This commemorative publication is significant as the Jurong industrial estate is a key part of Singapore’s economic history of industrialisation. Jurong Industrial Estate was Singapore’s first industrial estate and began with the laying of the foundation stone for the National Iron & Steel Mills (now known as NatSteel) on 1 September 1962. Early industries in the estate included timber, sawmilling, oil-rig fabrication, shipbuilding and repair.Additionally, the publication brings the human perspective to this part of Singapore, with one of the opening write-ups being about staying connected with what is happening in the rest of Singapore whilst being physically separated. This is a reminder of the relative inaccessibility of this area in the 1960s-70s.
