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Van Kleef Aquarium
Van Kleef Aquarium was an oceanarium located along River Valley Road, at the foot of Fort Canning Hill, in Singapore. Fully air-conditioned, the aquarium had 6,500 animals at the time of opening, which were housed in freshwater, seawater, and swamp tanks.
The decision to develop the aquarium was made in 1935 by the Municipal Commission of Singapore, as a way to use the money bequested to the Municipal Commission by Karel William Benjamin Van Kleef in 1930 for the "embellishment of the city". While the site and name of the aquarium were chosen by 1936, and plans for it drawn up in 1937, the aquarium was only approved in 1939 due to cost concerns. Construction subsequently began in 1940, but work was halted after piling was completed due to rising material costs, only resuming in 1952 on a new site. The aquarium opened in September 1955, after multiple delays and with part of the costs borne by the City Council of Singapore, and had 150,000 visitors in its first three months of operation. The aquarium remained popular through the 1970s, but by 1991, despite having been renovated between 1986 and 1987 for $750,000, it was viewed as out of date and it closed in May 1991.
The aquarium was subsequently reopened as World of Aquarium in October 1991, which closed less than two years later due to poor business, and again as Fort Canning Aquarium in 1993, but it eventually closed for good in 1996 and was demolished two years later.
A public aquarium in Singapore was first proposed in 1922 by the Natural History Society of Singapore, and was considered by the local government around the time of Singapore's centenary. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser claimed that these proposals were seen as meaningful and attractive, given the suitability of the fish in Singapore and Malaya to living in aquariums.
When Karel Willem Benjamin Van Kleef, who had been a broker in Singapore, died in 1930, he left his fortune to the Singapore Municipality for the "embellishment of the city". The Municipal Commission convened a committee to make recommendations regarding the use of the money, and the committee sought suggestions from the general public. Among the suggestions made was one regarding building a public aquarium. In 1933, the committee recommended spending the money on either of two projects, the conversion of the old race course into playing fields and the construction of an aquarium.
In March 1935, the Municipal Commission decided on using the money bequested by Van Kleef to build an aquarium opposite the Raffles Museum, but this proposal was dropped in April 1935 owing to strong opposition. The government then offered an alternative site on the western slope of Fort Canning Hill between Tank Road and River Valley Road for the aquarium, which was accepted by the Municipal Commission in November 1935.
The aquarium was named the Van Kleef Aquarium in September 1936, and plan for the aquarium were drawn up by 1937. Concerns over the cost of construction and maintenance of the aquarium delayed its approval, and the aquarium was only approved by the Municipal Commission in May 1939. Construction of the aquarium began in 1940, but work was stopped after the completion of piling works due to the outbreak of World War II in Europe driving prices of construction materials up.
In September 1949, an appeal was made by Roland Braddell, president of the Friends of Singapore, to build a cultural centre using the funds bequested by Van Kleef, instead of the aquarium, but the Municipal Commission decided to continue development of the aquarium in November that year. Construction of the Van Kleef Aquarium commenced in 1952, with half of the costs borne by the City Council and on a new site. Collection of fish to stock the aquarium and of coral to decorate the aquarium tanks had started by January 1954. In addition, the City Council attempted to find a descendant of K.W.B. Van Kleef to open the aquarium, but the search was deemed too difficult and was called off, and Frederick Akhurst, an assistant curator at the London Zoo, assisted in the organisation of the aquarium and advised on its maintenance.
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Van Kleef Aquarium
Van Kleef Aquarium was an oceanarium located along River Valley Road, at the foot of Fort Canning Hill, in Singapore. Fully air-conditioned, the aquarium had 6,500 animals at the time of opening, which were housed in freshwater, seawater, and swamp tanks.
The decision to develop the aquarium was made in 1935 by the Municipal Commission of Singapore, as a way to use the money bequested to the Municipal Commission by Karel William Benjamin Van Kleef in 1930 for the "embellishment of the city". While the site and name of the aquarium were chosen by 1936, and plans for it drawn up in 1937, the aquarium was only approved in 1939 due to cost concerns. Construction subsequently began in 1940, but work was halted after piling was completed due to rising material costs, only resuming in 1952 on a new site. The aquarium opened in September 1955, after multiple delays and with part of the costs borne by the City Council of Singapore, and had 150,000 visitors in its first three months of operation. The aquarium remained popular through the 1970s, but by 1991, despite having been renovated between 1986 and 1987 for $750,000, it was viewed as out of date and it closed in May 1991.
The aquarium was subsequently reopened as World of Aquarium in October 1991, which closed less than two years later due to poor business, and again as Fort Canning Aquarium in 1993, but it eventually closed for good in 1996 and was demolished two years later.
A public aquarium in Singapore was first proposed in 1922 by the Natural History Society of Singapore, and was considered by the local government around the time of Singapore's centenary. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser claimed that these proposals were seen as meaningful and attractive, given the suitability of the fish in Singapore and Malaya to living in aquariums.
When Karel Willem Benjamin Van Kleef, who had been a broker in Singapore, died in 1930, he left his fortune to the Singapore Municipality for the "embellishment of the city". The Municipal Commission convened a committee to make recommendations regarding the use of the money, and the committee sought suggestions from the general public. Among the suggestions made was one regarding building a public aquarium. In 1933, the committee recommended spending the money on either of two projects, the conversion of the old race course into playing fields and the construction of an aquarium.
In March 1935, the Municipal Commission decided on using the money bequested by Van Kleef to build an aquarium opposite the Raffles Museum, but this proposal was dropped in April 1935 owing to strong opposition. The government then offered an alternative site on the western slope of Fort Canning Hill between Tank Road and River Valley Road for the aquarium, which was accepted by the Municipal Commission in November 1935.
The aquarium was named the Van Kleef Aquarium in September 1936, and plan for the aquarium were drawn up by 1937. Concerns over the cost of construction and maintenance of the aquarium delayed its approval, and the aquarium was only approved by the Municipal Commission in May 1939. Construction of the aquarium began in 1940, but work was stopped after the completion of piling works due to the outbreak of World War II in Europe driving prices of construction materials up.
In September 1949, an appeal was made by Roland Braddell, president of the Friends of Singapore, to build a cultural centre using the funds bequested by Van Kleef, instead of the aquarium, but the Municipal Commission decided to continue development of the aquarium in November that year. Construction of the Van Kleef Aquarium commenced in 1952, with half of the costs borne by the City Council and on a new site. Collection of fish to stock the aquarium and of coral to decorate the aquarium tanks had started by January 1954. In addition, the City Council attempted to find a descendant of K.W.B. Van Kleef to open the aquarium, but the search was deemed too difficult and was called off, and Frederick Akhurst, an assistant curator at the London Zoo, assisted in the organisation of the aquarium and advised on its maintenance.