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Rojak Librarian

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 circus

Posts

Franz Izako's Circus in Singapore 1934

November 16, 2025

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Sheums Circus

September 04, 2022

circus Early Entertainment

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Kinoshita Japanese Circus

January 05, 2022

circus Early Entertainment

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Kamala Circus - The Great Indian Circus visits Singapore

circus Early Entertainment singapore

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Mary Chan Siew Eng (Bukit Brown)

Block 4 Div A Bukit Brown circus Died Young Early Entertainment Hill 4

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Cheng Chang Fu Circus (Bukit Brown)

December 17, 2011

Block 4 Div A Bukit Brown circus Early Entertainment

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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

Serendipity encounter with Chia Hian Neo (daughter of Chia Seng Quee and Chua Kim Neo) at Bukit Brown

We arrived Bukit Brown slightly late (as it rained earlier in the morning). We were lucky as Soh Ah Beng who was waiting for us chatted with a family and we were told by Ah Beng that they could not find a tomb at Bukit Brown Hill 4 Section A. Striking a conversation with them and looking at the picture from their phone, i was pleasantly surprised it came from my blogpost on Chia Seng Quee ! What coincidence and good luck as they were just about to leave empty handed. Among the descendant present was no other than Chia Seng Quee's daughter ! - Madam Chia Hian Neo. She is 91 years old, sharp as ever and fit enough to make the long climb up to visit her father. She indeed is an inspiration to me as she still actively participates in community activities and is a Dance Instructor. It was one of her dance student /partner that encouraged her to visit her father, something that the Chia family have done in the past together with their mother, Mrs. Chia Seng Quee nee Chua Kim Neo but due...

Teo Soon Lam (Bukit Brown)

Teo Soon Lam was born on 9 March 1941 and passed away on 10 September 1941. His tomb is rare as it as a huge ceramic photo of him. From the burial registrar, Teo Soon Lam was listed as Hokkien and his age, 6 months old. From the photo i can make two possible bangles on his hand - maybe jade bangles ? and what looks like his pacifier ! Baby Teo Soon Lam Teo Soon Lam, 6 months old -passed away on 10 September 1941 Location of tomb Block 5 Section C, plot 18 Close-by his tomb is another tomb of Tan Kai How who died young at 4 years old . Teo Soon Lam tomb in Bukit Brown 20240220

Gan Eng Seng and family (Bukit Brown)

Gan Eng Seng was born in Malacca ( Melaka) in 1844. His Great Grandparents came from Sam-Toh, Fukien province. Born third in a family of 5, he had two elder sisters, Gan Gin Neo and Gan Guat Neo. He was the eldest son. His younger brother was Gan Eng Chye followed by the youngest sister, Gan Guan Neo. Born poor, he still was able to received some education, giving him the ability to read and write simple English. His father died when he was 16 years old. He then left for Singapore and was involved initially in a nutmeg business in a small scale. He went on to served under Guthrie and Co. Gan Eng Seng Chief Campradore, Gutherie and Co. Thomas Scott, a partner of Gutherie, offered Gan Eng Seng a job in the godown at Coller Quay as a clerk and it was there he climbed up the ranks, from an Assistant Storekeeper to Chief Storekeeper and finally the Chief Campradore of Guthrie and Company after 13 years of service. He was the Chief Compradore for 25 years till he died in 1899. ...

The school in the jungle off Kheam Hock Road (Chin Chung Public School)

I have long known that there was a school that existed near Bukit Brown since its mentioned back when there was an exhibition about Bukit Brown ( Bukit Brown: Documenting New Horizons of Knowledge 2014 ). The name of the school was called Chin Chung Public School (振中学校) and it's address was No 25, Jalan Berahi, off Kheam Hock Road, Singapore 11 (The postal code was only 2 digits !). The interest came back recently when Soh Ah Beng, a friend and fellow explorer showed me his school report card and that spurred me to ask this question, where is the original location of the school and is it still there? Today's discovery was a very exciting one because we manage to find out the foundations of Chin Chung Public School was very much still intact and the road that led to the school was still intact as well ! Chin Chung Public School Report Card of Soh Ah Beng Chin Chung Public School no longer exist but the foundation and the steps leading to the school from Jalan Berahi is ...

