The Bendemeer House, originally known as the House of Whampoa or the Whampoa House, was the former residence of Chinese merchant Hoo Ah Kay in Singapore. The house was demolished in 1964 to make way for redevelopment of the area.
History
editThe estate included 160 hectares of land along Serangoon Road, and included a large garden, known as the Whampoa Garden.[1] Whampoa frequently invited guests into his home, including Admiral Henry Keppel.[2] The garden included an orange plantation, fruit orchards, rockeries, artificial ponds, aquariums, and plants trimmed to look like animals.[3][4] The gardens were maintained by horticulturists and also included a small zoo and an aviary.[1][2] The gardens served as a public gathering place for the Chinese community in the Colony of Singapore.[1]
Following Whampoa's death in 1880, the estate was bought over by Seah Liang Seah, who renamed it the Bendemeer House after the nearby Bendemeer's Stream.[1][5] In 1964, the government purchased the estate for $3.8 million and demolished it to make way for urban developments.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Tan, Bonny. "Bendemeer House". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ a b Buckley, Charles (1984). An Anecdotal History of Old Times in Singapore: From the Foundation of the Settlement Under the Honourable the East India Company on February 6th, 1819 to the Transfer to the Colonial Office as Part of the Colonial Possessions of the Crown on April 1st, 1867. Singapore: Oxford University Press. p. 658-659. ISBN 0195826027.
- ^ Chandy, Gloria (30 March 1980). "Mansion that was hub of the social set". New Nation. Singapore. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "Land and House-Property". The Daily Advertiser. Singapore. 28 November 1892. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "Bendemeer's Roses". The Straits Budget. Singapore. 20 August 1936. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "Govt buys historic Whampoa House for $3.8mil". The Straits Times. Singapore. 25 March 1964. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
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