55 



THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BOTANIC 

 GARDENS, SINGAPORE. 



The year 1919, the centenary of the founding of the settlement 

 of Singapore, brings in the sixtieth year of the Botanic Gardens; 

 and their early history is becoming obscure. Moreover the records 

 are only in the two older Singapore newspapers, which it is laborious 

 to consult, and of which single files exist. These are reasons enough 

 for reproducing here six reports, and for bringing them into one 

 view by a brief introduction, with quotations from the old papers. 



The Straits Times under the date 12th N"ovem,ber, 1859, has 

 the following paragraph : — 



" We understand some of our enterprising citizens have resolv- 

 ed to establish a Floricultural and Horticultural Society, which will 

 receive our hearty concurrence and support. This will be the third 

 attempt to organi.se a really useful association, and we trust it will 

 succeed." 



Who these citizens were is not recorded : but from subsequent 

 papers it appears as if Mr. J. E. Macdonald and Towkay Hoh Ah 

 Kay, better known under his trade name of Whampoa, were two; 

 and it is fairly ajjparent that the Governor, Colonel 0. Cavanagh, 

 had been consulted and had offered his support. 



Although called Floricultural and Horticultural in this first 

 notice. Agriculture was in its purview from the very start, its ]3ro- 

 per title being The Singapore Agri-Horticultural Society. 



Within six weeks from this notice the Government of the 

 Colony, glad exceedingly that some of its 45,000 acres of abandoned 

 lands should be cultivated, had provided for the Society's operations 

 through an enchaiige with Whampoa, by giving a piece of low-lying 

 Government land in the Eiver valley to him in return for an area 

 of 56 acres (subject to a subsequent slight rectification) between 

 Napier, Cluny and Garden Roads, the last a track only at the time 

 (iStraits Times of 24 Dec, 1859). The Government further pro- 

 mised convict labour witliin its power of giving: and the Society 

 at once set to work to raise funds for superintendence, stores, tools, 

 seeds, etc. 



Members were enrolled on paying $25, and retained member- 

 ship by a monthly sul)scription of $1 commencing on January 1st. 

 1860. Others might enjoy the use of the Garden, if residents, by 

 paying $1.25 per mensem as second class subscribers. Strangers, if 

 not from the very first, at least from an early date, were admitted 

 into the Garden free. 



Having got a membership of TT, the Society was provided thus 

 with over $1900 as capital; and the subscriptions, we are told, aver- 

 aged $74.25 over the first eighteen months (Appendix 2). 



The outline map produced here, was drawn with the use of con- 

 temporary documents in the Land Office ; it gives the whole present 

 area of the Botanic Garden, the Economic Garden excluded, with the 

 three original ])roperties out of which it is made, marked separately 



