Historyogi Post (97): History always has consequences
"I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy." - Rabindranath Tagore.
Hello there!
The relevance of history in the issues of the present has become stark with the latest outbreak of violence in the Middle East. We once again see the consequences of decades of political decisions, battles, ideological motivations and colonial-era ambitions playing out. In this issue, we look at the consequences of several events in Singapore’s history:
The tragic aftermath of the Allied Operation Jaywick in 1943.
The decision to transfer Christmas Island to Australia
The safety lapses that led to Singapore’s worst industrial accident
Goh Keng Swee’s introduction of the National Service Bill in 1967
Classroom
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Digging Deeper
SingPost, NLB launch new stamps featuring historical images of the Singapore River (CNA): The National Library Board and Singapore Post have collaborated to produce a set of stamps that highlight the Singapore River as the cradle of the nation's economic development and urban transformation in the early 19th century. The Early Singapore River Settlement stamps feature 19th-century images of the river taken from the National Library's rare materials collection. Read More
Nation-building: Trace the roots of Singapore architecture and its pioneers on new website (ST): Launched at the 60th-anniversary celebrations of the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA), The Genealogy of Architectural Practices 2.0 (Gaps 2.0) site allows anyone to trace the history and network of local architectural firms in Singapore dating back to the 1800s. Gaps 2.0 also includes detailed information about the pioneer local architects who built Modernist structures in post-independence Singapore. They include Mr Alfred Wong, who designed the National Theatre, Mr William S.W. Lim, who led a team of talented local architects who designed People’s Park Complex, and Mr Tan Cheng Siong, the man behind Pearl Bank Apartments. Read More
Short Circuit Film Festival makes history: When the very first edition of this queer film festival began in 2006, Singapore had not yet legalised oral and anal sex for adult heterosexuals. The seventh edition rolls around just under a year after Singapore repealed Section 377A. Featuring a diverse line-up of eleven short films by Singaporean filmmakers, the festival will explore a wide range of themes such as love, identity, resilience and acceptance. Read More
This Month in History
Australia takes over Christmas Island (Oct 1, 1958): On this day, the British colonial government transferred sovereignty of Christmas Island from the Crown Colony of Singapore to the Commonwealth of Australia. The 135 sq km island, just 350km south of Java but over 1550km from Australia, was prized for its rich phosphate reserves, and Australia paid Singapore $20 million in compensation. The island's residents largely mirror that of Singapore, with a Chinese majority and smaller Malay and Indian communities. It's well-known for its rich biodiversity, especially the striking annual migration of millions of red crabs along its roads and beaches. In recent decades, Christmas Island has become a magnet for asylum seekers trying to reach Australia, and houses an immigration detention centre.
Spyros tanker explosion (Oct 12, 1978): On this day, the Greek tanker Spyros, which had been undergoing maintenance at Jurong Shipyard, was rocked by an enormous explosion. The blast killed 76 workers and injured dozens more. Badly burned victims were rushed to SGH and Alexandra Hospital, where medical staff worked multiple shifts to treat them. Hundreds of people responded to public appeals to donate blood for the victims. An investigation found that contamination of fuel oil and crude oil in the tanks created flammable vapour that was ignited by a blowtorch. The shipyard and its manager were fined a total of $30,000 and the Spyros was sold for scrap the following year. Industrial safety codes and training were tightened after the accident, which remains Singapore's deadliest post-war disaster.
Down Memory Lane
Pickering Street: This road is named after William Pickering (1840-1907), a British official who was appointed the first “Protector of Chinese in Singapore” in 1877. He was the first British officer who could speak and write Chinese. He was also fluent in the Mandarin dialects, having worked for over two decades in China. Pickering worked to curb abuses in the coolie system and brought the secret societies under government control. He also established the Office for the Preservation of Virtue, which operated a refuge for women who had fallen victim to prostitution. In 1887, Pickering was attacked by a secret society member and never fully recovered, retiring in 1890.
Quotable Quotes
“Nothing creates loyalty and national conscience more speedily and more thoroughly than participation in defence and membership of the armed forces. This has been the experience of other countries; there is no reason why it will not hold true in Singapore. The nation building aspect of defences will be more significant if its participation is spread out over all strata of society. This is possible with some kind of national service. If we were to depend only on a standing army of professionals, then we would get so many numbers of soldiers and no more. The civilians remain spectators outside the orbit of the defence forces except for the small number who take part as part time soldiers.”
Goh Keng Swee speaking on the National Service Bill in Parliament on 28 March 1967