Ong Chong Chew – Found!
#Flashback: 10 October 2012 by Catherine Lim I was working on a production of History from the Hills – an 8 episode docu series which traces the history of Singapore from the perspective of Chinese pioneers who made significant contributions to society and the region in the late 1800s to the 1900s (post-war) and who are buried in Bukit Brown. We were to shoot a sequence with Ong Chwee Imm – whose great great grandfather Ong Chong Chew was one […]
Bianca: The Brownie from Holland
By day, she has project managed some of Singapore’s transportation system projects such as the flight information displays in Changi Airport and road tunnel systems for LTA. But come the weekends or public holidays, one of Bianca Polak’s favourite places is Bukit Brown Cemetery, leading the public on guided walks. She first visited Bukit Brown in early 2012 and came on a few guided walks conducted by the Brownies before naturally falling in step with the volunteers and started conducting guided […]
“I Found A Bone” – Victory Day
#Flashback “12 September 1945, General Seishiro, along with four other Generals and two Admirals, entered the City Hall Chamber to formally surrender Singapore to Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, the British Supreme Allied Commander in Southeast Asia.” From Roots on WW II timeline. So today marks Victory Day. But the joy and relief must have been short lived as people woke up to victory and at the same time came to grips with the loss and damage wreaked by three […]
Jon Cooper’s Adam Park Story
Introduction In 2009, the Coopers arrived in Singapore from the UK. Jon’s wife had a job posting here and Jon was to be during the duration of her posting, a house husband taking care of their 2 young children and running the household. As luck would have it, on the morning after they moved into their home, Jon on a “reconnaissance” of his new neighbourhood spotted a National Heritage Board marker introducing the WWII history of Adam Park. From that […]
Reflections on a Ramble
On 14 August, Samira Hassan joined Brownie Peter Pak for a Ramble thru’ Bukit Brown to Kopi Sua Cemetery . It was Samira’s first visit and she penned these reflections to share. “I doubt there are textbooks or academic sources that would be able to do justice to the arcane yet insightful details the places in Bukit Brown had revealed about our past – and these pieces of our tangible history are truly irreplaceable.” by Samira Hassan Dateline: Bukit Brown […]
Home: The Gates of Bukit Brown
“We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. Through the unknown, remembered gate When the last of earth left to discover Is that which was the beginning.” (T S Eliot, “Little Gidding”) The gates of Bukit Brown are now “reunited” with the pillars in the new entrance to the cemetery. Painted black – which was established to be a common […]
The John Bastin Collection
by Catherine Lim Considered the foremost authority on Raffles, the National Library Board has acquired the collection of Dr. John Bastin’s more than 5000 materials. 38 of which have been curated for public viewing on the 13th floor. The exhibits both showcases and makes accessible NLB’s existing Singapore and South East Asia Collection which “form an important nucleus of works on early Singapore. “ The rare materials collection is conventionally the preserve of academics, perhaps perceived as” high brow” located […]
A “Home” for the Earth Deities
Moved by “unseen” hands, the deities which used to be located at the former entrance of Bukit Brown Cemetery, were also moved when the pillars of the gates were relocated. They now have a brand new shelter – we have been informed by a credible source – which was “upgraded” by Fusion Clad Precision (of their own initiative), the company commissioned by the National Heritage Board to restore the gates. Photos captured by Brownie volunteers help document the “sheltering” of […]
Shortlisted by the BBC (Beeb)
The news broke this morning and was headlined “The Outlook 15” We are pleased to share breaking news that Raymond Goh has been shortlisted as the top 15 from among 50 inspiring individuals in their home countries nominated by listeners to “Outlook” – a weekly radio programme on the other BBC – The British Broadcasting Corporation aka The Beeb. He sits in good company among indefatigable individuals who have survived against the odds and individuals who strive each day in […]
“Streaming” at Lentor
Contrary to perceptions that the Brownie volunteers of Bukit Brown spend all their time at the cemetery, the reality is we are often exploring or chasing – either individually and sometimes ( when we can co-ordinate our busy schedules) as a community – other heritage and nature trails (before they are decimated by development) A sunny Sunday morning saw an opportunity to explore a charming, idyllic stream, embraced in nature’s natural air conditioning right smack in the forested area known […]
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