Architecturally, the building reflects Singapore’s colonial past. This standard relic post office design used by the British Colonial Administration was once ubiquitous throughout the island. Standing upon a robust brick foundation, with a decorative arch and two large moulded brackets at the entrance, the building also holds up a large sloping hip roof that extends outward to shelter against the sun and rain.
Prior to its use as a neighbourhood police post, it served as one of many post offices of the colonial and post war era and was known as the North Canal Road Post Office. In 1972, the site closed for renovation, punctuating an otherwise uneventful history. Re-opening in 1973, it continued as a post office until 1988, when a new postal service centre on Pickering Street rendered it obsolete.
The Telecommunications Authority of Singapore had initially wanted to demolish the building. Instead, it was reopened in 1990 as the Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post.
Despite its mostly uneventful history, it is now associated with the Speaker’s Corner that was launched in Hong Lim Park in 2000. Anyone wanting to utilise the space has to first apply and acquire a police permit in person at the Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post.
Buildings and sites featured on Roots.SG are part of our efforts to raise awareness of our heritage; a listing on Roots.SG does not imply any form of preservation or conservation status, unless it is mentioned in the article. The information in this article is valid as of August 2019 and is not intended to be an exhaustive history of the site/building.
