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The Rojak Librarian is a blog that covers a range of topics related to Singapore's history, culture, and heritage. I wrote many articles on Bukit Brown, exploring the cemetery's past and present, the lives of the early pioneers buried there and the social and cultural significance of the site. I also cover about nature and birdwatching.

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Showing posts from July, 2025

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Neo Hong Choo (Bukit Brown)

Pauper Section 1 Division 9

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Rojak Librarian (Peter Pak): Advocate for Conservation of Bukit Brown Cemetery. Heritage and Nature Enthusiast.

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Resource Guide on Bukit Brown

History from the Hills (2013)

Newspaper mentions (2014)

Newspaper mentions (2017)

Tuesday Report (2018) 星期二特写 | 行脚。发现第4集：武吉布朗之旅

Newspaper mentions(2022)

Grave Matters-The Greater Bukit Brown(2023)

Newspaper mentions(2024)

Newspaper mentions(2024)

The Stories Behind: Birdwatcher turned grave hunter reunites families with forgotten tombs of their ancestors(2022)

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Popular Post

Funeral of Mrs. Lim Ie Ging nee Madam Oei Khoen Nio at 13 Scotts Road

Mrs. Lim Ie Ging nee Oei Khoen Nio passed away at age of 62 at 13 Scotts Road on 9 June 1930. Oei Khoen Nio is the sister of Major Oei Tiong Ham. Thanks to Kwee Hongsien, i am able to get a glimpse of another rare picture of the funeral and hearse of the late Madam Oei Khoen Nio before it headed out to Bukit Brown. The photo was taken at the family residence in 13 Scotts Road. It is an amazing rich with details of the family members in mourning clothes as well as slight glimpse on the left of how the house at No. 13 Scotts Road look like. In the picture below, i can make out, Lim Ie Ging and their children, Dr. Albert Lim Liat Juay (1890-1970) , Dr. Harold Lim Liat Hin (1893-1973) , Lim Liat Boen (1896-1962) Funeral of Mrs. Lim Ie Ging nee Madam Oei Khoen Nio (photo courtesy of Kwee Hongsien) Family Photo The family photo below was likely taken in front porch of No. 13 Scotts Road with Mr. and Mrs Lim Ie Ging seated and surrounded by their children and grandchildren. This ...

Miss Goh Hup Neo alias Lye Chim (Bukit Brown)

Miss Goh Hup Neo alias Lye Chim - S. Wife of K.C. Choa Died on 25 July 1929. On the tomb shoulder, it is etched the location and plot - Block A. 1217 From the burial registrar, i found out that Miss Goh Hup Neo alias Lye Chim was 18 years when she passed away. Miss Goh Hup Neo alias Lye Chim Looking at her tomb, it leaves me with a number of questions. Was she engaged to K.C. Choa and died at 18 years old before the actual marriage and hence her title Miss. What is the meaning of S. Wife ? Was she the secondary wife of K.C. Choa ? The tomb of Miss Goh Hup Neo alias Lye Chim is unique to me as it leaves many unanswered questions. Location of tomb Block 3 Section A, plot 1217 Tomb of Miss Goh Hup Neo alia Lye Chim - s. wife of K.C. Choa

Miss Ong of Lao Sua

If you happen to walk on original Lorong Halwa trail that leads to the so-called "Avatar Tree" and beyond, you might encounter the tomb of Baby Miss Ong. She was only 2 years old when she passed away in 1960. Her tomb number is No. 1076. A few years ago, Miss Ong would have a fellow "peer" buried nearby, Mary Chua (died on 10 May 1951 at the age of 5, but Mary Chua has since "moved house" at the wishes of her brother . Back to Miss Ong, her "house" this year has a new coat of paint that you can miss ! I was told her brother, now in his mid-70's recently came down and gave her little sister a loving new striking paint. This is so touching to see. Miss Ong ( 2 years old, 1958-1960) Tomb of Miss Ong (2 years old, 1958-1960) taken at April 2025

Kamala Circus - The Great Indian Circus visits Singapore

I heard about the Tai Thean Kew circus from my involvement with Bukit Brown and during one my tours on the Queenstown Heritage Trail , i was told of another Indian circus troupe that existed in the late 1950's and 1960's. Recently, while curating ideas for a Bukit Brown tour on Pioneers of Early Entertainment, i came across a travelling circus troupe by the name of Kamala Circus. Kamala Circus (source: NewspaperSG) Kamala Circus was reputed to be the largest travelling show in the Far East. It boasted over 100 Indian artist and featured acts such as the flying trapeze act, the "Globe of Death" motor cycle act by two young girls, a 30 foot leap by a motorcyclist and the "cat" act. It claims over 300 tons of equipment and animals which include 16 horses, 8 Ceylon baby elephants, an African lion and 2 lionesses, 2 tiger cubs and 3 Indian mountain goats. It came to Singapore in 1947 from India via Ceylon and performed for a month before touring around th...

Ho Siew Tian and Gwee Lip Neo (Bukit Brown)

An early pioneer of Singapore, Mr. Ho Siew Tian (何秀填) came down to Singapore in 1882 and started a firm in his 20's in Beach Road then known as Chop Ho Hock Ann dealing in hardware and building materials. In 1948 it became a limited company and he subsequently was the Chairman until he retired a few years later leaving his company to his children. Mr. and Mrs. Ho Siew Tian ( 何秀填 ) A dinner party was given on 21 March 1950 by Messrs. Ho Cheow Chan, Ho Cheow Hin, Ho Chew Hua, Ho Cheow Chye, Ho Cheow Cheng and Ho Cheow Hock in honour of their father, Mr. Ho Siew Tian for his 81st Birthday at their residence, 47 Lorong 29, Geylang. In fact his birthday parties were mentioned several times in the papers over the years and it was well attended by family and relatives. Ho Siew Tian and family on his 85th birthday Mrs. Ho Siew Tian (alias Madam Qwee Lip Neo) passed away at the age of 77 at her residence, 47 Lorong 29 Geylang on 30 July 1948 at 9 pm, leaving b...

