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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 with the label Heritage Houses

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Aerial View of Woodneuk House and Building Plans of Tyersall

Heritage Houses johor Singapore Botanic Gardens video

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

Heritage Houses johor Singapore Botanic Gardens video

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Tan Jiak Kim (former Alexandra Cemetery)

choa chu kang cemetery Family - Tan Kim Seng former Alexandra Cemetery Heritage Houses

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Tan Swee Hoe house in Singapore

Architecture Heritage Houses

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Sarawak Villa - Heritage Houses Series

January 03, 2022

Family - Ong Ewe Hai Heritage Houses Images from the Past

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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

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...

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

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

Tan Hoon Phian Neo (Bukit Brown)

Tan Hoon Phian Neo (1906-1924) was the wife of Mr Yap Gim Teck. Tan Hoon Phian Neo, who is the daughter of Mr. Tan Piah Eng and Madam Sim Khuan Neo , unfortunately died at the age of 18 at on 27 July 1924. It was mentioned in a Straits Times article dated 29 July 1924, that Tan Hoon Phian Neo, dearest beloved wife of Mr.Yap Gim Teck and daughter of Mr. and Mrs Tan Piah Eng passed away at at Bukit Timah Rubber Estate. Madam Tan Hoon Phian Neo nee Mrs. Yap Gim Teck (photo courtesy of Melvin Yap) Tan Hood Phian Neo (died at age 18) Madam Tan Hoon Phian Neo nee Mrs. Yap Gim Teck (photo courtesy of Melvin Yap) Tomb of Madam Tan Hoon Phian Neo, passed away at the age of 18 Parents: Tan Piah Eng and Sim Khuan Neo Her father, Mr Tan Piah Eng is the Assistant Manager of the Bukit Timah Rubber Estate and a member of the Singapore Voluntary Infantry. He was a rifle sharp shooter that together with fellow volunteers such as Tan Soo Bin, Sir Song Ong Siang and Tan Chow Kim won th...

Tan Sri Koo Chong Kong - Lest We Forget

Koo Chong Kong (1925-14 November 1975) was born in China. Due to civil war there, he left with some of his family members and settled first at Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. From there, he moved to Ipoh where he studied in Anglo Chinese School in Ipoh. During the Japanese occupation, he joined the resistance movement, becoming a liaison officer with the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army and his comrades in arms included top communist such as Chen Tien. Post Japanese occupation, he refused to joined the Communist when emergency was declared in 1948. The communist decided to eliminate him as he knew too much and several attempts were indeed made. Koo Chong Kong moved to Sarawak in 1950 for refugee. He joined the Sarawak Constabulary in 1952 before being sent to Hendon Police College in Britain in 1955 where he won the "Baton of Honour". In 1963 he was honoured with the Colonial Police Medal. He was made a Datuk by the Governor of Sarawak, Tuanku Haji Bujang. Promoted to Ass...

The day when Ave. Maria Convent Girls Ipoh clashed with the police

The 20 November 1957 newspaper article reads: Chinese girls in a Roman Catholic convent in Ipoh attacked policewomen with umbrellas, sticks and bottles yesterday, in a demonstration in sympathy with other Chinese students. Similar incidents also flared not only in Ipoh but in other states as well (e.g. Seremban where 200 boys of Chan Wa High School demonstrated). In Penang and Kedah, peaceful demonstrations from about 1,300 students were also reported. The protest started from what i read as a result of the Federation Government Education Policy, that plan to do away with vernacular schools and convert this Chinese schools to main stream government schools. There were many other political considerations (both internal and external) that drove this, but that is more for political historians to discuss. In Ave Maria Chinese Convent in Ipoh (that had roughly 1,000 students at that time), it was reported that about 100 girls in school uniforms age from 13 to 17 resisted policewomen wh...

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