Hello everyone,
We will be using this blog to give our readers insights into the vibrant culture of Jalan Besar as well as chart the progress of our project on conserving the unique history of Jalan Besar itself.
Watch this space for our daily updates featuring unique aspects of Jalan Besar's culture as well as updates on our progress!
Please also feel free to give us any comments you have regarding our project, so as to facilitate our PW report. Thank you!
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09A14's most awesome PW group (:
Hwa Chong Institution (College Section)
Conservation of Knowledge on Local Neighbourhoods
Amadea Ng
Nicholas Chiang
Nigel Poh
Sandra Chan
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Jalan Besar Town Council
URA: Conservation of Built Heritage
HCunite
Hwa Chong
For other enquiries or feedback, feel free to contact us at jalanbesarpw@gmail.com.
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July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
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Wednesday, July 15, 2009 5:13 AM
Beginnings
Jalan Besar, meaning "wide road" in Malay, started out as an estate owned by brothers Richard Owen Norris and George Norris in the 1830s and began life as a road through the estates of the betel nut and fruit orchard of the Norris Brothers.
Due to the proximity of the Norris' brothers' estate to the mangroves, Richard and George Norris started planting Nipah, a mangrove plant which thrived in the swampy environment (Nipah is a mangrove plant which fruit is the attap chee found in ice kacang).
While George Norris later chose to join the government and became the Assistant Treasurer in Penang, Richard Owen Norris remained in Jalan Besar, building a bungalow on the Jalan Besar Estate.
Today, the Norris family is still remembered in the Singaporean community, with the Norris Block in the Singapore General Hospital commemorating his grandson, Dr. Victor Norris, who was killed during World War Two.
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