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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 lions

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Tan Bin Cheng (Bukit Brown)

Block 1 Division A Family - Tan Tock Seng lions sikh guard

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Seow Eng Tin (Bukit Brown)

Banking Block 1 Division B Bukit Brown Hill 1 lions

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

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

Newspaper mentions(2025)

Newspaper mentions(2024)

Newspaper mentions(2024)

Grave Matters-The Greater Bukit Brown(2023)

Newspaper mentions(2022)

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

Newspaper mentions (2017)

History from the Hills (2013)

Newspaper mentions (2014)

Resource Guide on Bukit Brown

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The Debt-Ridden Lawyer: The Story of Kow Soon Kim (Bukit Brown)

A simple marble headstone uncovered in Bukit Brown. The marble headstone reads; 437A In Loving Memory of Kow Soon Kim Died 8 April 2602 Age 62 years A simple marble headstone but it possibly helped me uncover a story mostly people have forgotten. With the age and timeline matching, I matched Mr. Kow Soon Kim (高順金) to lawyer Kow Soon Kim who lived during that timeline. When we think of lawyers in old Singapore, we usually think of rich, successful people. But history also has stories of people who struggled. One of these people was Kow Soon Kim, a local lawyer who made a sad confession in court in 1940. Kow Soon Kim From Bangkok to Singapore On 24 February 1906, the Unity Club (of Stra-ts-born Chinese) at Bangkok gave a farewell dinner to Mr. Kow Soon Kim, late marshall of the British Court for Siam on his leaving that port for England where he intends to study law and to read for the bar. Kow Soon Kim was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple on 5 May 1909. Kow Soon K...

Brother and Sister buried side by side (Bukit Brown)

Master Tay Tow Seeh (9 years of age) and Miss Tay Poon Neo (7 years of age) lay buried side by side in Hill 1 Division B plot 423 and 424. They are the children of Mr and Mrs Tay Geok Hong. Tay Tow Seeh (Age 9 , 16 December 1926) Tay Poon Neo (Age 7, 15th December 1926) On the burial records, Tay Tow Seeh (Tay Tow Si ) is listed as 12 years of age. Their residence address and cause of death is masked off from the online burial registrar. This two information would be useful to determine what was the cause of death (was it the same sickness that cause the siblings to die so young and their residential address would help confirm who their parents, Tay Geok Hong are. Probable link The only information of Tay Geok Hong i could find was from the newspapers obituary of a Mr. Tay Geok Hong who passed away on 11 September 1928, where Mrs. Tay Geok Hong and Mr. Tay Geok Swee (brother of Tay Geok Swee) thanked staff of Fraser & Neave Ltd, Members of Straits Bachelors Ph...

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...

Tan Bian Teng and Koh Yan Tee Neo (Bukit Brown)

Tan Bian Teng passed away at the age of 67 at his residence, 163 Upper Serangoon Road on 5 January 1924. Mrs. Tan Bian Teng, Tan Choo Chye and family thank all relatives who attended the funeral of the late Mr. Tan Bian Teng on 9 January 1924. Madam Koh Yan Tee Neo (wife of the late Mr. Tan Bian Teng) passed away at the age of 92 at her residence, 163 Surin Avenue, Upper Serangoon Road. She leaves behind 3 sons, 3 daughters, 1 adopted daughter, 1 son-in-law, 6 daughters-in-law, several grandchildren. She was buried in Bukit Brown on 17 October 1948. Tan Bian Teng and Koh Yan Tee Neo Tomb og Tan Bian Teng and Koh Yan Tee Neo The names of their children; Sons; Tan Choo Chye, Tan Chye Hoe, Tan Buan Tong, Tan Kok Ee, Tan Teck Huat, Tan Choo Eng Daughters; Tan Tiong Neo, Tan Suay Neo, Tan Siu Neo Grandsons; Tan Ann Tee, Tan Ann Sek, Tan Ann Kee, Tan Kok Leong, Tan Kiong Hoe, Tan Kiong Kiat, Tan Kiong Khiam, Tan Kiong Chuan Granddaughters; Tan Jee Pun, Tan Leng Poh, Tan Chui Hiang, Tan ...

