Singapore 24 - Tanglin Road, River Valley
Tanglin was a dense wooded area in the 17th century until early settlers began clearing the hills to make way for nutmeg, gambier and pepper plantations. The fertile and well drained slopes made it ideal for agricultural use which prevailed until well into the 19th century. The Botanic Gardens which was opened to the public in 1874 has over 3,000 species of trees and shrubs. The landscaping of the Gardens which was supervised by a nutmeg planter, Lawrence Niven, is well known for its beauty and tranquility. Old Tanglin Club or Tanglin Barracks off Holland Road used to be the General Headquarters of the Far East Land Forces. It was first established as barracks for the British Army in 1872.
In the 1900's Tanglin became a very popular area for Europeans and wealthy Chinese settlers who began to build large villas on the Nassim Hills. This development of these luxury homes continued throughout the first half of this century. It is not therefore surprising that when Good Class Bungalow Areas were identified for safeguarding in 1980, many residential areas in Tanglin were accorded this distinction.
In the late 1830s, wealthy Chinese and European merchants began to move to "country houses" on the town fringes which were surrounded by nutmeg plantations. River Valley at the outskirts of the city was a favourite area for building these new homes. One of the first Europeans to move into the "country" was Dr Thomas Oxley, the colony surgeon. In about 1827, he acquired 173 acres of land and formed Killiney estate bounded by Orchard Road, Grange Road, Leonie Hill Road, River Valley Road and Tank Road. In 1850, Oxley began to dispose of his land in lots. By the 1860s, wealthy Chinese merchants were buying up the abandoned plantations and sub-dividing the land and building homes.
It was on one of these hillocks that Baba merchant Tan Jiak Kim, grandson of Tan Kim Seng, built his suburban villa, Panglima Prang (now demolished) in 1860s. In 1862, there were 38 houses within the estate, mostly along St Thomas Walk and the area between Killiney and Oxley Roads. By 1880, a network of roads was completed. They include the present Somerset Road, Devonshire Road, Exeter Road, St Thomas Walk, Eber Road, Dublin Road, Lloyd Road and Oxley Road.
The building of urban villas in River Valley during this period was part of the natural expansion of the town. Early development of residential terrace houses also took place south of River Valley along Mohamed Sultan Road in 1895 and in Tong Watt Road in 1897. Most families who moved here were probably living in the central area of the town before. This move outward from the town was due to growing prosperity and the larger families. It was also evidence of the Straits Chinese reaching the height of their power and position of influence in the country.
Tanglin Post Office
56 Tanglin Road
Singapore 247964
Updated On: 18.10.15