Teo Hoo Lye (Bukit Brown)

Teo Hoo Lye (1853-1933) Teo Hoo Lye (18 Oct 1853- 16 Nov 1933) was born in China and came to Singapore when he was 18. Like many stories of rags to riches of the early pioneers, Teo Hoo Lye worked from ground up, starting as a manual labourer, saving money to open a small grocer business called chop Soon Bee in Rochore Road. At the age of 25 he went to the Natuna and Anambas Islands and got into the copra (extracted for its coconut oil) business which was a valuable commercial product then. This then led him to expand and become a steamship owner (Aing Hong, Flevo, Batavier, Benuit, etc) and he became a consignee of ships for the export of copra, sago, rubber, etc from Natuna to Singapore and also to Sarawak. His company, Teo Hoo Lye S.S. Co. (or Soon Bee Steamship Co.) was eventually liquidated in 1935, for half a million dollars (by his trustees after his death) and 12 steamships such as Willy o' the Wisp, Massima, Huat Chiang among others bought up by Heap Eng Moh Steamsh...

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...

Bertram Yong Shee Jen (Choa Chu Kang Christian Cemetery)

I came across this obelisk shape tomb while exploring the Christian section of the Chao Chu Kang Cemetery. It carried the following words: In ever loving and proud memory of a very dear and fine son 2LT. BERTRAM YONG SHEE JEN (Singapore Air Defence Command) who died in the course of duty 6th January 1951 8th November 1971 "THY WILL BE DONE" On the back, engraved are the names of his family: 2LT. Bertram Yong Shee Jen, fourth son of Dr. & Mrs. Yong Kon Vui, brother of Victor Yong Shee Hueng, Leslie Yong Shee Keong, Yong Shee Bok and Jeanette Yong Second-Lieutnant Bertram Yong of Singapore Air Defence Command was 20 years old when his Hunter jet crashed into a hill in Central Wales during a training flight. His British instructor also died in the mishap. A student of Anglo-Chinese School, Barker Road, he excelled in the sports ( a national champion sprinter) and also became the first Singapore Air Defence Cadet to receive the best trainee award. The bo...

Yap Geok Song's Pineapple Factory off Grove Road

Yap Geok Song was a land property owner, pineapple and rubber planter merchant. His rubber estate was privately owned and was called Kuan Tian or Yap Geok Song's estate. He was also a shareholder / director of Eastern United Assurance and Oversea Chinese Bank. This supplement article focuses on him as a pineapple owner or rather i would say owner of a pineapple canning factory business. With the building plan below dated 1911, Yap Geok partial name can be seen. But what made me a bit more confidence it was his signed name - Yap Geok Song. The building plan was the plans to repurpose existing builds on 50, 51, 52 and 53 off Grove Road for a pineapple factory. This factory is for Yap Geok Song. There was even an article that dates back to 1 September 1906 of a lawsuit by Yap Geok Song against Adam-seroo for alleged breach of contract in stopping the supply of carts for the removal of pineapple porings. Pineapple Factory to Existing Building - at 50,51,52 and ...

Chia Seng Quee (Bukit Brown)

While exploring Hill 4 Division A, i came across a tomb that was covered with creepers. Clearing it i uncovered the tomb of Chia Seng Quee who died on 24 November 1936 at the age of 37. The headlines of the papers reads " Man dashed to death in Singapore Street fall from high building ". Chia Senq Quee was Straits-born chinese and a senior clerk with the Great Eastern Life Insurance Co. for more than 14 years. He was earning $175 a month and was witness to have reach work on the 24th November at 8:30 am and left his personal belongings and a letter behind. Chia Seng Quee died as a result of multiple injuries sustained in the fall from the Bank of China Building in Cecil Street. Witness reporting hearing a loud thud and saw the body of Chia Seng Quee, who was dressed in a white tunic suit in a mutilated condition with his head smashed. Madam Chua Kim Neo (widow of Chia Seng Quee) who was dressed in black and with tears in her eyes gave her evidence in English during the cour...

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...

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