Plantation country

In the 1820s, the land that became Joo Chiat was mostly coconut and cotton plantations, with a few villages and seaside bungalows. 1 Francis Bernard, son-in-law of Singapore’s first Resident William Farquhar, is credited as the pioneer coconut planter on the east coast, starting in 1823. 2

Chew Joo Chiat

Chew Joo Chiat (1857–1926) arrived from Fujian as a young man with little money. He bought land in Katong and Joo Chiat cheaply while the area was undeveloped, planting spices such as gambier, nutmeg and pepper, and later coconuts. When nearby Geylang became a business district and land prices soared, he sold parcels and made a fortune — earning the nickname “King of Katong”. 34

The road he gave away

Chew owned and maintained a dirt track called Confederate Estate Road, running from Geylang Serai through his plantations towards the sea. When the Municipality wanted it for a motor road around 1916, he handed it over without compensation — a better road would get his copra to town faster and lift the value of his land. Once paved, it was renamed Joo Chiat Road in 1917. 34

He died in February 1926 at his family residence at 246 Joo Chiat Road, leaving an estate of land and property estimated at a million dollars. Joo Chiat Road, Joo Chiat Place, Joo Chiat Terrace, Joo Chiat Avenue and the district itself all carry his name. 3

Singapore’s first Heritage Town

From the 1900s, as people moved east from the crowded city, Catholic churches and schools brought a large Eurasian community, and Peranakan families built many of the shophouses and terraces conserved today. In 2011, Joo Chiat was designated Singapore’s first Heritage Town. 1

Sources

  1. History of Katong-Joo Chiat — Roots.gov.sg, National Heritage Board
  2. From Gambier to Pepper: Plantation Agriculture in Singapore — BiblioAsia, National Library Board (2021)
  3. Chew Joo Chiat — National Library Board Reference Guides
  4. Who is Joo Chiat? (TODAY) — Malay Mail (2017)