Pavilion, Singapore


The Pavilion is a house on Oxley Hill, near Orchard Road in Singapore. The Pavilion served as Government House between 1859 and 1861, after Raffles House was demolished to make way for a fort. The street address of the site is 5 Oxley Rise, Singapore.[1][2][3] The Pavilion's prominent site on the top of the hill allows it to overlook Lee Kuan Yew's house at 38 Oxley Road.

Pavilion
General information
StatusPrivate
Architectural styleColonial mansion
LocationSingapore
Address5 Oxley Rise
CountrySingapore
Coordinates1.297676°N 103.841775°E / 1.297676; 103.841775
OwnerThomas Oxley
Friedrich Albert Schreiber
Catchick Moses
Manasseh Meyer
Cheong Eak Chong

History

The Pavilion was built around 1847 at Dr Thomas Oxley's nutmeg estate. It was one of five houses Oxley built at a hill that came to be called Oxley's Hill - Pavilion, Bargany House, Bargany Lodge, Killiney House and Killiney Bungalow.[4] Another version has it that it was built by George Garden Nicol.[5][6] The Pavilion was one of two houses in his estate that Oxley used as his residence. The other was Killiney House. [7] The Pavilion was sited at the top of Oxley's Hill.[1][5] Oxley was Surgeon of the Straits Settlements.

In 1856, the house was sold to Friedrich Albert Schreiber. Schreiber was a partner in the German trading firm of Behn, Meyer and Co.

Prominent Armenian businessman Catchick Moses bought the Pavilion in 1874 and made it his residence. Moses is remembered for having started the Straits Times.[8][9] Moses was well respected, and local residents used to go to him at the Pavilion for advice and to settle differences.[10]

After Moses' death in 1892, his family continued to occupy the Pavilion until it was sold by public auction in 1918 to Manasseh Meyer for Straits $147,000.[11] The Pavilion was then converted into a private residential hotel.[12] The present house on the site, possibly constructed by Meyer in the 1920s, is privately occupied.

Government House (1859-1861)

In 1859, the governor's residence at Raffles House on Government Hill was demolished to make way for a fort.[7] Government House was temporarily moved to the Pavilion.[13][14] At the time, Schreiber, the owner of the Pavilion, was away in Europe.[15]

“The 24th current, being the anniversary of Her Majesty’s birth, was observed as a Holiday, and at noon the usual salutes were fired in the roads and on shore. In the Evening His Honor the Governor entertained a numerous party at a Ball and Supper, in the Pavilion, the elegant residence of Mr Schreiber, which His Honor at present occupies as the temporary Government House.”

The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 26 May 1859.


The lease for the Pavilion expired in 1861 and Government House was moved to new leased premises at Leonie Hill and Leonie Cottage.[16]

“We are informed that the lease of Dr. Oxley’s house for the Governor’s residence having expired, the Government have rented the splendid residence of T.H. Campbell, Esquire, as a Government House."

The Straits Times. 1 June 1861.

The Mysterious Case of Yoshio Nishimura

In the 1920s - 1930s, the property was leased to Ishihara Sangyo Koshi (ISK).[2] ISK was a major Japanese mining concern operating iron mines in Malaya. Yoshio Nishimura, managing director of ISK and president of the Japanese Association, resided at the property.[17][18] In December 1934, Nishimura was called in for questioning by Special Branch. He died shortly after arriving at police headquarters due to strychnine poisoning. His sudden death caused a sensation in the local Japanese community. There was considerable media attention, with suspicions about espionage.[19][20][21][22][23] An open verdict was eventually returned.[24][25] Nishimura is buried at the Japanese Cemetery.[26] Recently declassified documents reveal that Nishimura was the target of a colonial police counter espionage operation.[27]

References
  1. See the survey map titled Singapore Residency. Colonel Orfeur Cavenagh, Governor of the Straits Settlements by Moniot, J, Surveyor General Straits Settlements, published by Smith, Elder & Co., London (c.1863). Archived National Archives of Singapore.
  2. See the survey map titled Map of Business Area, Singapore, FMS Survey Nos. 7, 4 - 1934. Archived National Archives of Singapore.
  3. See the survey map titled Singapore. Town Subdivision Number XXVII, Town Subdivision Number XIX, Town Subdivision Number XX, and Town Subdivision Number XXI, Survey Department Singapore, 1959. Archived National Archives of Singapore.
  4. Lee, Kip Lin (1998). The Singapore House 1819 - 1942. Singapore: National Heritage Board. p. 26. ISBN 981-204-023-4.
  5. Buckley, Charles Burton (1902). An Anecdotal History of Old Times in Singapore. Singapore: Fraser & Neave, Limited. p. 405.
  6. "The Late Mr. G. G. Nicol". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 23 February 1897.
  7. Koh, Jaime. "River Valley". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board Singapore.
  8. "The Late Mr M Moses". Malaya Tribune. 17 July 1920.
  9. "Late Mr. M. Catchick Moses". The Straits Times. 20 July 1920.
  10. Buckley, Charles Burton (1902). An Anecdotal History of Old Times in Singapore. Singapore: Fraser & Neave, Limited. p. 345.
  11. "Property Sale". Malaya Tribune. 9 October 1918.
  12. "Untitled". The Straits Times. 8 February 1935.
  13. "The Singapore Free Press". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 26 May 1859.
  14. "Rare and Valuable Picture of Old Singapore". The Straits Times. 15 December 1935.
  15. Buckley, Charles Burton (1902). An Anecdotal History of Old Times in Singapore. Singapore: Fraser & Neave, Limited. p. 675.
  16. "Untitled". The Straits Times. 1 June 1861.
  17. "Strychnine Poisoning was Cause of Mr. Nishimura's Death". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 14 December 1934.
  18. "Widow's Evidence". Malaya Tribune. 14 December 1934.
  19. "Prominent Singapore Japanese Falls Dead in Police Office". The Straits Times. 6 December 1934.
  20. "Tragedy During Investigation Missing Bag Mystery". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 6 December 1934.
  21. "Death of Mr. Nishimura Japanese Regret at Current Suggestions". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 7 December 1934.
  22. "Police Activity Continues Among Japanese". The Straits Times. 8 December 1934.
  23. "Allegations of Spying?". The Straits Times. 9 December 1934.
  24. "Nishimura Mystery Still Unsolved". The Straits Times. 15 December 1934.
  25. "Open Verdict on Death of Mr. Nishimura". Sunday Tribune (Singapore). 16 December 1934.
  26. Farhan. "The Japanese Cemetery Park in Singapore". All Singapore Stuff. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  27. Ruder, Stephen (29 April 2019). "Espionage Double Cross in Singapore". Warfare History Network. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
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