Boat Quay was the hub of economic activity in Singapore in the early 20th century. The area was developed on reclaimed land. Earth was transported from a small hill in Battery Road to fill up the originally swampy area in the early 1820s. The boats pictured here, called ‘tongkang’ were crewed by Indian and Chinese lightermen. They were the main cargo-carrying craft used along the Singapore River up to 1900, when Chinese-manned ‘twakow’ began to dominate the lighter business. The tongkang’s appearance took after that of vessels found in South India, which had a rounded hull and double-ended bow. These vessels were initially propelled using oars and punt poles before the introduction of sail in the 1860s. Despite the introduction of motor engines in the 1930s, the tongkang remained unconverted and had to subsequently rely on motorised barges to pull them along.