Khoo Kay Hian (Bukit Brown)

During the rubber boom of the 1910, Khoo Kay Hian / Khoo Kay Hean was well positioned and made money as a rubber broker based in The Arcade. He went on to be the founder of one of the best known stock broking firm in Singapore bearing his namesake, Kay Hian and Co in 1921. He was also a committee member of the Singapore Sharebrokers' Association (this was before it became the Singapore Stock Exchange). Throughout his career, he held various positions and they included: Assistant Secretary of the Ee Hoe Hean Club (1918) ; Management Committee of the Garden Club (1920) Chinese Lantern Procession (1922), Joint Honorary Secretary together with Lim Kee Cheok. (Lim Chwee Chian was the Chairman) and also Committee member of the Singapore Chinese Girls School (1925). He contributed to various causes and some of them include: Kampong Martin Relief Fund (1916), Chinese Halifax Relief Fund (1917), Sir Arthur Young's Portrait Fund (1919), St Andrew's Hospital Building (1920), Nanyang U...

Song Ong Siang and family (All Saints Memorial)

Sir Song Ong Siang was the the eldest son of Song Hoot Kiam and Phan Fung Lean. He served as a voluntary preacher and succeeded his father Song Hoot Kiam (when he died in 1900), as an elder of the church. He also served as Chairman of the Chinese Christian Association for many years and was a strong advocate for educational reform, helping in the formation of the Singapore Chinese Girls' School and becoming one of the members on the Board of Governors and its Vice-president. Sir Song Ong Siang achieved many first. He was as earlier mentioned, the first Chinese to be Knighted. As a young boy, he was a brilliant student. He excelled in his studies and was the first recipient of the Queen's Scholar but was disqualified due to the fact he was underage. The honor instead went to another distingushed person, Dr. Lim Boon Keng. He did eventually became a Queens Scholar in 1888 and was the first Queens Scholar to study law. He went on to establish the law firm, Aitken and Ong Siang...

Song Kee Kuan (Bukit Brown)

Song Kee Kuan was the shroff at the Colonial Treasury. There was even a court case where he helped examined five $5 notes handed to him during a court case and help determine that it was forged notes. Song Kee Kuan in another article (1912) was described as an assistant cashier, Government Treasury and had been employed in the Treasury for about 11 years. Song Kee Kuan has long been associated with the Sepoy Lines Funeral Association, with roles as Hon. Secretary, Vice President (1915-1932). Past Presidents included Lee Hoon Leong and Loke Yew Bee . Song Kee Kuan passed away at the age of 54 on 16 December 1932. The name of his children; Sons: Song Chin Lee, Song Chin Suan, Song Chin Swee Daughter: Miss Song Kee Neo Song Kee Kuan Son: Song Chin Chuan There was a file in the archives that contains correspondence pertaining to the application for payment of gratuity due to Song Chin Suan, Clerk Class III, Audit Office, Singapore, who was taken aw...

Madam Chew Hong Neo (Bukit Brown)

Madam Chew Hong Neo passed away at the age of 30 on 22 July 1922. The names of her children are; Sons: Tan Chye Choo, Tan Choo Boon, Tan Chye Peng From the burial registrar, i found an entry that matched her death date and age. That entry has her name as Mrs. Tan Hood Lai. Madam Chew Hong Neo / Mrs. Tan Hood Lai Location of tomb The original number was General 145. It was changed to Block 1 Division A, plot 84. From one of the pictures of the tomb below, you can note that change.

Lee Kim Seng (Bukit Brown)

Lee Kim Seng (born 18 February 1868 - died 23 January 1924). From the burial registrar, he was 56 years old when he passed away/ Sons: Lee Chin Swee, Lee Cheng Loke Daughters: Lee Song Neo, Lee Soon Neo, Lee Chwee Neo Lee Kim Seng Location of tomb Block 1 Section A, plot 103 Lee Kim Seng tomb in Bukit Brown

Lim Nee Soon and family (Bukit Brown)

Mr. Lim Nee Soon's wife (Wee Pek Hay) and two of his son's ( Lim Chong Kuo and Lim Chong Pang ) tomb can be found in Bukit Brown, Block 4 Division A. Mr. Lim Nee Soon is not buried there but in Nanking, China. It is however difficult to write a story about Lim Nee Soon family members tomb cluster in Bukit Brown, without first introducing Mr. Lim Nee Soon first. Pineapple King and Patriot Mr. Lim Nee Soon (1879-1936) is the son of Mr Lim Peng Guan and was born in Kampong Glam, Beach Road in 1879. His father died when Lim Nee Soon was only 8 years old and was left in the care of his maternal grandfather, Mr. Teo Lee (Mr Teo Eng Hock's father). Lim Nee Soon received his early education in both St. Joseph Institution and Anglo-Chinese School and therefore proficient in both English and Chinese languages. A Teochew, he started from scratch, working as a shopkeeper assistant at the age of 18 and from there he climbed the rungs by next working for timber merchant Tan Tye a...

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