Plant Life on Mount Kinabalu Borneo’S Great Natural Monument P.4
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1867 Plan of Burkill Hall THE MAGAZINE OF THE SingaPORE BOtaniC GARDEns VOLUME 40, FEB 2013 ISSN 0129-1688 Plant life on Mount Kinabalu Borneo’s Great Natural Monument p.4 The Global Plants Initiative & the Singapore Herbarium p.24 Going out with a Bang! –Corypha umbraculifera p.29 Among the Archives of the Botanic hand-written on the plan. The cost for This classic colonial bungalow was Gardens is a large plan outline of the construction of the building was $2400. later called the Director’s House, when Superintendent’s House on calico cloth. Henry Nicholas Ridley became the first Calico is a plain woven textile made The plan shows a simple building Director of the Gardens in 1888. It was from unbleached and often not fully layout, with all the living space upstairs, Ridley’s home for 23 years, as indicated processed cotton. Calico originated in consisting of two bedrooms, a dressing in Ridley’s centenary issue by J.W. Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala, India during room and two large verandahs. Nailing Purseglove (1955). In 1971, the Director’s the 11th century, and plans drawn on this and iron bolting were kept to a minimum, House was listed by the Preservation of textile tended to last longer than paper. and timbers were fixed and joined by Monuments Board as one of the Historic pure carpentry. One striking feature of Buildings of Singapore, according to the In his account of The establishment the building is its long, slender timber book Historic Buildings of Singapore by of the Botanic Gardens, Singapore, posts which extend from the ground Edwin Lee. published in 1918 in the Gardens Bulletin, floor to the eaves of the roof. These I.H. Burkill mentioned that the land for posts were made of native tempinis On 1 October 1992, the Director’s House the house was acquired in 1866, and (Streblus elongatus) trees. According was named Burkill Hall in honour of two that the purchase of the land exhausted to Burkill’s account, the Government Directors, Isaac Henry Burkill, who was the Society’s funds, creating the need to consented to allow the Agri-Horticultural Director of the Gardens from 1912 to take out a mortgage to finance the cost Society project to be supplied with bricks 1925, and Humphrey Morrison Burkill, of construction. Possibly the result of from the Government kilns at cost price. his son who became the Director of the these financing issues, the original plan Construction of the Superintendent’s Gardens from 1957 to 1969. Incidentally, of the Superintendent’s House is not House was completed in 1868, although Burkill Hall was also his birthplace. Today, dated until the following year, 1867. This the debt owed by the Agri-Horticultural Burkill Hall is a focal point of the National was not only the builder’s plan, but it also Society for the construction of the house Orchid Gardens and it commands a contained the quantities of materials to was outstanding for many years, and spectacular view of the orchid garden. be used for construction of the building. ultimately led to the Society’s handing This colonial bungalow has been The plan also constituted an agreement over of the Botanic Gardens to the renovated and is now used as a VIP between two Chinese builders and the colonial government in 1874. reception and event hall. Singapore Agri-Horticultural Society, with the latter represented by Mr Lawrence Niven, the first Superintendent C.H.H. Wilsone (the Secretary of the of the Gardens from 1860 to 1875, Christina Soh Society at the time); these names are all was the first resident of the house. Library Contents | VOLUME 40, FEB 2013 KEY VISITORS TO THE GARDENS (JULY-DECEMBER 2012) VOLUME 40, FEB 2013 04 12 18 Articles 02 Haji Samsuri bin Ahmad retires 12 Waiwai Hove combines a love of art and plants Low Yee Wen to create beautiful botanical paintings Ada Davis, Gillian Khew 03 The passing of Harry Luther Ada Davis 18 The Dell, a historic feature of the Gardens Michele Rodda 04 Plant life on Mount Kinabalu- Borneo’s Great Natural Monument 19 Improvised efficiencies for a plant sharing programme Hubert Kurzweil Judy Kay The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with NParks’ CEO, Mr Poon Hong Mrs Brigitte Ayrault (left), spouse of Prime Minister of the French Republic, 10 (Re) Discovering Decalobanthus Yuen (left) admiring the orchid hybrid newly named after the royal His Excellency Jean-Marc Ayrault, assisted by NParks’ DCEO, Dr Leong Chee George Staples couple, Vanda William Catherine. Chiew (right) unveils the orchid hybrid newly named in honour of the French Prime Minister and his spouse, Ascocenda Jean-Marc Brigitte Ayrault. Regular Features Mr Wichai AIYAKOOL Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand Dr Marc APPELHANS Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA 01 Message from the Director Staff Publications Dr Marlina ARDIYANI Herbarium Bogoriense, Bogor, West Java, Republic of Indonesia Nigel P. Taylor 33 Publications by Gardens Staff in 2012 His Excellency Jean-Marc AYRAULT & spouse Prime Minister, French Republic Dr Henk Jaap BEENTJE Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK