In early maps, Geylang is spelt as Gaylang or Gelang (gelang means anklet in Malay).1 In an 1849 map, there are mentions of Gaylang village and Pulo Gelang (Geylang Island), which vanished with the land-fills and reclamation of the Kallang Basin. The 1849 map also shows the presence of a large coconut plantation.2
Some suggest that Geylang is a corruption of the Malay word kilang, meaning press, mill or factory. This could be a reference to the presses and mills in the coconut plantations in the area used to produce oil from copra (dried coconut flesh).3 The settlement named Geylang Kelapa (kelapa means coconut) began when some of the Orang Laut (sea nomads) residing at the mouth of the Singapore River were moved and resettled along the Geylang River area between 1842 and 1843.4
In 1848, Alsagoff and Company − a company founded by an Arab family, bought land near Geylang Serai. They established the Alsagoff Estate at the site and it was subsequently merged with another 1,000-acre (404.69-ha) land in Geylang Serai belonging to one of the co-founders, Ahmed Alsagoff. The entire estate, which was renamed Perseverance Estate, became the largest estate in the area stretching from Geylang Serai to Jalan Eunos.5
In the mid-19th century, the Alsagoff family began cultivating lemongrass at Perseverance Estate. Besides being an antiseptic cure for rheumatism, the oil of the lemongrass, known also as citronella oil, was also used in the manufacture of scents and soap. The Citronella Press Factory closed in the 1890s after the lemongrass industry failed.6 The factory was subsequently converted into the eastern terminal of the first tramline in Singapore.7 The residents then turned to coconut, rubber and vegetable cultivation as well as poultry rearing. At the beginning of the 20th century, the growth of the lemongrass-related industry gave rise to the name Geylang Serai (serai means lemongrass in Malay), which eventually became a town centre.8
During the Japanese Occupation, large tracts of land were used for tapioca cultivation. Ubi Kayu (tapioca) became an important staple and left such a mark on Geylang that a portion of the land was known as Kampong Ubi, which means “tapioca village”.9
Until the late 1960s, the Geylang area had a concentration of congested Malay and Chinese villages. Growing distrust between the Malays and Chinese in 1964 led to communal riots that largely affected Geylang.10 In 1962, the Singapore government acquired a 400,000 sq ft plot of land in Geylang Serai for a S$3.8 million development.11 Other improvements included the widening and expansion of Geylang River into a canal in 1963.12 The second stage of developing Geylang into a modern satellite town was launched in 1970s. In 1976, the Eunos Crescent Estate (previously Jalan Eunos Estate) replaced Kampong Ubi.13
Author
Vernon Cornelius
References
1. Adli Yashir Kuchit, et al., The Heart of Geylang Serai: A Commemorative Book by Kampung Ubi Citizens’ Consultative Committee (Singapore: Kampong Ubi Citizens’ Consultative Committee, 2005), 57. (Call no. RSING q959.57 HEA)
2. Urban Redevelopment Authority (Singapore), Geylang Planning Area: Planning Report 1994 (Singapore: Urban Redevelopment Authority, 1994), 8 (Call no. RSING 711.4095957 SIN); Malaya, Survey Dept., Singapore 1:25,000 Provisional Issue [Cartographic Material] ([Kuala Lumpur?]: Surveyor General, Malaya, 1953). (Call no. RCLOS 912.5957 MAL)
3. H. Hamel Smith and F.A.G. Pape, Coco-nuts: The Consols of the East (London: Tropical Life, 1914), 46‒56, 361, 526‒38 (Call no. RCLOS 634.61 SMI); National Archives of Singapore, Geylang Serai: Down Memory Lane: Kenangan Abadi (Singapore: Heinemann Asia, 19960, 16‒17. (Call no. RSING 779.995957 GEY)
4. National Archives of Singapore, Geylang Serai, 16–17.
5. Jamari Mohtar, Pasar Geylang Serai: 50 Years of Continuity Amidst Change (Singapore: Pasar Geylang Serai Merchant's Association, 2014), 25. (Call no. RSING 959.57 PAS-[LHL])
6. V. Gopalakrishnan and Ananda Perera, Singapore Changing Landscapes: Geylang, Chinatown, Serangoon :Based on the SBC TV Documentaries (Singapore: FEP International, 1983), 2‒27 (Call no. RSING 959.57 SIN-[HIS]); National Archives of Singapore, Geylang Serai, 19–21.
