The Pavilion is a house located at 5 Oxley Rise, Oxley Hill, near Orchard Road in Singapore.[1][2][3] The Pavilion served as Government House between 1859 and 1861, after Raffles House was demolished to make way for a fort.
| Pavilion | |
|---|---|
  | |
| General information | |
| Status | Private |
| Architectural style | Colonial mansion |
| Location | Singapore |
| Address | 5 Oxley Rise |
| Country | Singapore |
| Coordinates | 1°17′52″N 103°50′30″E / 1.297676°N 103.841775°E |
| Owner | Thomas Oxley Friedrich Albert Schreiber Catchick Moses Manasseh Meyer Cheong Eak Chong |
History
editOxley Estate
editThe Pavilion was built around 1847 at Thomas Oxley's, Surgeon of the Straits Settlements, nutmeg estate. It was one of five houses Oxley built at a hill that came to be called Oxley's Hill - Pavilion, Bargany House, Bargany Lodge, Killiney House and Killiney Bungalow.[4] Another version has it that it was built by George Garden Nicol.[5][6] The Pavilion was one of two houses in his estate that Oxley used as his residence. The other was Killiney House.[7] The Pavilion was sited at the top of Oxley's Hill.[1][5]
Government House (1859-1861)
editIn 1856, the house was sold to Friedrich Albert Schreiber. Schreiber was a partner in the German trading firm of Behn, Meyer and Co.
In 1859, the governor's residence at Raffles House on Government Hill was demolished to make way for a fort.[7] Government House was temporarily moved to the Pavilion.[8][9] At the time, Schreiber, the owner of the Pavilion, was away in Europe.[10]
The lease for the Pavilion expired in 1861 and Government House was moved to new leased premises at Leonie Hill and Leonie Cottage.[11]
Later years
editProminent Armenian businessman Catchick Moses bought the Pavilion in 1874 and made it his residence. Moses is remembered for having started the Straits Times.[12][13] Moses was well respected, and local residents used to go to him at the Pavilion for advice and to settle differences.[14]
After Moses' death in 1892, his family continued to occupy the Pavilion until it was sold by public auction in 1918 to Manasseh Meyer for Straits $147,000.[15] The Pavilion was then converted into a private residential hotel.[16]
In the 1920s - 1930s, the property was leased to Ishihara Sangyo Koshi (ISK).[2] ISK was a major Japanese mining concern operating iron mines in Malaya. Yoshio Nishimura, managing director of ISK and president of the Japanese Association, resided at the property till his death in December 1934.[17][18][19][20]
References
edit- ^ a b See the survey map titled Singapore Residency. Colonel Orfeur Cavenagh, Governor of the Straits Settlements by Moniot, J, Surveyor General Straits Settlements, published by Smith, Elder & Co., London (c.1863). Archived National Archives of Singapore.
- ^ a b See the survey map titled Map of Business Area, Singapore, FMS Survey Nos. 7, 4 - 1934. Archived National Archives of Singapore.
- ^ See the survey map titled Singapore. Town Subdivision Number XXVII, Town Subdivision Number XIX, Town Subdivision Number XX, and Town Subdivision Number XXI, Survey Department Singapore, 1959. Archived National Archives of Singapore.
- ^ Lee, Kip Lin (1998). The Singapore House 1819 - 1942. Singapore: National Heritage Board. p. 26. ISBN 981-204-023-4.
- ^ a b Buckley, Charles Burton (1902). An Anecdotal History of Old Times in Singapore. Singapore: Fraser & Neave, Limited. p. 405.
- ^ "The Late Mr. G. G. Nicol". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 23 February 1897.
- ^ a b Koh, Jaime. "River Valley". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board Singapore.
- ^ "The Singapore Free Press". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 26 May 1859.
- ^ "Rare and Valuable Picture of Old Singapore". The Straits Times. 15 December 1935.
- ^ Buckley, Charles Burton (1902). An Anecdotal History of Old Times in Singapore. Singapore: Fraser & Neave, Limited. p. 675.
- ^ "Untitled". The Straits Times. 1 June 1861.
- ^ "The Late Mr M Moses". Malaya Tribune. 17 July 1920.
- ^ "Late Mr. M. Catchick Moses". The Straits Times. 20 July 1920.
- ^ Buckley, Charles Burton (1902). An Anecdotal History of Old Times in Singapore. Singapore: Fraser & Neave, Limited. p. 345.
- ^ "Property Sale". Malaya Tribune. 9 October 1918.
- ^ "Untitled". The Straits Times. 8 February 1935.
- ^ "Strychnine Poisoning was Cause of Mr. Nishimura's Death". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 14 December 1934.
- ^ "Prominent Singapore Japanese Falls Dead in Police Office". The Straits Times. 6 December 1934.
- ^ "Tragedy During Investigation Missing Bag Mystery". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 6 December 1934.
- ^ "Death of Mr. Nishimura Japanese Regret at Current Suggestions". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 7 December 1934.