Down The History Lane
Central Singapore
This section contains all you need to know about the history of major HDB estates in central Singapore. Here are the links:
Ang Mo Kio
ETYMOLOGY:
Hokkien dialect which either relates it as the "Red Tomato", or the "Bridge of the Caucasian".
John Turnbull Thomson was responsible for building a bridge near Ang Mo Kio during the colonial days of Singapore. After the bridge was completed, the locals often referred to it as Ang Mo Kio or "Caucasian Bridge" or "Red Hair Bridge". John Turnbull Thomson had a distinctive red-coloured hair.
HOW IT LOOKED LIKE IN THE PAST:
Settlers were attracted to the area only around the turn of the century, as a result of the rubber boom. It had has many plantation estates.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
The design of the town won the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) Outstanding Buildings Award in 1983. The swimming complex at Avenue 1 also won the 1986 SIA Architectural Award for its unique "tetrahedral skylight" design. The first town to be designed in metric dimensions, it was the seventh housing estate town developed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB).
Bishan
ETYMOLOGY:
Bishan derived its name from the large Cantonese burial ground, commonly known as Peck San Theng, which means "pavilions on the green".
The burial ground was established in 1870 by immigrants who largely came from the three prefectures of Guangzhou (Cantonese), Huizhou (Hakka) and Zhaoqing (Cantonese) in Guangdong Province, China.
HOW IT LOOKED LIKE IN THE PAST:
It is a young housing estate made up of two older villages, namely Kampong San Theng and Soon Hock Village. Kampong San Theng dates back to more than a century ago. The village and its resulting temple were built by three pioneers of the Kwong Fu, Wai Chow Fu and Siew Hing Fu prefectures in Canton, China. Part of the larger Kampong San Theng, the second village - the Soon Hock Village - is a predominantly Hokkien village, famous for the production of sesame oil and noodles.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
Bishan became one of the most popular towns when newly built. As is with Serangoon New Town, it was built in an area with a large extent of pre-existing private housing, resulting in a disjointed town layout. The oldest public housing blocks were located around Sin Ming as housing for the surrounding industrial estate.
Toa Payoh
ETYMOLOGY:
Hokkien dialect translates as "big swamp". The reference indicates the large swampy area that preceded the later development of Chinese market gardens in this area.
HOW IT LOOKED LIKE IN THE PAST:
Toa Payoh was once an extensive and notorious squatter district. Most squatters were engaged in farming and rearing pigs. The others were hawkers, factory workers, mechanics or domestic helpers.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
Queen Elizabeth II visited the area in the years 1972 and 2006. J.T. Thomson, a government surveyor, refers to Toa Payoh in his 1849 agricultural report as Toah Pyoh Lye and Toah Pyoh. Hoo Ah Kay had an orange garden here that Johnson visited.
