Jalan Besar

Jalan Besar

Jalan Besar (or “big road” in Malay) started as a track through a betel nut and fruit orchard opened by the Norris Brothers in the 1830s. In the 1880s and 1890s, the Municipality expanded the road and aptly named it Jalan Besar.

Initially, the area was largely a swampland. The area near Lavender Street was dotted with vegetable farms. In 1858, Lavender Street was named as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the stink of the nightsoil (human excreta from latrines contained in pails) used as fertilisers by the many vegetable farms in the area.

Urbanisation in the area took off after World War I in the form of ribbon-developments where agricultural land gave way to shophouses. Ribbon developments involve the building of houses along communication routes such as roads and railway lines. New roads, such as Kitchener Road, Jellicoe Road and Flanders Square, were laid and named after key personalities and battle sites of World War I.

In the area, there were many rubber processing and pineapple canning factories. The most notable ones were owned by Rubber & Pineapple King and well-known philanthropist, Lee Kong Chian (1893-1967). Perhaps due to the area’s then-expanding industrial sector, numerous engineering workshops were also established, many of which still remain today.

A prominent landmark to the north of Kitchener Road was the New World Amusement Park which offered an exciting array of entertainment options. It opened in 1923 and was built by Ong Sam Leong’s two sons, Boon Tat and Peng Hock. Although it closed down in 1987, many continue to associate it with the area. Today, the site has been redeveloped into a condominium, public park and shopping mall. As a reminder of its vibrant past, the original gate to the former New World Amusement Park has been reconstructed at the entrance to the public park.

Another key feature in the area is the Jalan Besar Stadium. Built in 1932, it is considered the birthplace of Singapore football. It was here that the Malaya Cup (1932-1966) and later, the Malaysia Cup (1967-1973), was held for over four decades before moving to the National Stadium.