Below are the oldest copies of the Singapore Street Directory I have in my house…until what I have found at my mother’s house at Haig Road on last Sunday. Ha I believed Peter and Chun See may even have older copies than this since they are at least 10yrs my senior. Frankly buying the Singapore Street Directory is like buying First Day Covers issues, every now and then new edition come out due to more new roads being built.
Credit : Singapore Government, Chief SurveyorOn the left is the Chinese Edition (1976) which is based on the English Edition (1975) and on the right is the English Edition (1988).
Now I have another even older map of Singapore from the Shell. The year 1959 was written on the inside cover of the map;
Credits for all the Shell Map Reproduction: Shell, Singapore Government Survey Department.
So this map was prepared by SIT (Singapore Improvement Trust, which is the ‘ancestor’ of HDB) in 1956;
Let’s take a look at this old map;
Only this part of Singapore was reproduced in the map;
Below are some of the Places Of Interests in the 50s where a number of them were no longer around now;
Now let’s take a close up view of this old map and see what’s in 50s;
You can see the Singapore Airport at the Paya Lebar from the above map, but has it been completed then? Guess… Of course all the expressways like PIE, ECP, etc.. were not built then. Also Singapore size then was much smaller before the major land reclamation from 60s to 90s.
Hey, you should consider contributing your old 1959 Shell map to the National Library’s heritage show - they have it every year in the 3rd quarter, I think. If you cannot donate it, they can scan it and will return the original copy to you.
Wow, those maps are so amazing. I agree you should consider contributing one of them… I wonder where one can buy old street directories now though. Probably very expensive.
Even just 15 years ago the street directory shows such different things from now; like a whole load more of lorongs and kampongs as well as Sengkang being undeveloped… and the old Bukit Timah-Jurong railway line etc. A lot of your average uncles and aunties in Singapore have witnessed great amounts of change but only few are talking about it on the blogosphere I think.
Sob! Sob! My dad had the 1988 Street Directory last year.
But, my younger brother threw it away! He said, “Why keep? Outdated already.”
The latest copy we had now is in 1998.
I need it to compare the past and present maps to show the changes on this portal myhometown.sg
Do you or someone else have another copy of 1988 Street Directory?
Wow! I’m amazed at all the old photos and knickknacks you have. Now I’m looking for a photo of the esplanade area before the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay was built, for my Geography assignment by this weekend. I have searched many hours over the past few days but all fruitless. Can anyone help me, please?
I too wish I had kept some of the old maps. My oldest one is 1993 but most of the old places I am interested in are no longer there.
Morningglory. You can see pictures of Esplanade at Memories of Singapore”.
Sorry that should be: http://www.singas.co.uk/HTML/singapore_in_the_sixties_3.html
Morning glory
I got a couple dating back to the 1950s when they had the first hawker center built in 1958 which later became the Satay Club (when they moved over from Beach Road). if you want those up to Nicoll Highway (near the collapse of the tunnel) I also can share with you. It was also called the Esplanade - for courting couples. Just send your email addr to Laokokok
Morning Glory
I just checked - I have some taken in 1972 and 1985 (where I think The Esplanade Theaters are now). The crescent-shaped hawker center (built by the british Colonial GOvt) was facing those theaters was demolished to build the Satay Club in the mid-1970s.
Maybe u write your email addrr here and I can send to you.
Thanks a great deal, Lam Chun See and profkingsfield2004. You guys really save my day (and night too). The photos in the website given by Lam Chun See should be good enough for now. Thanks again. Didn’t expect to I could get response so fast.
I just love this blog. Will explore it more when I have more time.
Hi Victor and Passerby,
Thanks for the suggestion and points noted. Let me consolidate more at my mother’s house first as she has more ‘artifacts’ than me haha.
Hi Hyacinthus,
You may try those old bookshop at Bras Basah. I saw some in one of them (very good condition though), but the price…
Thanks Chun See and Peter - for helping Morningglory in his project.
Wow, the 1956 city map is a real treasure. And my dad used to have the 1988 street directory that you highlighted. Alas, like many old things in the house, it has been thrown away.
Always amazed at the amount of things you have held on to. Thank goodness that you have!
Hi Acroamatic,
I too thrown away a lot of things when I was younger. Only after I started to age, I then collect all these stuffs like my mom hehe….
Yes, unfortunately that’s a realisation that many of us hit upon too late. I’ve mentioned elsewhere that I threw away my MRT commemorative ticket for the opening day. *sigh* It’s not like it was taking a lot of space. I also stupidly threw away my only primary school annual.
The worst thing that we could throw away is our memory. Once is gone, is gone.
whooo i remember finding the 1988 street directory when i was searching for one! haha, i think we only just recently bought a new one when the whole family suddenly realised that we don’t have the most updated copy of it..
i think it’s still sitting around my house somewhere. funny to think that it’s one year older than me
Hi
Love the site - brings back a lot of memories!
My father was in the RAF and we lived in Changi in 1964/5 - I’m writing a novel based on my childhood and am trying to track down where we lived (unfortunately both my parents died in 1991).
I know it was away from the RAF camp and we lived opposite the jungle which had a kampong in it. Just over the road and in front of the jungle area there was a field of oxen. There was a small swamp at the end of the road and we were near a cemetery (not a christian cemetery)
I believe it was in the Siglap/Bedok area and thanks to Google Earth had worked out that it may have been Swan Lake Road in the Opera Estate as there used to be a kampong there and there is a cemetery next to the Flamingo condominium. But I remember mum and us kids walking to the ahma’s night market and have worked out that we walked along the Bedok canal, which seems to be a long way from Swan Lake Road?
