Singaporium

Singaporium

Index

Click the links below for the respective image credits.

Winding Waterways

Punggol Stories video

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Punggol's Beginnings 1800s-1940s

A black and white photograph of a minibus and a car on the paved Punggol Road in 1955. A forest of tall coconut trees lean over the right side of the road.

Punggol Road 10 milestone, 1955
F. W. York Collection, National Archives of Singapore
20090000070 - 0005

A black and white photo of the 152 feet-tall spire-topped tower of the Church of The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, located at Upper Serangoon Road.

Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Upper Serangoon Road, 1976
National Archives of Singapore
19980006212 - 0045

An aerial shot of Matilda House, a single-storey colonial bungalow with a red roof and a black-and-white façade. The bungalow stands amidst spacious green lawns, surrounded by a forest of coconut trees.

Matilda House before government acquisition, 1985
Photo copyright R. Ian Lloyd

A collage of five black and white photographs of zoo staff tending to the animals of Punggol Zoo. These include orangutans, a young elephant, and a baby tiger.

Zoo staff with animals at the Punggol Zoo, 1930s
Courtesy of Mr Lawrence Basapa

A World War Two memorial plaque in the foreground, with Punggol Point Jetty and the sea in the background. The plaque details the Punggol Beach massacre.

World War Two marker at Punggol Point jetty
Courtesy of National Heritage Board

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Changing Communities 1950s-80s

Rotary Club Members visiting Punggol Malay School, 1958
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited

A map showing the electoral boundaries of Punggol constituency for the 1959 General Election. The boundaries of Punggol stretch from Punggol Point to Upper Serangoon along the Punggol and Serangoon Rivers, and Yio Chu Kang and Tampines Roads.

Singapore Parliament Electoral Divisions, 1959
Singapore Land Authority Collection, National Archives of Singapore
SP001040

A black and white photograph of the single-storey Kampong Sungei Tengah Community Centre and its outdoor basketball court amidst a coconut plantation.

Kampong Sungei Tengah Community Centre, reproduced from Punggol Constituency Grassroots Committees
Singapore: Punggol Constituency Citizens' Consultative Committee, 1983, p. 122
National Library, Singapore, Call no. English 307.095957 PUN

A 1968 map of the roads in Punggol, highlighting Kampong Sungei Tengah Community Centre near the junction of Punggol Road and Lorong Buangkok.

The Community Centre located at the junction of Punggol Road and Lorong Buangkok (Sengkang East Way), 1968
Map reproduced from《新加坡指南》
Singapore: Ministry of Culture, 1970, Map 38
National Library, Singapore, Call no. RCLOS Chinese 959.57 SIN -[HIS]

A black and white headshot of MP Ng Kah Ting, when he was in his early thirties.

Portrait of Ng Kah Ting, 1970s
Reproduced from Punggol Point Community Centre Regatta
Singapore: Ponggol Boatel Pte. Ltd.,1974
National Library, Singapore, BRN B21163060H

A black and white photograph of a crowd surrounding a stage outside Punggol Community Centre to celebrate Singapore's first National Day. Banners in traditional Chinese characters proclaim the celebration and frame the stage. Then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and other political leaders stand onstage.

Regatta organised by Ponggol Point Community Centre, 1966
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, National Archives of Singapore
19980005249 - 0106

A black and white photo of three power boats racing in the waters while a crowd watches on from behind the railings of Punggol Point jetty. This race took place during a regatta organised by Ponggol Point Community Centre in 1966.

Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at Punggol Community Centre's National Day Celebration Dinner, 1966
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, National Archives of Singapore
19980005253 - 0077

A black and white photo of Ponggol (Hock Kee) Seafood Restaurant, showing an outdoor dining area facing the sea. The coffee shop-style tables closest to the seafront are occupied by diners.

