The Port of Singapore’s early
on to tongkangs – light wooden cargo
remote Indonesian islands for
development occurred in tandem with
boats – which took the precious cargoes
transhipment on to markets as far away
other major revolutionary changes to
down the Singapore River to be stored
as London and Amsterdam where they
global trade. The new harbour rapidly
in warehouses and go-downs. The city
fetched extraordinarily high prices;
grew - the first drydock known as
grew up around the port, thriving from it,
Chinese manufactured goods (in those
Number 1 Dock was completed in 1859;
profiting from it.
days including pig bristle toothbrushes,
the second, Victoria Dock, in 1868 to be followed by the Albert Dock in 1879. In 1900 what had been known as the New
Singapore’s rapid growth was based
India tea clippers moored alongside
Harbour was officially renamed Keppel
on the three main networks of trade
Chinese junks. As steam superseded
Harbour – the man who had chased the
that flowed through the waters just
sail so the Port of Singapore became a
pirates away over 50 years before visited
offshore of the settlement. The Chinese
major coaling station. Pirates remained
to witness the renaming ceremony.
Network connected all of Southeast
a problem – in the Malacca Straits and
Captain, now raised to Admiral, Henry
Asia to the teeming southern Chinese
elsewhere – and so British warships on
Keppel was 92 years of age. At the same
ports stretching from Hong Kong and
patrol were also a regular sight.
time as the facilities were constructed so
Canton up through Fujian to Amoy
other changes occurred – in the 1850s
(Xiamen), Ningpo (Ningbo) and Shanghai
the Port of Singapore had become
trade opened with the Kingdom of Siam;
– everything from lacquer ware and
the dominant port of Southeast Asia.
the Straits Settlements were formed in
opium; pig bristles and eggs flowed
It’s success at the heart of the three
1867 giving Singapore greater access
through this network. The Southeast
networks crucial, but its historic
to the hinterlands of Southeast Asia
Asian Network linked the myriad islands
creation as a free port essential, to
and, crucially greatly increasing the
of the Indonesian archipelago with
its success. Its largest regional rival,
volume and speed of West-East trade via
highly valuable spices at its heart. Lastly
Batavia (now Jakarta), under Dutch
Singapore, the Suez Canal was opened
the Indo-European Network connected
control, retained cumbersome and often
in 1869.
the Far East to the ports of the Indian
expensive restrictions. Both the English
out to the world and vice versa. East
Within a decade of its formation
Ocean littoral and on to Europe. These
country traders and the Chinese junk
one of the world’s busiest. Ships crowded
networks were of course complimentary.
traders deserted Batavia for Singapore.
the harbour, labourers unloaded cargoes
Spices flowed into Singapore from
Tanjung Pinang in the Riau Islands,
The Port of Singapore was already
30
fine porcelain, ornate furniture) went
The Three Networks
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