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Alkaff Gardens
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Alkaff Gardens
Alkaff Gardens (also known as the Alkaff Lake Gardens and briefly known as Happy Garden from 1940 to 1941) was a Japanese-style park once located east of the Bidadari Cemetery from 1930 to 1964, on the present site of Cedar Girls' Secondary School at Bidadari, Singapore. In the 1930s, the park was a popular leisure destination for dating couples and families. It featured as its centrepiece an artificial lake, which was drained in 1964.
Plans for building the park on the 10-acre site near Upper Serangoon Road and Bidadari Cemetery first came into the mind of the Arab merchant Syed Abdul Rahman Shaik Alkaff, with his building contractor suggested in "decorating the site with Japanese teahouses, sidewalks with granite chips, Japanese Arch and bridges".
The park was first created with the help of Japanese landscapers in 1929, with artificial hills and an artificial lake. The Alkaff Gardens was opened to the public in January 1930, the park was known as first Japanese garden in Singapore and was an attraction for both visitors and residents alike. The tea-houses could be rented by people who visited the park and there were boating and fishing facilities.
Robert Bradwell, on behalf of refreshment bar owner Sailoku Tajiri, applied for a first-class licence to sell Asahi beer there, which was granted on 20 June 1930.
A mosque known as the Alkaff Mosque, which was situated close to the park and Upper Serangoon Road, was opened on 24 June 1932 for Muslim locals.
In September 1935, new recreational amenities with a Chinese touch were added by a well-known Chinese merchant, with the construction of boathouses similar to the ones seen on the Pearl River near Guangzhou at that time. A few small Chinese pavilions were added around the lake, interspersed with Chinese flower plants. The part of the lake at the bottom of the southern slope of the hillock was covered with white and pink lotus flowers. The water-cycle was first introduced in Singapore and demonstrated on its lake in November 1936.
The park later fell into disuse in late 1938.
After about eighteen months or so, the park was leased to S. V. Salam, and subsequently renamed as Happy Garden on 28 January 1940. The park was reportedly expanded to 20 acres. The lake, which was the main attraction, was stocked with fish, with fishing rods available for hire. In addition, boats, water-cycles and even motor-boats were available for hire. The refreshment booths there were staffed by trained waitresses from Java and Sumatra. Visitors were able to rent small bungalows there for their picnic parties. The park was later reopened with free admission to the public on 8 February 1940, the first day of Chinese New Year, and remained open throughout the day and night, being lighted with hundreds of multi-coloured electric bulbs.
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Alkaff Gardens
Alkaff Gardens (also known as the Alkaff Lake Gardens and briefly known as Happy Garden from 1940 to 1941) was a Japanese-style park once located east of the Bidadari Cemetery from 1930 to 1964, on the present site of Cedar Girls' Secondary School at Bidadari, Singapore. In the 1930s, the park was a popular leisure destination for dating couples and families. It featured as its centrepiece an artificial lake, which was drained in 1964.
Plans for building the park on the 10-acre site near Upper Serangoon Road and Bidadari Cemetery first came into the mind of the Arab merchant Syed Abdul Rahman Shaik Alkaff, with his building contractor suggested in "decorating the site with Japanese teahouses, sidewalks with granite chips, Japanese Arch and bridges".
The park was first created with the help of Japanese landscapers in 1929, with artificial hills and an artificial lake. The Alkaff Gardens was opened to the public in January 1930, the park was known as first Japanese garden in Singapore and was an attraction for both visitors and residents alike. The tea-houses could be rented by people who visited the park and there were boating and fishing facilities.
Robert Bradwell, on behalf of refreshment bar owner Sailoku Tajiri, applied for a first-class licence to sell Asahi beer there, which was granted on 20 June 1930.
A mosque known as the Alkaff Mosque, which was situated close to the park and Upper Serangoon Road, was opened on 24 June 1932 for Muslim locals.
In September 1935, new recreational amenities with a Chinese touch were added by a well-known Chinese merchant, with the construction of boathouses similar to the ones seen on the Pearl River near Guangzhou at that time. A few small Chinese pavilions were added around the lake, interspersed with Chinese flower plants. The part of the lake at the bottom of the southern slope of the hillock was covered with white and pink lotus flowers. The water-cycle was first introduced in Singapore and demonstrated on its lake in November 1936.
The park later fell into disuse in late 1938.
After about eighteen months or so, the park was leased to S. V. Salam, and subsequently renamed as Happy Garden on 28 January 1940. The park was reportedly expanded to 20 acres. The lake, which was the main attraction, was stocked with fish, with fishing rods available for hire. In addition, boats, water-cycles and even motor-boats were available for hire. The refreshment booths there were staffed by trained waitresses from Java and Sumatra. Visitors were able to rent small bungalows there for their picnic parties. The park was later reopened with free admission to the public on 8 February 1940, the first day of Chinese New Year, and remained open throughout the day and night, being lighted with hundreds of multi-coloured electric bulbs.
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