7. Mohtar, Pasar Geylang Serai, 42.
8. Gopalakrishnan and Perera, Singapore Changing Landscapes, 2–27; National Archives of Singapore, Geylang Serai, 19–21.
9. National Archives of Singapore, Geylang Serai, 22–23.
10. National Archives of Singapore, Geylang Serai, 32–34.
11. National Archives of Singapore, Geylang Serai, 29.
12. Gopalakrishnan and Perera, Singapore Changing Landscapes, 12–13.
13. National Archives of Singapore, Geylang Serai, 36–42.
The information in this article is valid as at November 2018 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
The information on this page and any images that appear here may be used for private research and study purposes only. They may not be copied, altered or amended in any way without first gaining the permission of the copyright holder.
Marina Bay is a waterfront site located in Singapore’s central region. The bay area was created by reclaiming land around the body of water in front of Collyer Quay to form Marina Centre, Marina East and Marina South. The Marina Bay area has been developed over the years to become...
Ulu Pandan is an area situated in the central region of Singapore. As a subzone within the Bukit Timah planning area, Ulu Pandan is bounded by Ulu Pandan Road and Holland Road in the north, Ulu Pandan River in the south, and North Buona Vista Road in the east. In...
Mount Faber is located in the Bukit Merah area in the central region of Singapore. Standing at 106 m above sea level, it was originally known as Telok Blangah Hill. It was renamed Mount Faber in July 1845 after Charles Edward Faber of the Madras Engineers, who built a narrow...
Officially named in the 1880s, “Jalan Besar” literally means “big or wide road” in Malay. The road began as a track through a betel nut and nipah plantation. It was subsequently developed into a major road, along which communities resided and worked. Jalan Besar has been gazetted as a conserved...
Bedok is an estate within Singapore’s East Region. It is bounded by the Siglap Canal, Marine Parade Road, Still Road, Jalan Eunos, Eunos Link and Airport Road to the west; the Paya Lebar Airport boundary to the north; and Bedok Canal to the east. Bedok sounds like the Malay word...
Anderson Bridge straddles the mouth of the Singapore River and connects Empress Place with Collyer Quay. It was named after John Anderson, governor of the Straits Settlements and high commissioner for the Federated Malay States (1904–11), who officially opened the bridge on 12 March 1910....
Joseph Aaron Elias (b. 1881, Calcutta, India–d. 16 July 1949, Singapore), also known as Joe Elias, was a successful entrepreneur and well-known personality in Singapore’s Jewish community. He held offices as a justice of peace and municipal commissioner of Singapore. Elias Road and Amber Road were named after his family....
Goodwood Park Hotel is a luxury heritage hotel located at 22 Scotts Road, off Orchard Road. Built in 1900, the building was originally the Teutonia Club for the expatriate German community in Singapore. The tower block of the building was gazetted as a national monument in 1989. ...
Tanjong Katong was an early landmark in Singapore. It marked the eastern boundary of the British settlement that Stamford Raffles established in 1819. The old boundaries of Tanjong Katong spanned the coastal stretch from Upper East Coast Road to Tanjong Rhu. While it is now a self-contained estate, Tanjong Katong...
Capitol Building straddles the corner of Stamford Road and North Bridge Road and is closely associated with the adjoining Capitol Theatre. Designed by Keys and Dowdeswell and completed by early 1930, the building was originally known as Namazie Mansions. It was later renamed Shaws Building when Shaw Organisation purchased it...