In this view from Battery Road with John Little’s department store on the left, note the small white structure on the right. It is a marble water fountain, with a lion’s head mounted in the centre. It was donated by John Gemmill, Singapore’s first auctioneer. He could also be considered the country’s first banker, who in January 1839 advertised his services in the Singapore Free Press, offering 6 percent interest per annum on deposits of not less than $100 and also cash advances for goods deposited with him. The drinking fountain originally stood in the centre of Raffles Place, then relocated to the Town Hall and finally to the National Museum of Singapore where it can be found today.
