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 in the background, 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.