Lee Tai Lim - a student murdered by Communist

Lee Tai Lim, 21 years old of Jalan Hock Chye, off Tampines Road - a senior student of the Chinese High School was shot dead outside the Singapore Chinese High Schools Graduates of Arts Association at Cairnhill Road on 17 April 1955. He was taking harmonica lessons when 2 youths entered and ask for him. Lee Tai Lim went downstairs with them and he was shot in his forehead by a single pistol bullet. Rushed to the General Hospital, he died there nearly 2 hours later. The assailants rode away on bicycles which they later discarded to enter into a car and escape. Lee Tai Lim It was reported that this was the first incident to involve the slaying of a Chinese student since the Emergency was declared in 1948. A squad of detectives and policemen from Orchard Road police station search the compound where the the point blank murder took place but failed so far to recover the spent cartridge case. The bullet lodged in the victim head was badly smashed against the skull making identific...

Tan Swee Hoe and family (Batu Pahat)

Sometime back in August 2012, i wrote an article about Tan Swee Hoe who is buried in Bukit Brown. Tan Swee Hoe came to Singapore as a young boy and worked his way up, eventually becoming one of founders of Ho Hong Bank, and later a director of Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) after it merged with it. He was also for two terms, the president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Batu Pahat, shareholder of Ho Aik Steamships. Tan Swee Hoe was a member of the Council of State, Johore and received a title S.M.J (Setia Mahkota Johore) from the government of Johore in 1929 for his contributions. He owned several property in Singapore and Batu Pahat. Tan Swee Hoe In January 2014, i was fortunate to make a trip with like minded friends to Batu Pahat to visit one of the properties he owned as well as a temple he contributed too and finally the grave of his son. Tan Swee Hoe's mansion First on my wishlist was Tan Swee Hoe's mansion on 160 Jalan Kluang, Batu Paha...

Tyersall Park land swap near Botanic Gardens - a hope for Istana Woodneuk ?

I read with interest of the recent move of land swap - a deal that was agreed between its current owner, the Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and the Government of Singapore. I wrote about this land in my blogpost - Woodneuk House - a palace in ruins on 9 April 2014 . On this land, Woodneuk House or Istana Woodneuk lies in ruins will also shift its ownership to the Singapore Government. Woodneuk in 2014 (the roofing gone as a result of a fire in 2006) Tyserall and Woodneuk (source: Handbook to Singapore -1907) Planned Land Swap The land owned by the Regent of Johor is about 21.1 ha and part of it (the parcel of land marked as plot C -13 ha (which is closer to Singapore Botanic Gardens) will be transferred to Singapore, while plot A - 8.5ha which is currently state land transferred to Regent of Johor. A portion of the original land was acquired in 2004 by the state and part of this land is now is part of NParks Botanic Gardens expansion - the Botanic ...

Kwa Siew Tee and family (Choa Chu Kang Christian Cemetery)

Kwa Siew Tee, a Semarang born Chinese was a Municipal Commissioner (an appointment he held till 1949). He was also the General Manager of Overseas Chinese Bank Corporation Limited, Assistant General Manager of The Eastern United Assurance Corporation, Limited and a Member of the Hospital Board. He received a Certificate of Honour in 1951. Kwa Siew Tee passed away at the age of 89 on 20 March 1977. Group photo of the founding of Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation in 1932 Kwa Siew Tee is standing behind. (source: National Archives of Singapore) Family Kwa Siew Tee and family (source: National Archives of Singapore) Wife: Madam Wee Yew Neo Madam Wee Yew Neo is the daughter of Wee Theam Seng . She passed away on 14 May1980. She is survived by; 3 sons: Kwa Soon Siew, Kwa Soon Chuan, Kwa Soon Bee 4 daughters: Kwa Geok Neo, Kwa Geok Lan, Kwa Geok Choo, Kwa Geok Eng. Son: Kwa Soon Hock Kwa Soon Hock is the eldest son of Mr and Mrs Kwa Siew Tee. He was a sta...

A kidnap bid foiled in the Shaw family - Bukit Brown connection

This week's news was abuzz with first, the passing of Sir Run Run Shaw (CBE, GBM), the legendary movie mogul. He died on January 7, 2014, aged 107. He is survived by 2 sons ( Shaw Vee Meng, Shaw Vee Chung, Harold ), 2 daughters (Dorothy Shaw, Violet Shaw ) , 2 daughter-in-laws ( Josephine Kho, Diana Wee) and many grand and great grandchildren. His wife was Lady Lily Shaw (deceased ) and years after his first wife passing married Madam Mona Fong. The second news that captivated many Singaporean's was the kidnap attempt of a 79 year old woman, Madam Eng Lai Poh. She is the mother of Mr Lim Hock Chee, Chief Executive of public listed company Sheng Siong, a supermarket chain. The ransom sought by the kidnappers was $20 million. Mr. Lim Hock Chee called the police who helped tracked down the kidnappers and caught the suspects. Bukit Brown connection to Shaw and kidnapping You may be wondering how this week's two story is related to Bukit Brown? Rewind back to October...

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