared in a map “Ascetic’s Place” for the section of Orchard drawn by John Turnbull Thomson in 1844 Road closer to Dhoby Ghaut. This may have which showed the road running through the referred to Sri Vairavimada Kaliamman, a District of Claymore. The map also depicted Hindu shrine formerly located at the junction nutmeg orchards on both sides of the road. of Killiney Road. Another explanation is that These orchards are believed to have resulted the name is a corruption of vairavimadam, in the road being named Orchard Road. meaning “a place where roads meet.” The hilly area of Orchard Road near Tanglin was Orchard Road also had a number of local also known as Mettu Than or “high ground” names. For example, it was called Tang in Tamil. The junction of Orchard Road and Scotts Road, 2018 he Orchard Road area is best known to businesses and services that catered to a Singaporeans and tourists as a haven variety of modern pastimes. The area then Tfor shopping centres, entertainment became known for its commercial and offerings, food and beverage outlets and high- entertainment offerings such as shopping end hotels. However, the Orchard Road of the centres, cinemas and discotheques. past was very different from the Orchard Road of today. The Orchard Heritage Trail uncovers the history and the transformation of the area and highlights During the early 1800s, Orchard Road was its various historic landmarks and institutions. a rural lane that ran past cemeteries, hills, It tells the story of how Orchard Road was gambier farms and nutmeg orchards. By the transformed from a countryside retreat to the mid-1800s, the area had started to transform heart of Singapore’s tourism and retail scene, into a residential neighbourhood. As a result, a whilst offering insights into the communities who number of social and religious institutions, as have lived and worked in the area over the years. well as businesses, were established to serve the communities living in the area. We hope this self-guided trail will help you explore and rediscover the Orchard Road As the mid-1900s approached, a number of area as a place rich in heritage, and which The “Plan of Singapore Town” by John Turnbull Thomson showing nutmeg orchards (represented by dotted lines) entrepreneurs recognised and capitalised on has generated many fond memories for around Orchard Road (in red), 1846 edition Orchard Road’s prime location by introducing Singaporeans through time. Courtesy of National Archives of Singapore 4 5 Stamford Canal, 2018 FIGHTING FLOODS, THEN AND NOW Recalling Orchard Road’s fl oods in the 1970s, In 2010 and 2011, torrential downpour brought Sherlyn Lee (b. 1968) said: on fl ash fl oods in several areas of Singapore “My mother’s car stalled a few times because of including Orchard Road. Rainwater submerged the high water level… We would get out and push parts of Orchard Road and fl ooded the the car or wait until the rain stopped. My parents Orchard Road before the area was developed, c. 1900 carparks and ground levels of shopping malls acted like it was so normal!” Collection of Singapore Philatelic Museum, donated by Mr Koh Seow Chuan such as Lucky Plaza and Liat Towers. Former Orchard Road resident Yvette Cheak PHYSICAL LANDSCAPE Cattle farmers also tended to their livestock at However, fl ooding at Orchard Road is nothing (b. 1950) recounted similar scenes: Orchard Road was initially located in a valley Sungei Brass Bassa and the animal droppings led new, given its location in a valley next to “The drains are now covered but before that there fl anked by many hills. For instance, the present to complaints about pollution. The authorities Stamford Canal. Floods were commonplace used to be fl ooding and cars would break down. Istana grounds was the site of Locks Hill and noted in 1892, however, that “a great many even in the 1800s. One particularly large fl ood The neighbourhood boys would all run out to help Mount Carolina, while the Oxley Road area was well-to-do people, shopkeepers, and so on, took place in 1869 and submerged Orchard push the cars and get rewarded by the owners were as much to blame in the matter as the Road under fi ve feet of water. Newspapers known as Western Hills. Emerald Hill, Cairnhill, with 20-30 cents.” Mount Elizabeth and Claymore Hill are some of worst dhobie or the dirtiest cattle-keeper”. then reported that “Dhoby Ghaut was for the the surviving names that serve as reminders of time converted into a lake”. The situation improved after the low-lying In the late 1800s, the stream was renamed Orchard Road’s location within a valley. Orchard Road was raised in the 1980s. To Stamford Canal after parts of it were Despite periodic efforts to widen and deepen lessen the chances of future fl oods, the Public converted into a canal. By the 1970s, most of In the early 1800s, a freshwater stream known Stamford Canal, fl oods were still frequent up Utilities Board has since been progressively Stamford Canal had been paved over. Today, as Sungei Brass Bassa ran parallel to Orchard to the 1980s. improving the area’s drainage. Road through Dhoby Ghaut and emptied into a small portion of the canal is visible behind the sea at the end of Stamford Road. The MacDonald House at Dhoby Ghaut. stream was popular as a washing and bathing area in the 1800s. However, the colonial authorities deemed public bathing to be indecent and tried to ban it with little success. In 1866, horrifi ed European observers reported that they saw: “… a party of Klings [a term used to describe Indians at that time] taking their evening bath in the dirty ditch, misnamed a river… as we continued our evening ramble along Orchard Road, we surprised three Chinamen taking their dip in a A fl ood at Orchard Road, 1920s horrible puddle, but nevertheless enjoying it much, Stamford Canal, 1900s Courtesy of National Museum of Singapore, National Heritage Board Lim Kheng Chye Collection, courtesy of National Archives of if one might judge from their smiling faces.” Singapore 6 7 FROM ORCHARD he was conferred the title Major Cina acquired for use by the station master of the (Johor’s highest ranking Chinese official) by nearby Tank Road Railway Station from 1902. Maharaja Abu Bakar. Later, the building housed charities such as TO GARDEN St Mary’s Home, an orphanage and boarding In 1882-85, Tan built a grand family home at school for girls, in 1905-32 and The Salvation Tank Road (now 101 Penang Road). The house Army in 1938-91. The House of Tan Yeok Nee was constructed in a traditional southern GAMBIER PLANTATIONS further inland in the Tanglin area which was was gazetted a National Monument in 1974. Chinese architectural style, with two large known as Twa Tang Leng in Teochew, meaning Orchard Road was once lined with estates central halls separated by wide courtyards. which cultivated gambier (Uncaria gambir), “great east hill peaks”. a crop used in the manufacturing of leather Its roof is distinguished by intricate timber By 1843, even the Tanglin plantations had goods. Gambier was also traditionally used in carvings, decorative plaster reliefs and been abandoned. An article in Singapore Free Southeast Asia for medicinal purposes and as colourful porcelain pieces known as qian ci or Press described Tanglin then as consisting an ingredient in betel chewing. jian nian. The qian ci are arranged in mosaic of “barren looking hills covered with short patterns or form fi gures on the ridges. In the brushwood and lalang [a fast-growing From the 1700s, the leather industry started front courtyard, there are koi (carp) carvings grass], which had sprung up in deserted to use gambier for tanning raw animal hides. at the roof junctions, which spout water from gambier plantations. This led to an increase in demand and the their mouths when it rains. establishment of gambier plantations in this region. When the British arrived in Singapore Tan Yeok Nee later sold the house and returned in 1819, there were an estimated 20 gambier to China. During this time, the Singapore-Kranji House of Tan Yeok Nee, 1910s plantations on the island.