The idea of building a reservoir in Singapore to supply the island’s water needs was proposed as early as 1823 by Dr. John Crawfurd, the second British Resident of Singapore (1823-1826). Due to a lack of funds, concrete plans for building a reservoir were not drafted until 1857 when Chinese merchant Tan Kim Seng decided to donate $13,000 for the improvement of the island’s water supply. Further funding shortages delayed the construction of a reservoir, which was finally completed in 1868 in the Thomson area. The Thomson Road Reservoir was improved over the years, notably through a dam expansion project undertaken by Municipal Engineer James MacRitchie in 1891. In recognition of his contributions, the reservoir was renamed MacRitchie Reservoir in 1922. A public park was developed around the reservoir by the government and officially opened by then Minister for Law and National Development E. W. Barker in August 1967.