Ponggol (Hock Kee) Seafood Restaurant, 1993
Lee Kip Lin Collection, National Library, Singapore

Boatel owner Awang bin Abdullah (tenth from left) and family at Punggol beach, 1985
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited

Badariah bte Osman, Fatimah bte Buang and Habsah bte Arip were the first girls from the Punggol Vocational Institute who signed up for the plumbing and pipe-fitting trade course in 1977
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited

Part of the Punggol pig-farming area under development, 1976
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited

A black and white aerial photo of the first sixteen HDB blocks in Punggol.

The first HDB flats of Punggol, 1981
Courtesy of Housing & Development Board

Aerial view of a group of seven four-storey HDB blocks called Punggol Rural Centre in Sengkang. In the background is a sea of high-rise HDB flats.

Punggol Rural Centre at Buangkok South Farmway, 2000
Courtesy of Housing & Development Board

Aerial photo of construction work for the development of Sengkang New Town. An isolated Punggol Rural Centre is surrounded by a wide expanse of barren land. A few clusters of flats are being constructed beside the Centre.

Land around Punggol Rural Centre being cleared to build Sengkang New Town, 1990s
© Urban Redevelopment Authority. All rights reserved

A illustrated map of reclaimed land in Punggol. The reclaimed areas are along the east and west coasts of Punggol Point, and the south bank of Coney Island.

Land reclamation areas at Punggol, 1980s
Courtesy of Housing & Development Board

Fish for sale at the Punggol Fish Market. Fishes are placed in baskets on the floor in a large warehouse. Crowds of men inspect the fish as they buy and sell them.

Punggol Fish Market, 1985
National Archives of Singapore

A black and white photograph of the partially demolished landed house of Gerry de Souza at Punggol. The building's roof and windows had been removed.

A partially demolished house of Gerry de Souza at Punggol, 1995
Lee Kip Lin Collection, National Library, Singapore

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Punggol 21 1990s-2006

An aerial view of the Marina Country Club at Punggol. Many yachts and boats are moored along five floating docks in the calm green waters of Punggol River.

Marina Country Club, c. 2010
Courtesy of Marina Country Club

A two-page spread from a book about Punggol 21. The main illustration stretching across both pages is an artist's impression of waterfront housing in Punggol 21. A mixture of high-rise and low-rise buildings line a river.

Artist's impression of Punggol 21, 1996
© Urban Redevelopment Authority & Housing & Development Board. All rights reserved.

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A map of Northeast Singapore, highlighting the MRT and LRT lines of Punggol New Town.

Map of North-East Singapore, 2019
© Urban Redevelopment Authority. All rights reserved.

A photograph of Punggol Plaza, a three-story shopping mall in Singapore. The building has a white facade with glass windows and red, blue and yellow trimmings.

Punggol Plaza
Courtesy of Housing & Development Board

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Developing a Waterfront Town 2007-Present

A group of people kayaking along Punggol Waterway in five kayaks, with HDB blocks in the background.

Kayaking along My Waterway@Punggol
Courtesy of Housing & Development Board

Gantries at an empty Sumang LRT Station.

Sumang station, 2023
Courtesy of Hannah Yeo

A wooden sign board on Coney Island that reads 'Coney Island'. Cyclists walk past the sign with their bikes on a dirt path.

Coney Island, 2016
Courtesy of Alex Tam

The brown Coney Island cow standing among grass and shrubs at Coney Island.

Coney Island, 2016
Courtesy of Alex Tam

A close view of the words 'Waterway Point' outside Waterway Point shopping mall. Watertown residences can be seen above the mall in the background.

Waterway Point, 2020
Courtesy of Housing & Development Board

A wide shot of Oasis Terraces, an integrated shopping mall and community centre along Punggol Waterway. The white-coloured building is six stories tall and landscaped with trees, shrubs and grass.

Oasis Terraces, 2018
Deoma12, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Common

A photograph showing eight people walking through the ground floor of Oasis Terraces, an integrated shopping mall and community centre.

Oasis Terraces
Courtesy of Housing & Development Board

A photograph of the four-wheeled, white-coloured Camello robot which delivers groceries to Punggol residents.