Any ideas?
Cheers
Des
Des
Can u remember whether that was a Chinese (at Simpang Bedok) or Malay cemetery. The Malay cemeteries are at Siglap Road, Kew Drive and Kg Bedok (around Bedok Corner). The swamps you mentioned were at Koh Sek Lim Road just next to the S. Bedok (now Bedok Canal) or the present Tanah Merah MRT Station area. Your family probably rented a local sem-D house.
U need to establish whether the cemetery was on flat ground or on hilly ground. I am familiar with Siglap area of the 1960s. U drop Laokokok your email and we can get in contact.
Ah Mah’s Nite Market was at Bedok Corner - the present-day Bedok Corner hawker Center
Your house was probably at Jalan Pari Dedap next to the present-day Anglican High School. Opposite Jalan Pari Dedap was a Chinese cemetery which is now Tanah Merah Kechil Avenue. You could not have stayed at Jalan Chempaka Kunning because those semi-Ds were built in the late 1968.
Hi there,
I was going through the net…looking for the old maps and street directories of singapore..(1960 - 1980), when I came across your website. It’s a very cool website and brings back lots of memories…smile.
Actually, I was trying to find old maps and street directories of the KTMB branch lines…meaning during the early years, KTMB (Malayan Railway) railway got branch lines going to other places of singapore, other than the mainline to JB. ie: old bukit timah railway station - jurong port line. old brickworks line - near to alexandra road
That was where i came across your website. I really miss those days where i used to stay at bukit merah and notice the railway line beside the former OG and near Safra.
I would really appreciate it if you could let me know how I can get a copy of these directories..or maybe a scan of these railway lines if it is not too troubling you…as i would like to track back those lines…if they are still available…smile.
thanks and regards
silvermusang
silvermusang - i keep track of old KTM railway tracks u need. If u drop me your email, then we can get started.
If u are interested to know, the present-day Cantonment Link was the site of the first railway track running from Tg Pagar thru Chinatown to Tank Road in the early 20th century i.e. 1900s.
Hi silvermusang,
You can email me so that I can give your email to Peter (profkingsfield2004).
Hi Den2,
It’s good to start keep the old street directory.
Hi Des,
Thanks for visiting this blog. I think Peter will be able to help you. I’ve sent your email to him.
Looking closely at the map, I can see that the area that I am interested in - Pasir Panjang - is slightly damaged. There is a hole and the edge is slightly frayed. Is there an Island View Road (currently it is Kent Ridge Crescent) that connects to Kent Ridge Road?
Is it shown in the 1976 road directory? I’d appreciate it a lot if you can check this for me. Would love to add more detail to this post.
Hi Kenneth (acroamatic),
I’ve emailed to you some copies of the maps on Island View Road (Check yr email). The old city map is damaged so the portion you required may not show up. I’ve checked the 70s street directory and it’s still there. But the 80s one, already changed to Kent Ridge Crescent.
Thanks, laokokok! It hasn’t arrived in my email yet, I’ll check again later in the day.
Whoops! Your email ended up in my spam box. Thanks you so much for the maps!
Where did you get the 1959 shell map from ? I had to buy mine from a bookstore overseas. And it it’s in even worse condition than yours.
Incidentally, does anyone know of a good restorer or framer who could paste up the torn map onto a board or find some other way to preserve it ?
HI Shih Tung,
I got this map from my mum. Probably they bought it many many years back. In fact, most of Singapore old postcards are available in other countries - as far as France…
hey.
would you be able to scan a 1959 sg map to me?
cause i need it fr my geog project =D
we need to research abt sg’s land reclamation.
thx alot!
Hi, I remember old Singapore Street Directory had a short write up of the road if it is named after a prominent person. Can you do me a favour to check on Joo Chiat Road? I would like to see the article.
Thanks.
Hi Philip,
My old street directories do not have such write up of the road. Joo Chiat one is quite common and easily Google it. There is a book in the library (can’t remember the name of book) has all the road names in Singapore - with all the write ups. Very good book to do reference.
Hi Philip,
I have just emailed you a list of toponymics books on Singapore.
I am a student reading some modules on the history of urban planning in singapore, I would appreciate if I can have a copy of your detailed road maps, preferably around pasir panjang area or anywhere south.
Sorry if this is too abrupt.
Hello,
A great site that brings back lots of memories…
Just curious: do you still have the old Singapore street directory? I am looking for a page that conatins “Block 44 Dakota Crescent”. That’s my old kampung. I would appreciate it if you could send me a scanned page.
Many thanks!
Ben
I was doing a google search for “Old Singapore Street Directory” when I stumbled upon this blog. What a fantastic blog this is. Thank you Laokokok for this blog. I kinda like to collect old books about Singapore too.
Ben…you mentioned Block 44, Dakota Crescent. Is this the 1-roomed flats?
Hi Hamzah,
No. Blk 44 was a block of 3-room flats. The few blocks there had been demolished.
Anyway, i found the map from the National Library.
Have a nice day!
Ben
Ben..thanks for the info. I just remembered those 1-roomers were Blocks 60 something). I was then staying at Block 4 (an old SIT 2-room rental flats) Dakota Crescent before moving to Bedok in 1979. I still have some friends staying in Old Airport. So we were in the same kampung after all. How time flies.