Around the Gardens Book Reviews Mrs Natalie BRIGES Spouse of Minister of Consumer Affairs, New Zealand 24 The Global Plants Initiative & the Singapore Herbarium 35 The Orchids of Mount Kinabalu His Excellency Felipe de Jesús CALDERÓN Hinojosa & spouse President, United Mexican States George Staples, Serena Lee Hubert Kurzweil Khunying Puangroi DISKUL na Ayudhaya Executive Director, Doi Tung Development Project, Mae Fah Luang Foundation, Kingdom of Thailand Dr Gunther FISCHER Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden, Hong Kong, PR China New and Exciting 37 Etlingera of Sulawesi Mr Deden GIRMANSYAH Herbarium Bogoriense, Bogor, West Java, Republic of Indonesia 26 New in the Library Shop Jana Leong-Škorničková Prof Dr Charlie D. HEATUBUN Universitas Negeri Papua, West Papua, Republic of Indonesia Christina Soh Assoc Prof Dr Murray HENWOOD The University Of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Commonwealth of Australia Beyond the Gardens Mr KHAW Boon Wan Minister for National Development, Republic of Singapore Ginger and its Allies 38 6th International Symposium on the family Zingiberaceae Dr K.C. KOSHY Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Kerala, Republic of India 27 Thaumatococcus: Nature’s sweetest secret Jana Leong-Škorničková Dr Caroline LAW Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden, Hong Kong, PR China Jana Leong-Škorničková Dr LIM Phaik Eem Institute of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Mr Onishi MANABU Associate Director, Planning and General Affairs Division, Kyoto, Japan 40 BGCI’s 8th International Congress on Education Ms Sharon MAR Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden, Hong Kong, PR China What's Blooming in Botanic Gardens Dato’ MIRZA Mohammad Taiyab Director General, Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia 29 Going out with a Bang!–Corypha umbraculifera Winnie Wong Dr Timothy MOTLEY Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA Nura Abdul Karim Dr Pranee NANGNGAM Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Kingdom of Thailand Key Visitors to the Gardens Prof Dr Christoph NEINHUIS Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Federal Republic of Germany From Education Outreach 41 July−December 2012 His Excellency José Maria Pereira NEVES Prime Minister, Republic of Cape Verde Ms NG Poh Kheng Institute of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 31 Cultivating Interest in Nature through the Lens Dato’ Sri Dr NG Yen Yen Minister of Tourism, Malaysia Shereen Tan, Winnie Wong From the Archives His Excellency NGUYEN Phu Trong General Secretary, Communist Party of Vietnam, Socialist Republic of Vietnam Back Cover 1867 Plan of Burkill Hall Dr Caroline M. PANNELL University of Oxford, UK Christina Soh Ms POONG Sze Wan Institute of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Dr Axel Dalberg POULSEN Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Kingdom of Norway Mrs Uzi RABINNELL Spouse of the Director of the Moshe Dayan Centre for Middle Eastern and African Studies, Tel Aviv University, State of Israel Mr Bhakta Bahadur RASKOTI Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Ms Sunisa SANGVIROTJANAPHAT Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Chiang Mai, Kingdom of Thailand Mr Santi SARAPHOL Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand His Excellency Luis Fernando de Andrade SERRA & spouse Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil to Singapore Dr Charlotte SHIU Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden, Hong Kong, PR China Ms Nadhanielle SIMONSSON National Research Institute of Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea Mr Bambang Goeritno SOEKAMTO Director General, Agency for the Development of Construction, Ministry of Public Works, Republic of Indonesia Dr Joeri S. STRIJK Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, PR China Cover Production Managers Singapore Botanic Gardens Dr Benito TAN National University of Singapore, Republic of Singapore The majestic South Peak (3933 m) of Christina Soh, Low Yee Wen 1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569 Dr Paweena TRAIPERM Mahidol University, Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand Mount Kinabalu, Sabah. National Parks Board Dr Eduard F. de VOGEL NCB Naturalis, Leiden, Kingdom of the Netherlands Photo by Carl Gruenenfelder Design Mr WANG Ping Yuan Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, PR China Splash Productions Pte Ltd [email protected] Dr Jun WEN Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA Editors www.sbg.org.sg His Royal Highness Prince WILLIAM & Her Royal Highness CATHERINE The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, UK Ada Davis, Nigel P. Taylor, Khoon Meng Wong www.nparks.gov.sg Mr WONG Hon Wai Chairman, Town and County Planning, Housing and Art Committee, Penang, Malaysia p41 | VOLUME 40, FEB 2013 MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR Botanic gardens mean different things In the “long-cared-for-collections” slot is an Asia’s mountains, Kinabalu, home to many to their varied users and SBG is no account of the beginning of a glorious exit endemic species and therefore a site of exception.