In the past issues, we have focused on heritage stories within TTSH. For a change, let's take a look at the stories in our vicinity. Ever wondered about the unique road names in Balestier?
Did you know that many roads around Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) are named after places in Burma? For example, Moulmein is a port in southeast Burma and Irrawaddy is the main river in Burma.
Have a guess! How many countries can you identify from these street names?
- Hampshire Road
- Ottawa Road
- Muscat Street
- Wellington Circle
- Kandahar Street
- Glasgow Road
- Dublin Road
- Pahang Street
Some believed that the suggestion to name roads after Burmese towns and kingdoms came from a respected Burmese resident in the area. Others thought the naming of the roads could have been influenced by the proximity to the 136 years old Burmese temple's original location at Kinta Road (now relocated to 14 Tai Gin Road). Some also hypothesized that the roads could have been named to reflect the British conquests in parts of Burma.
Here are some roads near TTSH that have been named after places or people in Burma.
Interestingly, even though Balestier has many Burmese-themed roads, "Balestier" was not a place or town in Burma. The area was named after Joseph Balestier, the then colony's first American consul from 1837 to 1852 and the owner of a 1,000 acre sugar plantation called Balestier Plain.
In Singapore, the practice of naming roads after places overseas is actually very commonplace and is illustrative of our harmonious ties with other nations.