Robertson/Clarke Quay Walkabout...

Note: the above map is not to scale

^Start the walk from Dhoby Ghaut MRT. Walk along Clemenceau Avenue, you will come to a flyover. Widen your step to walk up the steep Oxley Rise and you will see Chesed-El Synagogue (1), just before the 2nd turning to the left.

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Built in 1905 by Jewish businessman Sir Reuben Manasseh Meyer. Meyer had it built close to his home, Belle Vue (aka Killiney House), which was demolished in 1982. The Synagogue was designed by R.A.J. Bidwell of Swan & Maclaren in the Late Renaissance style. It can be viewed from the road but is not open to the public.

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^The location of the former National Theatre & Van Kleef Aquarium.

^National Theatre (2)(left), was built as a cultural symbol to commemorate the attainment of Singapore’s self-government in 1959. Officially opened on 8 August 1963, it was fondly known as the "People’s Theatre" in recognition of contributions made by Singaporeans from all walks of life. The National Theatre was demolished in 1986 due to structural reasons.

^Van Kleef Aquarium (2)(right), is also located at this location. Opened in September 1955, Singapore’s first aquarium was home to more than 6,000 aquatic creatures and was a favourite stop on school excursions. The aquarium was named after the late Mr K.W.B. Van Kleef, a former Dutch resident in Singapore, who had donated $470,000 for its construction. After a $750,000 facelift in 1986, the popular tourist spot reopened 18 months later. Van Kleef eventually closed in May 1991, two weeks after the $20-million Underwater World Singapore opened at Sentosa. The premises were then leased to a private company which reopened it as World of Aquarium in Oct 1991. It displayed & sold ornamental fish. But less than 2 years later, it closed down because business was poor.

^These plaques were the only thing left behind to mark the site.
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^UE Square (3) was established in 1912, United Engineers has been instrumental in designing and constructing many of the major bridges, factories and buildings in Malaysia & Singapore such as Supreme Court, National Iron & Steel Mills at Jurong and Sentosa Monorail and Lau Pa Sat. The Head Office building was demolished in 1991 and UE Square was built over the vast property, employing the latest IT and know-how in building systems. Designed by Kenzo Tange, the building was built in 1997/8. UE Square stands on the site where the company's original warehouses and workshops were located.
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^Mohamed Sultan Road (4). In the 1890s, some of the finest terraced houses in the city were built in the area of River Valley Rd, Kim Yam Rd, Mohamad Sultan Rd and Tong Watt Rd. By the late 1990s, Mohamad Sultan Rd consisted only a row of decrepit shophouses. These have now been transformed into a most happening pubs and restaurants.

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Hong San See Temple (5) at 31 Mohamed Sultan Road. The temple used to be a gathering place for Chinese immigrants from Lam Ann in the Fujian province of China. The present temple, built between 1908-1912, replaced an earlier one near Tras Street in Tanjong Pagar. It is a syncretic temple, which means it embraces paganism, Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Its wooden artifacts and elaborate carvings were imported from China.

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Turn left into Unity St & right at Merbau Rd. At the end of the road you will see DBS Arts Centre - Home of the Singapore Repertory Theatre (6), located next to the river, is an elegant venue for small & mid-sized performances. It is known for staging a number of well-known plays like David Henry Hwang's The Golden Child.

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Close by is the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI) (7), set up by Master Printer Kenneth Tyler, who moved his legendary print studio from New York to Singapore. This non-profit organisation comprises a state-of-the-art printmaking workshop with a paper mill and an international gallery. It also exhibits works of art by prominent artists.

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^Robertson Quay (8) was mostly used for the storage of goods in the old days and today has been transformed into a vibrant quarter with al fresco dining, arts and culture.

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^Ord Bridge (9) was constructed in 1886 and was dedicated to the memory of the first governor of the Straits Settlement to be appointed by the Colonial office in London, Sir Henry St. George Ord. It was also known as Ordnance Bridge or Toddy Bridge because of neighbouring ordnance stores and liquor shops. The bridge is simple in form with interesting details such as the ornamental balustrades and girders.

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^Just beside the bride is Liang Court/Hotel New Otani (10). This mixed use complex is located next to Tan Tye Place, a small lane named after a Hokkien timber merchant who owned a sawmill and a pineapple factory along the river'

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^River House (11) - this southern Chinese-style house was constructed in the later half of the 19th century for a merchant named Tan whose identity has been lost to history. Having served as residence and godown for gambier, biscuits and other commodities, River House was faithfully restored by skilled craftsmen in 1993.

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^Clarke Quay (12) - in the early 1980s, Clarke Quay was a noisy scene of "tongkangs" (bumboats) and "twakows" (lighters) jostling bow and stern for a place to dock and unload their cargoes.

Today, Clarke Quay is the focus of entertainment and retail uses along the Singapore River.
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^Read Bridge (13), built in 1889, was named after William Henry Read, a businessman and legislator. It used to be a gathering point for story-tellers from the Teochew (a Chinese dialect group) community concentrated in the area. Street hawkers, coolies and idle youths would gather nightly to hear storytellers spin their tales. Note the quaint lamps found on all four corners of the bridge. The area next to the bridge was once known as Cha Chun Tau (firewood boat jetty) due to the presence of firewood traders.

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G-Max (14) - experience Singapore’s first bungy thrill. Be launched skywards to a dazzling height of 60 meters and experience G forces similar to those experienced by astronauts, all in the safety of the latest technology. Designed and developed in New Zealand. Price: $30 per person. Group packages available on request. Hours of Operation: 11am till late.

^G-Max in the day (left) and night (right).

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^Coleman Bridge (15) with its thick white pillars, was completed in 1840 and named after its Irish architect, George Drumgold Coleman, who also designed St. Andrew’s Cathedral and Parliament House. The original Coleman bridge was also known as New Bridge. George Coleman was Singapore’s first Superintendent of Public Works. The decorative lamp posts were installed in 1989 when the bridge was rebuilt.