History of Ellenborough Market. Lest We Forget Singapore River's Teochew Market

The site where the gleaming Central Mall @ Clarke Quay now stands over the shimmering ripples of Singapore River, once stood the heart and soul of the river. Boat Quay and Clarke Quay were where people make a living. But, here at Teochew Market or Ellenborough Market area was where most people of the river eat, sleep, and live their daily lives.

Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

Ellenborough Market which opened for business in 1845 was the second market the British built in Singapore - the first was Teluk Ayer Market in 1825 (known as Lau Pa Sat which literally means Old Market).

Image credit: Wikipedia

The market was named after Edward Law, the 1st Earl of Ellenborough, who as the Governor-General of India (1842 - 1844) was responsible for Singapore (as well as Malacca and Penang under the British Straits Settlements).

Ellenborough was quite a mouthful to pronounce so most people called it Teochew Market as this was in the Teochew enclave. It was also known as Pasar Baru which means New Market in Malay. The Old Market was, of course, Lau Pa Sat over at Teluk Ayer.

In 1899, the market was expanded with additional cast iron structures added to the old building (which was showing cracks due to poor construction blamed on its builder Captain Charles Edward Faber).

The cast iron structure was from the Edinburg Exhibition of 1897, dismantled, shipped here, and reassembled at Singapore River. It was a precursor of modern day grand World Expo, so it must be pretty impressive inside but I have not found any pictures of it so far.

Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

In this 1957 map of Ellenborough Market, it was flanked on its west by Fish Street and Tew Chew Street. On its east was Ellenborough Street and Boat Quay. New Bridge Road at the south.

Ellenborough Street was earlier named Tocksing Street after Tan Tock Seng, the wealthy merchant and philanthropist from Malacca who contributed greatly to the construction of Thian Hock Keng temple and Tan Hock Seng Hospital.

Google Map screen grab

Today (2020), the Ellenborough Market site is occupied by Central Mall @ Clarke Quay and Merchant Court Hotel. Only Tew Chew Street remained. Boat Quay Road is now a pedestrianised mall. Ellenborough Street and Fish Street are no more.

Ellenborough Market 1950s. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

During its heydays, Teochew Market was throbbing with life like the buzz all along Singapore River. People come here for fresh fish, seafood, meat, poultry, vegetables, dried seafood, and other dried goods. There were both retail and wholesale markets.

In and around the market, there were many food stalls famous for their Teochew fare such as Teochew porridge. Among these stalls were the pioneers of Singapore Teochew bak kut teh.

Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

Sadly, a huge fire destroyed Ellenborough Market on 30 Jan 1968 during Chinese New Year.

Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

After the debris from the destroyed market was cleared, a complex of public flats by HDB (Housing Development Board) was built at the site in the 1970s.

Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

The complex had 2 residential blocks and a 3 storey market podium named Ellenborough Market (the third edition). It had 235 market stalls and above them there were 72 cooked food stalls at the hawker centre on level 3.

Ah Orh seafood stall

Among these 72 food stalls was Ah Orh which was one of the instrumental stalls that popularised Teochew bak kut teh in Singapore. With rising affluence in Singapore from the 1970s, there was increased demand for premium seafood dishes. Ah Orh's stall was directly above Singapore's wholesale fish market, so they gradually offered seafood dishes to meet the demand. Ah Orh became the top seafood and zi char stall at Ellenborough Market. Today, Ah Orh which is in its third generation is still one of the go to places in Singapore for traditional Teochew fare, especially premium seafood at competitive prices.

The huge HDB complex, not pretty but it stood tall and prominent, dominating the northern Singapore River skyline in the 1970s - 1990s.

Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

Beside Ellenborough Market edition 3, there were numerous fish, vegetable and dried goods wholesalers operating from surrounding shophouses. In 1979, there were 382 vegetable wholesalers around this area. In the 1980s, most of the vegetable and dried good wholesalers were relocated to Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre.

In 1995, the HDB flats and Ellenborough Market were demolished to make way for Merchant Court Hotel, Clarke Quay MRT station and Central Mall @ Clarke Quay which opened in 2003.

Wait... . From this angle, don't you find Central Mall looks like the HDB Ellenborough Market complex of the 1970s - 1990s?

The last of the remaining dried goods wholesalers were moved to Victoria Street Wholesale Centre in the 1990s closing a chapter on Ellenborough Market.

I would like to trace the cooked food hawkers at Ellenborough Market level 3 hawker centre. Please share, if you have any insights on where they are now. It would be very well appreciated 🙏😊

Ah Orh Seafood restaurant was a stall here. Hwee Kee kway chap and pork jelly was also here. Who else?

References:

Singapore: A Pictorial History. 1819 - 2000

An Introduction to the Culture and History of the Teochews in Singapore