Once upon a time there was a foodie haven at Hallpike Street (between North Boat Quay Road and High Street) which was demolished in the 1990s. The street no longer exists and its existence is mostly forgotten.
Just steps from where Raffles first set foot on Singapore in 1819, Hallpike Street is one of the most interesting streets of Singapore River - it was the street serving Singapore's first shipyard. Yes, during its heydays they built ocean going steamships on Singapore River!
Hallpike Boatyard 1820s - 1860s
Hallpike Street was named after Stephen Hallpike who was an enterprising blacksmith who arrived in Singapore in 1819. He was convicted of larceny (theft) in England and sent to Singapore with 159 other convicts.
Hallpike built boats and even ocean going steamships at his Hallpike Boatyard and Blacksmith shop which he founded in 1823. Hallpike and his wife also ran a boarding house at Hill Street, a stone's throw from his shipyard.
Hallpike was an accomplished boat builder. In 1829, Hallpike Boatyard launched a 194-ton ocean going sailboat, Elizabeth. In 1848, Hallpike Boatyard launched Ranee, a 60-foot steamship.
Hallpike passed away in 1844 at age 58 and was buried in the Government Hill Christian Cemetery which is in today's Fort Canning Park.
His gravestone is embedded in one of the perimeter walls at the park.
Hallpike Street was beside the courthouse (1865), which became the Supreme Court (1874), Legislative Assembly (1954), Parliament House (1965), and today the Art House (since 2004).
After Hallpike's death in 1844, Hallpike Boatyard continued to operate until the 1870s. The British government closed the boatyard as noise and grime from boat building was affecting work at the nearby colonial offices of Empress Place.
Merchant & Foodie Street 1870s - 1970s
When Hallpike Boatyard closed, the row of shophouses at Hallpike Street were mostly bought over by Chinese merchants to operate their businesses, either as offices or warehouses.
According of accounts, Hallpike Street was a thriving hive of street hawkers and rickshaws. (I have never been here personally.)
The Hallpike Street hawkers were moved to Empress Place Food Centre and Boat Quay Food Centre in 1973. These were among the earliest hawker centres under the ambitious and successful programme to house all street hawkers in hawker centres.
From Backstreet to New Parliament House 1970s - 1990s
From the late 1970s till its demolition in the 1990s, Hallpike Street declined into a decrepit backstreet.
In the 1990s, Hallpike Street disappeared from maps of Singapore.
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| Image credit: Google Map |
Today, the former Hallpike Street is a courtyard in the New Parliament House.
New Parliament House was opened in 1999. Construction started in 1995. Hallpike Street and all its shophouses were demolished to make way for the New Parliament building.
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| Image credit: Google Map |
Today (Aug 2020), there is a street called Former Hallpike Street to the east of High Street Centre (top left of map) which differs from the Hallpike Street location in historic maps. Anyone knows why this is so?
If you remember the old Hallpike Street hawkers or know where they are today, please share it with us in the comments. Thank you so much 🙏
References:
Remember Singapore
Date: 11 Aug 2020
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