Autonomous mobile robot Camello, 2021
Photo by OTSAW, courtesy of Information Media and Development Authority

A photograph of Northshore Plaza, a three-story shopping mall in Punggol. Its façade is painted brown and beige.

Northshore Plaza, the first seafront New Generation Neighbourhood Centre to be built in an HDB estate, 2021
Courtesy of Housing & Development Board

People enter the One Punggol Hawker Centre during its opening in October 2022. A green rectangular signboard hangs above the entrance, reading 'One Punggol Hawker Centre'.

One Punggol Hawker Centre, 2022
Courtesy of One Punggol

A photograph of the level 1 entrance of Punggol Regional Library. Clear floor-to-ceiling glass panels form the outer walls of the library, allowing the interior to be visible from the outside. The name of the library is displayed in large, bold brown letters on a white wall that protrudes from the second floor.

Punggol Regional Library, 2023
National Library Board

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Punggol Stories video

Introduction

Punggol Arc Bridge pictured over the Punggol Waterway beneath a bright blue sky. The Waterway Terraces HDB flats can be seen behind the bridge in the background.

Punggol Arc Bridge and Waterway Terraces, 2020
Courtesy of Housing & Development Board

The Jewel Bridge photographed as the sun is setting. The pedestrian bridge pictured over the waterway consists of a dome shaped rest area. A few individuals can be seen on the bridge.

The Jewel Bridge at Punggol Waterway, 2015
Courtesy of Housing & Development Board

A view of the Punggol Jetty, a long platform leading out to the sea. A stationary boat is on the waters next to the platform on the right while another is pictured in front of it. There are big cargo ships visible in the distance.

Punggol Jetty, 1994
Courtesy of Anthony Ting

A black and white photo of fishing boats docked closely in a harbour in Kangkar. A row of sheds lie across from the boats, built on a wooden platform standing on stilts.

Boats at Kangkar Village, 1982
Lee Kip Lin Collection, National Library, Singapore

A black and white group photo of ten Malay men, likely community leaders, standing outside the Punggol Malay School during its official opening. Most are dressed in baju Melayu (traditional Malay costume) and songkoks (traditional Malay headgear).

Group photograph of the inaugural opening of Punggol Malay School at Kampong Punggol, 1955
Registry of Co-operative Societies Collection, National Archives of Singapore
19980005790-0017

A black and white photo of a single decker bus belonging to the Ponggol Bus Service driving past the Church of The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Upper Serangoon Road.

The Ponggol Bus Service's Vulcan bus at Upper Serangoon Road 9 milestone, 1955
F. W. York Collection, National Archives of Singapore
20090000069-0002

A black and white photo of a female rubber tapper working on a rubber plantation, using a tool to tap the tree for its rubber latex. Next to her, a young boy, likely her son, bends down to carry two buckets of the collected rubber latex.

Rubber tapping, Singapore, 1920s
National Archives of Singapore
19980005768-0004

A sepia photo of the Punggol seashore in the 1890s. A row of four palm trees line the shore on the left side of the image. Two Chinese junks are seen in the distance on calm sea waters.

Punggol Seashore, Singapore, 1890s
Lim Kheng Chye Collection, National Archives of Singapore
19980006559-0101

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What would you find in the farms of Punggol Past?

A black and white photo of at least twenty labourers working in a field of Tapioca. A Caucasian man stands at the centre of the field looking on.

Tapioca plantation at Trafalgar Estate
Singapore, c. 1880
Collection of the National Museum of Singapore, National Heritage Board
1991-00800

A black and white photo of a male rubber tapper at a rubber plantation. In what appears to be a posed photo, he stands next to a rubber tree carrying two buckets.

A tapper in a rubber estate, c. 1920s-1930s
The Hebblewhite Collection, National Archives of Singapore
20150000118-0083

A postcard of vast fields of green vegetables in Punggol, with a few thatched kampong houses in the background. In the foreground, three boys squat on a bamboo bridge built over a stream of muddy water in between the fields.

