Former Golden City & Venus Cinemas
Top-: Modern Day Queenstown
Right: Olden Day Queenstown library
Back in the 1960s, reading was a luxury few could afford. Books were expensive and the only public library then was the National Library at Stamford Road. In order to bring books to a wider public, the National Library decided to build branch libraries in the suburbs. Queenstown was the first town to have one, along this stretch of tree-lined road.
Right: Olden Day Queenstown library
Back in the 1960s, reading was a luxury few could afford. Books were expensive and the only public library then was the National Library at Stamford Road. In order to bring books to a wider public, the National Library decided to build branch libraries in the suburbs. Queenstown was the first town to have one, along this stretch of tree-lined road.
Planning for the library started in 1966, with National Library librarians and local architects from the Public Works Department working together. The result was a library designed on a modular principle that allowed the librarians to customise internal spaces for different uses such as setting up booths and creating stack room. Features such as tinted glass to counteract sunrays were also included to reduce heat while high ceilings allowed ventilation at a time when air-conditioning was uncommon. These features set the standard for branch libraries to come.
Built at a cost of $595,000 dollars, Queenstown Branch Library opened in 1970, to the delight of residents. The first storey consisted of the children's section while the second storey housed the adults' section. Within the first year, a total of 293,316 books were borrowed and 12,597 readers were registered. By 1975, the number of members had shot up to 39,031 and the number of books borrowed increased to 668,501. During the 1970s and 1980s, the library provided much-needed spaces for students to read and study. Story-telling sessions were also very popular here.
In 1987, when the National Library began computerising, Queenstown Library was the first to roll out computerised services. It was renamed Queenstown Community Library in 1995. Upgrading works were carried out in 2003 and the library was officially re-opened by Associate Professor Koo Tsai Kee, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of National Development, on 31 October 2003.
The very first commercial brewery in Singapore was established along Alexandra Road by German businessmen in 1931. Producing the popular Anchor Beer, the brewery was built here as it was near the Malayan Railway, which provided convenient transportation for exporting the beer. In 1939, with the onset of World War Two, the British colonial government annexed the brewery as enemy property, selling it later in 1941 to the Malayan Breweries Limited, a joint venture between Heineken and Fraser & Neave. From the 1930s right till the 1960s, the brewery was managed by Dutch expatriates. Gradually, locals were hired for key positions such as engineers. Jobs at the brewery were always sought after as the company was well-known for its work culture and employee welfare. Mdm Loo Oi Heng, who worked at the brewery for 36 years, recalled, "The management was very good too. Like a big family. They were very friendly you didn't feel well, and you need to see a doctor, they would tell you to see the company doctor. Every week, the company doctor would come to the brewery."
Brewing was carried out at the main plant, located where Anchor Point now stands. Bottled beer was then transported via a wooden conveyor belt across an overhead bridge to the canning line, where IKEA stands today. Production continued till 1990, when operations were relocated to Tuas.The original site, together with the canning line and warehouse, made way for residential and commercial use.
Today, the only reminder of the factory is the brewmaster's office, a two-storey bungalow which now houses a restaurant.
