Singapore 30 - Novena
The name "Novena" came from the Roman Catholic Novena Church which still exists today at Thomson Road. The shopping area along Balestier Road emerged in 1970s. The road was named after Joseph Balestier who was the first American consul in Singapore. He once owned a suger plantation along Balestier Road during the mid 1800s. The St. Michael's Estate was built by the Singapore Improvement Trust and was followed by the Balestier Estate which was built during the third five-year program by HDB in 1970. Netwon was named after Howard Newton who was a civil servant with the Municipal Council during the 1860. Old houses reflecting different periods of Singapore's architectural history can still be found along Newton Road.
The Tan Tock Seng Hospital was named after its founder, Tan Tock Seng, who built the hospital at his own expense. It is an apt memorial to this great philanthropist and pioneer who was deeply concerned about the sick. The hospital was built on Pearl's Hill in 1844 for the poor. The present hospital was built at Moulmein Road in 1909. New blocks are now under construction to replace the existing buildings. The Sun Yat Sen villa, at Tai Gin Road, was the headquarters of Dr Sun Yat Sen in his campaign to overthrow the Manchu Dynasty. It was converted into a Japanese military camp during WWII. In 1945, it became the branch office of Kuomintung until 1951. The villa was left vacant for 15 years before it was restored.
Balestier Road Post Office
Block 1 Thomson Road
#01-344
Balestier Hill Shopping Centre
Singapore 300001
Updated On: 15.02.10