The geography of bus routes

In the 1960s, bus routes could be listed in the newspapers as public service announcements, but not in an infographic or on a map - instead, the stops were named in one long, rambling paragraph, like this listing in 1967:

I wonder how many readers actually made sense of this. Or perhaps it just made sense to the people living or working in the areas mentioned, and that was all that mattered.

It’s a pity that these archaic routes were never accompanied by infographics or maps - the visuals would have been great resources for the study of the geography of transport! For example, the siting of bus stops.

(The Paya Lebar Bus Service was merged with other bus companies in 1971 to form the Associated Bus Services, which merged again with other bus companies in 1973 to form the Singapore Bus Service, the predecessor of SBS Transit today.)

Compare the 1967 listing above with a poster detailing a new bus service, 381, 50 years later:

Credit: Go-Ahead Singapore.

A 1970s advertisement

During my research, I chanced upon this 1971 newspaper advertisement with cute drawings of industrial equipment, an uncommon sight at the time:

I did a cursory check - Tiang Wah Manufacturing is still around today. It does not have an office at Horne Road anymore, but it still has a factory at Jalan Woodbridge, now renamed Gerald Drive. The company has been around since 1967.

I hope it has been coping well during this pandemic.

The 75th Anniversary of the End of World War II

Today, 75 years ago, on 12 September 1945, World War II came to an end in Singapore. The last major surrender ceremony of Japanese forces was signed at Singapore’s Municipal Building, later City Hall, now part of the National Gallery Singapore.

Because of COVID-19, a remembrance ceremony could not take place at the Kranji War Cemetery today. The ceremony was spearheaded by Singapore History Consultants, the company that I work for.

Instead, diplomats and representatives from seven former combatant nations - Australia, Britain, Canada, India, Japan, New Zealand, and Singapore - honoured the date on their own, laying wreaths at the Cenotaph at varying times this morning.

Students of The Japanese School Singapore also made 2,000 tsuru (paper cranes symbolising peace and reconciliation), which staff members laid at the memorial.

Australian High Commissioner His Excellency Bruce Charles Gosper laying a wreath. He was escorted by Defence Adviser Captain Richard Caton (left) and Defence Administrative Assistant Warrant Officer Brendan Andrew Woodsell (right). Credit: Singapore History Consultants.

High Commissioner of Canada Her Excellency N. Lynn McDonald paying her respects after laying a wreath. She was escorted by Canadian Defence Adviser Colonel John Vincent Pumphrey. Credit: Singapore History Consultants.

Ambassador of Japan His Excellency Jun Yamazaki paying his respects after laying a wreath. He was escorted by First Secretary and Defense Attache Captain Yasushi Kurihara. Credit: Singapore History Consultants.

The Japanese School Singapore’s Secretary-General Yushin Takahashi (right) and teacher Chiharu Inomata (left) paying their respects after laying the tsuru. Credit: Singapore History Consultants.

Credit: Singapore History Consultants.

More on the observances here.

I also worked on a Commemorative Booklet to mark the historic date.

Lest We Forget