The road was named after the island Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka) because a large number of Ceylonese settled down around the area in the 19th century.
Ceylonese came to Singapore in the years 1870-75, shortly after the Straits Settlements became a Crown Colony in 1867. There was a demand for trained men to fill in the lower ranks of the Straits Settlements Government service. Since then, there was a steady stream of Ceylonese emigrating to the Straits Settlements and other parts of Malaya to take up clerical and other appointments in the Civil Service. In Singapore, they mostly settled around Ceylon Road, Marshall Road, Haig Road and Tanjong Katong Road.
Ceylon Road along with Marshall road defines the Western boundary of Joo Chiat. The backlanes of the street used to be filled with food vendors in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The street till date is a residential area with a few commercial and eating places situated along the length of it.
Koon Seng Road
Named in 1934 after Cheong Koon Seng, a businessman, this road is popular for some beautiful residences along it.
Koon Seng Road was known as Lorong East Coast before being renamed after Cheong Koon Seng (b. 1880 - d. 1932) in 1934. Cheong Koon Seng, one of the first 13 students of Anglo-Chinese School, built the Theatre Royal and Star Opera Company on North Bridge Road. He was an auctioneer, a real estate agent and a charter member of the first Rotary Club of Singapore. Koon Seng Road was a predominantly residential area, but it had a vibrant business atmosphere due to the shophouses that lined the street. The road was a Peranakan enclave in the past until the 1970s when Peranakans began moving to other parts of Singapore.
Residential units along this street include Song Lang Green, East Court, Koon Seng House, Bendigo Gardens and Koon Seng Court. The road is also the site of the current Haig Girls' School, the grounds being formerly occupied by Kuo Chuan Girls' School. Other buildings on this road include the Soon Teck Hotel, Yong Shuy Lodge, Econ Nursing Home, Malacca Hotel, Charis Methodist Church and Sim Poh Seng Temple.
East Coast Road
Hugging the eastern coast of Singapore, the road had been designated as early as 1828 in Lt. Jackson's Town Plan but was built only in 1902. Since then, it has served as the main vein to the culturally rich and diverse Katong area.
Lt. Philip Jackson's 1828 Singapore Town Plan, following Raffles' recommendations and vision of 1823, designated roads on either end of the island as East Coast Road and West Coast Road. Both the roads, though not constructed until much later, were thus one of Singapore's earliest roads delineated. The only approach, to the areas around Joo Chiat to Geylang, was initially through Geylang Road and Tanjong Katong Road. But in 1902, a laterite road was constructed, connecting Katong to Bedok. This was to become East Coast Road, running along the coast until the land reclamation of the 1960s.
A shopping and entertainment haven, the area bustled and throbbed with people. Popular landmarks in the 1950s and 1960s include Katong's first supermarket, Tay Buan Guan Building and cinemas like Odeon, Palace and Roxy. Rapid urban re-development has taken its toll in Katong with many buildings already demolished although some are reused with other business functions today. The Palace Theatre site was redeveloped into an office and condominium complex in the mid-1990s while Katong Bakery & Confectionery, the famous "Red House" was closed in 2003. The Tay Buan Guan shopping centre was torn down in 2001 to make way for a condominium project. Other landmarks on East Coast Road include Chin Mei Chin Confectionery and Church of Holy Family and Roxy Square.
Still Road
Named after Alexander William Still who was Chief Editor of the Straits Times from 1908 to 1926.
The road was originally called Lorong 210 East Coast but was named after Alexander William Still (b. 1860 - d. December 1931) in 1933. Nicknamed "The Thunderer", Still was a forthright commentator of the colonial administration. Being on the Council of Rubber Growers' Association of British Malaya, he was a strong voice on issues related to the rubber industry. Still was also a member of the Freemasons. Still Road, a part of the old Katong district, was fairly populous in the early 1900s and did not stretch far.
No comments:
Post a Comment