Research

Jurong Industrial Estate under development - aerial view. (c. 1960s)

View of factories, shipyards and petrochemical plants in Jurong Industrial Estate, Singapore

-In the early part of the twentieth century, Jurong was mainly coastal swamplands fed by many small rivers meandering through mangroves.
-Like many other parts of Singapore at that time, it was still a vast wilderness of jungle and wasteland with no metalled roads.
-Before 1961, Jurong was a tangle of mangrove swamps, jungle, farms and small kampungs. It took people with real foresight to envision this area as an industrial estate.

Travellers had to contend with the more awesome problem of crocodiles. It was not unusual to see 10 or 12 of these reptiles basking on the mud banks.

In 1929, public roads were built so that visitors could commute to Jurong via Bukit Timah Road. The population at this time consisted largely of Malay and Chinese fishermen who lived in kampongs along the waterfront.

three good reasons made it an ideal site for industrialisation.
-Firstly, Jurong is located in the south western side of Singapore next to the sea. The waters there were deep – making it suitable for ocean-going vessels. Raw materials could thus be moved very quickly from ships to the nearby factories, and finished goods just as easily transported to the wharves for export.
-Secondly, the land was mostly rural and state-owned. This made it cheaper to acquire the land and the smaller number of residents meant relocation would be an easier task.
-Thirdly, levelling the land was also easier as the low hills around the area could be cut down to fill swamps and reclaim the land.