Sembawang Shipyard

Officially opened in 1938, Sembawang Naval Base was established by the British to defend their territories in the Far East. This historic gate once led to the naval base’s dockyard, where warships were refuelled and repaired.

The heart of the dockyard was the 305-metre-long King George VI Dry Dock, which was the largest dry dock in the world when it opened in 1938. Another historical landmark is the former Sembawang Fire Station. Built in 1938, this Art Deco-Modern building includes an elegant hose tower for drying fire hoses. The station closed in 2005 and was gazetted for conservation in 2007.

The dockyard continued to be a busy site after World War II, as British warships were active in the region during the Malayan Emergency and Konfrontasi periods in the 1950s-60s. In 1968, Britain transferred ownership of the dockyard to Singapore, which converted it into Sembawang Shipyard (renamed Sembcorp Marine Admiralty Yard in 2015).

Today, the shipyard remains a key part of Singapore’s marine industry. The King George VI Dry Dock, as well as pre-war workshop buildings, continue to be in active use. The shipyard also houses religious sites, including a surau (prayer hall) for Muslim workers and Sree Madurai Veeran Kaliamman Temple, a Hindu shrine founded in the 1970s under a holy tree.

Explore the Suggested Short Trail Routes:

• Historical Landmarks of Sembawang, 2 hours with public transport (7km)
• Communities of Sembawang, 3 hours with public transport (8km)
• From Dockyard to Shipyard, 2.5 hours with public transport (5km)

Downloads