The Public History of Singapore

Just a short voyage downstream from Marina Bay, there is a footbridge that crosses over the murky waters of the Singapore River. This structure connects the downtown of Singapore to it’s governmental centre, allowing for tourists to easily get from the mighty Merlion Statue to the nation’s House of Parliament and Asian Civilisation’s Museum in no time. This humble overpass, named Cavenagh Bridge, is a product of it’s time, and notably stands out as an antique of infrastructure when compared to the surrounding hotels, shops and buildings erected in the modern era which easily dwarf it in size and technological marvel. But Cavenagh Bridge remains a testament to the change that Singapore has gone through in its journey from humble port city to twenty-first century technological hub. Embedded within it’s creation and display are firsts and lasts from the history of Singapore that paint a vivid picture of how Singapore’s society has evolved and provides tourists a small time warp to what li

Behind Singapore’s Parliament House, right next to the riverside that divides the island’s centre and south, is the Asian Civilisations Museum. This robust gallery of artefacts displays gems of history from across Asia, highlighting the wonders of the ancient, middle and pre-modern civilisations that stood in Indonesia, Vietnam, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia and China. This testament to the glory of Asian culture is perfectly located in Singapore, a nation that has always enthusiastically championed the cause of South-East Asian co-opreation and unity, joining ASEAN upon it’s foundation in 1967 and since acting as a leader in investment, trade and cultural exchange within the region.  Although the museum is a tremendous site, and will likely be the subject of a post at some point down the track, it is what is located just outside of the museum that shall be focused on within this post. Looking upon the Singapore river are the busts of three important Asian leaders who fundamentally changed

Singapore is regarded as a quiet overachiever within Asia. The streets are famously clean, the people keep to themselves and everything, from buses to waiters, run on a timely schedule. There’s no chewing gum, graffiti or litter and watch neighbourhood feels safe and welcoming to all who visit.  But it should not be forgotten that during the first half of the twentieth century, Singapore was the epicentre of a number of conflicts. It’s location at the tip of the Malayan Peninsula places it right at the bottom of Asia, the crossroads between numerous nations and kingdoms that have contributed to shaping the multicultural atmosphere of Singapore, but have also on occasion caused tremendous strife. Furthermore, the presence of the British, Japanese and other global superpowers meant that Singapore was not able to simply lie low and avoid invasion. From riots on the streets during the First World War, a Japanese occupation during the Second World War and the constant threat of terrorism du

Imagine you’re on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, just about to win one million dollars, and the final question you’re posed asks; What was the focus of Singapore’s first public statue?  There are many guesses that one could make. Stamford Raffles would be the obvious choice. Temenggong Abdul Rahman would demonstrate a deep knowledge of how the British came to establish their position on Singapore to begin with. The woman with the single most amount of places, things and statues raised in her honour across the British Empire, Queen Victoria, would surely be a strong contender.  But if you chose any of these options, then unfortunately you would have gone home empty handed. The focus of Singapore’s first public statue is actually a rather obscure figure in the history of Singapore, mostly because they had nothing to do with Singapore initially. The Dalhousie Obelisk was named after Lord James Andrew, the Marquess of Dalhousie, a Governor-General of India who voyaged to Singapore during h

In the centre of a bustling street in Singapore, surrounded by a complex shopping centre and modern housing units, an under construction footpath and busy freeway, stands a piece of catholic architecture that looks as if it had been picked up from Spain or Italy and placed in it’s environment. This is the Church of Saint Alphonsus, or the Novena church for short, a catholic chapel built in 1950 and attended by hundreds or worshippers each Sunday for English and Mandarin services.  The church is North of Singapore’s city centre, about a twenty five minute bus ride from the Merlion, Marina Bay and other famous Singapore icons. So why is this building on the blog? There are many churches and places of worship across Singapore that have a far more striking and immediate presence within the history of the nation of Singapore, some of which I will cover eventually. Why is the Novena church going first?  Well, in addition to being an admirable piece of architecture and bustling location for l

As a student of International Relations and History, I take an interest in the reasons and manners by which nations become allies. We take it as a given that the iconic friendships between states across the world, like Australia & New Zealand for example, has and will always stand. But every friendship begins with two strangers finding a mutual connection and exploring their similarities further, this of course being no different between countries.  A number of markers across Singapore are symbols of the continued friendship the country shares with contemporary states, taking the forms of busts of leaders, statues of shared experience or, as in the case of today’s post, gifts. Extended from one country to another, a gift is a tremendous beacon of appreciation and mutual respect, and tells the story of how countries solidify their connections and provide a constant reminder that they will endeavour to maintain cordial, respectful and cooperative relations.  Today’s piece of public h