Padang Open space in the heart of the civic district. The Padang (‘flat field’, in Malay) was formerly known as Raffles Plain until around 1906. The centrepiece of colonial life, it fronted the sea and was the place to promenade and exercise horses. It was here that Sir Stamford Raffles’ statue was unveiled on 27 June 1887 to mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. The statue was moved in 1919 to its present location in front of the Victoria Theatre.

By then, the Padang had become associated with sports, especially cricket. The Singapore Cricket Club, initially a European preserve, was formed in 1852. Its progressively grander clubhouse became a landmark at one end of the field. In 1884, the Eurasian community was granted the opposite end, and the Singapore Recreation Club pavilion was opened in 1885. The Padang’s park- like quality was considerably enhanced by land reclamation in the 1890s, when Connaught Drive and the Esplanade were created, and large angsana trees were planted.

On the first morning of the Japanese Occupation, thousands of European prisoners- of- war commenced the march from the Padang to Changi Prison; at the end of the war, the Japanese climbed the steps of City Hall overlooking the Padang to surrender. Lee Kuan Yew declared Singapore’s independence from the same location on 9 August 1965. The Padang’s civic importance is underlined whenever it is used as a venue for National Day celebrations.

It is still a popular recreational space for concerts, rallies and sporting events. Cricket and rugby continue to be played there, and various races begin or end at the Padang.

Photo credit: National Archives of Singapore/ Wong Kwan collection