On 7 August 2021, we decided to explore Tank Road to see one of the oldest inactive Railway Station of Singapore during the era of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and Fort Canning Park. Read the history of Tanjong Pagar Railway station here. Our mode of transportation – MRT and Bicycle.
The followings are a good read to understand better on the Singapore Railways.
- Singapore Railways in pictures from 1880 to 1940
- Tank Road Railway Station
- Map of Singapore showing the principal residences and place of interests. See the railway lines that stretched from Tg Pagar to Malaya.
- National Archives of Singapore – Tank Road Station
- Remember Singapore – Singapore Railway
As normal, we will ride to Khatib MRT Station, took the train with our folding bikes and alighted at Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station to start our exploration. There were some heritage building along Tank Road.
Some history of Fort Canning Park
Fort Canning Hill, formerly Government Hill, Singapore Hill and Bukit Larangan (Forbidden Hill in Malay), is a small hill, about 48 metres (157 ft) high, in the southeast portion of the island city-state of Singapore, within the Central Area that forms Singapore’s central business district. It is named after Viscount Charles John Canning, the first Viceroy of India. Although small in physical size, it has a long history intertwined with that of the city-state due to its location as the highest elevation within walking distance to the city’s civic district, within the Downtown Core. It is also a popular location for exhibitions, concerts and outdoor recreation (Wikipedia)
The Malays called the hill Bukit Larangan or Forbidden Hill since olden times. This is due to the belief that it is the place where the kings of ancient Singapore were laid to rest, and it was believed to be haunted. It is also believed that a palace once stood on the hill. A settlement on the hill in the 14th century was referred to as Ban Zu (from the Malay pancur) by the Yuan dynasty traveller Wang Dayuan. Later, Sir Stamford Raffles built his residence there, which was also used by other Residents and Governors. It became known as Government Hill until it was renamed Fort Canning in 1861, when a military fort was built on the site. Today it is the location of both the Fort Canning Reservoir and Fort Canning Park. (Wikipedia)
Other resources for a good read.
- Fort Canning Park by Cornelius-Takahama, Vernon
- A Journey Through Singapore’s History At Fort Canning Park
- History of Fort Canning – From Forbidden Hill to Bastion of Empire to Historic Park of Singapore
Some resources of the History of the Old Hill Street Police Station.
We left Fort Canning Park to Raffles Place MRT Station and took the train back home. It was raining….
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