Keppel Harbour

Earliest records of what we now call Keppel Harbour, the entrance to the Singapore Strait, date back to the 13th century when a Chinese traveler described the people of this bay as inhabited by 'barbarians prone to piracy.'

After the British started their colony and trading port on the island, the Telok Blangah area including the Bay at the Singapore Straits became property of the Temenggong, a Malay chief onder the sultan that was the de facto ruler of Singapore. Soon the British realised the value of this location and started to develop their New Harbour, which was renamed Keppel Harbour in honour of Admiral Keppel during a visit in 1900.

In this walk we will look at how the bay and the port developed over the centuries, until it became the largest port in the world. The area is now Keppel Marina and in between the modern developments and condominiums we will look for remnants of the old days and try to bring it to life through old pictures and maps.