A vegetable farm in Punggol, c.1970s
Collection of the National Museum of Singapore, National Heritage Board
2008-04942

A black and white photo of several pigs roaming around their pen in a pig farm at Punggol.

A pig farm in Punggol, 1983
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, National Archives of Singapore
19980001380-0110

Minister without Portfolio in the Prime Minister’s Office Lim Chee Onn visiting a pig farm at Buangkok South Farmway 1. He walksin front of an entourage between rows of pig pens.

Minister Lim Chee Onn on a walkabout of the Punggol constituency, 1983
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, National Archives of Singapore
19980006760-0070

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What was life like in Old Punggol?

A black and white photo of six men and a boy holding up a 30-foot-long python at the Punggol Zoo.

Measuring a 30-foot python at the Punggol Zoo, c. 1930s
Courtesy of Lawrence Basapa

A black and white photo of Mr William Basapa and Mdm Alberta Maddox posing next to several zebras at the Punggol Zoo.

William Lawrence Soma Basapa and Mdm Alberta Maddox among zebras at the Singapore Zoo, c.1930s
Courtesy of Lawrence Basapa

A black and white photo of leader Dato Paglar stepping from a half cabin boat into a slightly larger open boat that has been moored to a pole in the waters of Punggol. A Caucasian man helps him into the second boat, which also holds a group of onlookers.

Charles Joseph Pemberton Paglar (Dato Paglar) hands over a motorboat to the representative of the youth council, 1950
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, National Archives of Singapore
19980000814-0028

Two speedboats race across the waters at Punggol. A shoreline of dense trees is pictured in the background.

Water sports at Punggol, 1972
Courtesy of Ron Yap

A fisherman offloading kupang (sea mussels) from a sampan onto shore.

Fishermen unloading kupang (mussels) from a sampan in Punggol, 1985
National Archives of Singapore
19980005035-0106

Fish for sale at the Punggol Fish Market. Fishes are placed in baskets on the floor in a large warehouse. Crowds of men inspect the fish as they buy and sell them.

Punggol Fish Market, 1985
National Archives of Singapore
19980005045-0098

A female worker squatting down to deshell kupang (mussels) in a village house. A large cluster of kupang lies at her feet.

A worker deshelling kupang (mussels) in Punggol, 1985
National Archives of Singapore
19980005127-0066

A black and white photo of Ponggol (Hock Kee) Seafood Restaurant, showing an outdoor dining area facing the sea. The coffee shop-style tables closest to the beach seafront are occupied by diners.

Ponggol (Hock Kee) Seafood Restaurant, 1993
Lee Kip Lin Collection, National Library, Singapore

A family carries furniture out of their thatched kampong house as they prepare to move to urban housing.

Moving to high rise flats from kampongs, 1963
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, National Archives of Singapore
19980007373-0049

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What are some old and new Punggol landmarks?

A black and white photo of nine schoolboys sitting on the sand at Punggol Beach close to the waters. Gentle waves lap their legs as they pose for the camera.

Nee Soon School camp at Punggol Beach,1983
Nee Soon School Collection, National Archives of Singapore
19980005765-0088

A black and white photo where a handful of visitors explore the Punggol jetty while some boats lie on the water a short distance away to the right.

Punggol Point Jetty, 1993
Lee Kip Lin Collection, National Library, Singapore

A photo of Masjid Wak Sumang showing its view from Punggol Road. The mosque has a hip roof and a cylindrical minaret extension topped with the star and crescent symbol of Islam. A low wall in front of the mosque separates it from the road.

Masjid Wak Sumang, 1985
National Archives of Singapore
19980005036-0003

An aerial view of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Blocks of HDB flats can be seen in the background.

The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 2022
Courtesy of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Matilda House, a single-storey colonial bungalow with a red roof and a black-and-white façade, stands amidst a construction site. A row of HDB flats stand behind it in the background.

Matilda House, 2013
Image by Darren Soh

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