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Image: Sembawang Hot Spring (Shutterstock_Tristan Tan)
Tucked away at Singapore’s northern end, it is hard to imagine that Sembawang (which was named after the Sembawang tree), once occupied a central role both in Singapore and for the British empire. Sembawang used to be a site of a naval base that repaired Royal Navy warships and was home to thousands of servicemen from Britain's Far East Fleet. The base, which was active from the 1920s to 1971, was known also as Little Kerala because of the numerous Malayalees who worked and lived there.
Today, one could still see many military installations and black and white bungalows along the side of Queen’s Avenue, Gibraltar Crescent, St. Helena Road and Cyprus Road – these were built by the British to house their personnel working in the Naval Base. In fact, the red-roofed Old Admiralty House, which sits on a small hill in Sembawang, was once the residence of the British Commander of the Far East Fleet.
Before the naval base was built, Sembawang was home to boat-dwelling Orang Seletar, residents of coastal villages and Chinese planters who cultivated gambier, which later gave way to pineapple plantations and rubber estates. Since the handover of the naval base to the Singapore government, Sembawang has been converted into a commercial dockyard and continues to handle regular shipping traffic today. A glimpse of Sembawang’s maritime past can also be caught from various road names in Sembawang, which tend to reference various Royal Navy Dockyards, warships and Admirals. It is also hard to miss the nautical design details, which can be found in many blocks around the neighbourhood!
But that’s not all! #DidYouKnow that Sembawang is home to one of the few remaining natural beaches of Singapore? Located in northern Singapore facing the Straits of Johor, the Sembawang Park is a tranquil green space that is also a popular fishing ground and camping spot. On the grounds of the Sembawang Park is the beautiful Beaulieu House (Beaulieu stands for “beautiful place” in French), a black and white bungalow adorned with Victorian-style iron work and Neo-Classical plaster details. Built in the 1910s, Beaulieu House was formerly the holiday residence of a Jewish businessman as well as home to various senior British naval officers. Since 1981, Beaulieu House has been repurposed to serve as a restaurant, and was granted conservation status by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in 2005.
Not just that, Sembawang is also home to the only natural hot spring on mainland Singapore, and the only remaining coastal kampong mosque – the Masjid Petempatan Melayu Sembawang, which was opened in 1963. Today, the mosque continues to serve as an important religious and social space for the Muslim community in Sembawang. Next to the mosque building is a large rubber tree, which is believed to be at least a century old and possibly the oldest surviving rubber tree in Singapore.
Moving forward, Sembawang North, a 53-hectare site within Sembawang town, will be developed to serve close to 10,000 new housing units with a comprehensive range of amenities. Even as transformation takes place, the new housing cluster’s design elements will continue to pay homage to Sembawang's naval heritage and colonial architecture. In a way, Sembawang’s journey from its pre-colonial roots and colonial heritage to its present-day vibrancy, reflects the spirit of resilience and progress that defines Singapore. As it grows into the future, it remains a place where history is honored, and a shared sense of belonging unites its community.
#OurNeighbourhood #Singapore #Sembawang #placemaking #SGplacemaking