Waterloo Street begins as an offshoot from Stamford Road and ends around Bencoolen Link. It crosses paths with Bras Basah Road and Middle Road and forms junctions at the places they meet. It was named Waterloo in commemoration of the 1815 Battle of Waterloo. Religious landmarks along this street include the Maghain Aboth Synagogue, the Sri Krishna Temple and the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple.
History
Waterloo Street was one of the earliest streets to be constructed in Singapore. It was originally named Church Street after Thomas Church, a Resident Councillor in 1837. However, it caused confusion with another street of the same name located near Raffles Place leading the Municipal Council to change its name to Waterloo Street in 1858. The name was chosen in commemoration of the victory of the Duke of Wellington over the French, the Battle of Waterloo of 1815. For the most part, Waterloo Street runs parallel to Bencoolen Street and Queen street.
Key Features
Religious buildings line this street, reflecting the multicultural community that had populated this area. The early Jewish community built Maghaim Aboth Synagogue in 1878, whilst the Chinese set up the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, built in 1884, and the Hindus, the Sri Krishna Temple. The Kampong Kapor Methodist Church was originally situated at the junction of Waterloo Street and Middle Road before it moved to Kampong Kapor Road in the 1920s. The classical features of the Catholic Church of St Peter and St Paul, built in 1870, however remains. The Catholic presence is also reflected in several community buildings such as the Catholic Welfare Centre and the Catholic Hostel building.
In the 1990s, with a growing interest in conservation, Waterloo Street evolved into a popular location for arts organisations in Singapore. The street has become home to organisations such as the Singapore Calligraphy Centre, Dance Ensemble Singapore, Chinese Calligraphy Society of Singapore and Stamford Arts Centre. The Singapore Art Museum, located at the junction of Waterloo Street and Bras Basah Road, has its main entrance facing Bras Basah Road. This museum was once the location of the St. Joseph's Institution founded in 1852.
Some commercial, residential and welfare properties located on this street are the South East Asia Hotel, Waterloo Centre, Min Yuan, Sky Line building, the GSM Building, Albert Centre, Fu Lu Shou Complex, Bencoolen Building and the Singapore Council of Women's Organisation centre.
Variant Names
Chinese names:
(1) In Hokkien Mang-ku-lu chhai-tng koi, which literally meant "the street in Bencoolen where the vegetarians' hall is".
(2) In Cantonese Kun-yam miu chai thong, meaning "The vegetarians' hall near the temple of the goddess Kun Yam or Kwan Im".
Tamil name: Krishnen kovil sadakku, meaning "street of Krishnen temple", a reference to the Sri Krishna Temple.
Author
Naidu Ratnala Thulaja
References
Dhoraisingam, S. (1991). Singapore's heritage through places of interest (p. 239). Singapore: Elixir consultancy service.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 SAM)
Dunlop, P. K. G. (2000). Street names of Singapore (pp. 323-324). Singapore: Who's Who Publications.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 DUN)
Edwards, N., & Keys, P. (1996). Singapore: A guide to buildings, streets, places (pp. 263, 271, 289). Singapore: Times Books International.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 EDW)
Savage, V. R., & Yeoh, B. S. A. (2003). Toponymics: A study of Singapore street names (pp. 402-403). Singapore: Eastern Universities Press.
(Call no.: RSING 915.9570014 SAV)
Firmstone, H. W. (1905, February). Chinese names of streets and places in Singapore and the Malay Peninsula. Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 4, 140-141.
(Call no.: RSING 959.5 FIR-[IC])
National Arts Council. (n.d.) Arts Housing Scheme: Waterloo Street Arts Belt. Retrieved March 21, 2003, from www.nac.gov.sg/local_arts_scene/local_ahs_waterbelts.html
Waterloo Arts Belt. (n.d.). Singapore arts, culture and heritage journey. Retrieved March 21, 2003, from www.singaporeartsnculture.com/english/engwaterloo.html
The information in this article is valid as at 2003 and correct as far as we can ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
