Monday, 14 July 2025

Untold histories of Istana Woodneuk



When Sir Stamford Raffles said Singapore was just a small fishing village, people back then just accepted it. The history we learnt in school was so flat and boring, I failed my history lessons. I’ve always been a logical person. Memorising stories without any real, physical things to see just didn’t work for me. That was my weakness in humanities. But I was good with numbers, and that’s how I became an engineer.


Ironically, my search for my roots brought me back to history. This journey led me to many Istanas and hidden heritage places in Singapore. Today, I celebrate history in my own way, by sharing why it’s so important to not just appreciate our past, but to use whatever tools we have to protect and keep Singapore’s stories alive for the future.



I started off by sharing the history of our nation, from when we were probably marked by Ptolemy as ‘Sabana Emporio’ all the way to stories about Sungai Bras Basah and how Orchard Road developed. I talked about land ownership too from the ‘drain-pans’ of Stamford Canal where Sungai Bras Basah begins, to the land William Napier owned before passing it on to Maharaja Abu Bakar. His descendants still hold on to that land today!



The idea behind these tour stories today is not just about Istana Woodneuk, but about the bigger picture of Singapore’s history. The stories that didn’t just start in 1819 or 1299, but go way back to the age of sail.

Trust me, if there was no land swap idea between Tengku Ismail Idris & SLA this year, this tour wouldn’t be half as interesting as what you see in these photos. Like I have said, history can be dry on paper,  but when you stand on the actual ground, it’s like the stories come alive. 

My trip with Temasek Rural Explorer Enthusiast.



 

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