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Ceylon Road

History
Ceylonese came to Singapore in the years 1870-75, shortly after the Straits Settlements became a Crown Colony in 1867. There was a demand for trained men to fill in the lower ranks of the Straits Settlements Government service. Since then, there was a steady stream of Ceylonese emigrating to the Straits Settlements and other parts of Malaya to take up clerical and other appointments in the Civil Service. In Singapore, they mostly settled around Ceylon Road, Marshall Road, Haig Road and Tanjong Katong Road.

Description
Ceylon Road along with Marshall road defines the Western boundary of Joo Chiat. The backlanes of the street used to be filled with food vendors in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The street till date is a residential area with a few commercial and eating places situated along the length of it. At the start of the street is the Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple, established in the mid-19th century by Ceylonese Tamils. Opposite to it is the Leck Teck Court and Ceylon Flats. Saint Hilda's Church, established in 1934, is another religious building along this street. The Eurasian Community House, the Eurasian Association's 4-storey building was opened here on 5 July 2003. The opening was officiated by President S.R. Nathan.



Author
Naidu Ratnala Thulaja



References 
Dunlop, P. K. G. (2000). Street names of Singapore (p. 44). Singapore: Who's Who Publications.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 DUN)

Kong, L., & Chang, T.C. (2001). Joo Chiat: A living legacy (pp. 21-23, 85, 101, 129). Singapore: Joo Chiat Citizens' Consultative Committee in association with National Archives of Singapore.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 KON)

Raja Singam, S. D. (1968). A hundred years of Ceylonese in Malaysia and Singapore (1867-1967). Petaling Jaya: Raja Singam.
(Call no.: RCLOS 959.5 RAJ)

Ramasamy, R. (1988). Sojourners to citizens: Sri Lankan Tamils in Malaysia 1885-1965 (pp. 77-81). Kuala Lumpur: R. Rajakrishnan.
(Call no.: R 305.8954930595 RAJ)

Samuel, D. S. (1991). Singapore's heritage: Through places of historical interest (pp.237-238). Singapore: Elixir Consultancy Service.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 SAM)

Life in Katong (p. 3). (2002). Singapore: National Library Board.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 LIF)

Nirmala, M. (2003, July 6). Eurasians reach out to neighbour - the President. The Straits Times, p. 31.

Nirmala, M. (2003, July 4). All are welcome at new Eurasian House; Eurasian Association's $6-million complex showcases community's triumphs and offers many facilities. The Straits Times, p. 117. 

The information in this article is valid as at 2003 and correct as far as we are able to 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.

Subject
Architecture and Landscape>>Streets and Places
Ethnic Communities>>Customs and Traditions
Street names--Singapore
Sri Lankans--Singapore
Immigrants--Singapore
History>>Asia>>Southeast Asia>>Singapore
People and communities>>Population and migration
Arts>>Architecture>>Public and commercial buildings

Librarian Recommendations
>> Marshall Road
>> Haig Road
>> Joo Chiat


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