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Bendemeer House

Bendemeer House or formally called the House of Whampoa, located off Serangoon Road was a significant mansion designed and built in 1840 by one of Singapore's pioneers, millionaire ships' chandler and Kapitan China ("leader of the Chinese people"), Hoo Ah Kay better known as Whampoa. This historic building and the estate on which it stood was acquired by the government in 1964 as part of the Kallang Basin housing and industrial project. The building was demolished to make way for development.

Description
The grounds of Whampoa's bungalow were expansive and once had plantations of various fruit-trees including oranges. A Chinese garden was maintained by Cantonese horticulturists and it was famed for its rockeries, aquariums, bonsai and well-manicured topiaries. There was even a mini-zoo with bears, an aviary with magnificent peacocks and a pond with the resplendent blooms of the water-lily Victoria Regia, a gift from the Regent of Siam.

The Whampoa Gardens, otherwise known as Nam-sang Fa-un in Cantonese, was the gathering place for the local Chinese especially during the Lunar New Year. Various food and goods stalls laid their wares during the festive season and the gardens were transformed into a wonderland with merry-go-rounds and joy-wheels. Whampoa's hospitality was well-known and he often had naval officers and important guests come over, dressed in the mandatory black dress suit. The large dining room attached to the brick house had been completed in time to throw a dinner for the returning Admiral Keppel in 1867. The house was bought over by Seah Liang Seah after Whampoa's death and renamed Bendemeer House.



Author
Bonny Tan



References 
Buckley, C. B. (1984). An anecdotal history of old times in Singapore: 1919-1867 (pp. 658-659). Singapore: Oxford University Press.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 BUC)

Moore, D. (1969). The first 150 years of Singapore. Singapore: Donald Moore Press.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 MOO)

Song, O. S. (1984). One hundred years' history of the Chinese in Singapore (pp. 51-57). Singapore: Oxford University Press.
(Call no.: 959.57 SON)

(1980, March 3). The New Nation [Microfilm: NL 10554].

The information in this article is valid as at 1997 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history on the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Architecture and Landscape>>Building Types>>Historic Buildings
Ethnic Communities>> Customs and Traditions
Historic buildings--Singapore
Arts>>Architecture>>Architectural structure
People and communities>>Social groups and communities

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