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HISTORIC DISTRICT ATTRACTIONS 4

The Padang This large field-officially called Padang Besar but known as the Padang-has witnessed its share of historical events. Bordered on one end by the Singapore Recreation Club and on the other end by the Singapore Cricket Club, and flanked by City Hall, the area was once known as Raffles Plain. Upon Raffles's return to the island in 1822, he was angry that resident Farquhar had allowed merchants to move into the area he had originally intended for government buildings. All building permits were rescinded and a new site for the commercial district was planned for the area across the Singapore River. The Padang became the official center point for the government quarters, around which the Esplanade and City Hall were built. On weekends the Padang hosts cricket and rugby matches in season.

Today, the Padang is mainly used for public and sporting events-pleasant activities-but in the 1940s it felt more forlorn footsteps when the invading Japanese forced the entire European community onto the field. There they waited while the occupation officers dickered over a suitable location for the "conquered." They ordered all British, Australian, and Allied troops as well as European prisoners on the 22km (14-mile) march to Changi.

An interesting side note: Frank Ward, designer of the Supreme Court, had big plans for the Padang and surrounding buildings. He would have demolished the Cricket Club, Parliament House, and the Victoria Hall & Theatre to erect an enormous government block if World War II hadn't arrived, ruining his chances.

Parliament House Parliament House, built in 1826, is probably Singapore's oldest surviving structure, even though it has been renovated so many times it no longer looks the way it was originally constructed. It was designed as a home for John Argyle Maxwell, a Scottish merchant, but before it was completed, the government rented it to house the court and other government offices. In 1939, when the new Supreme Court was completed, the judiciary moved in; then, in 1953, following a major renovation, Maxwell's House was renamed Parliament House and was turned over to the legislature.

The original house was designed by architect George D. Coleman, who had helped Raffles with his town Plan of 1822. Coleman's design was in the English neo-Palladian style. Simple and well suited to the tropics, this style was popular at the time with Calcutta merchants. Major alterations have left very little behind of Coleman's design, however, replacing it with an eclectic French classical style, but some of his work survives. Today, the building has been transformed once again, into part of a larger S$80 million Parliament Complex.

The bronze elephant in front of Parliament House was a gift to Singapore in 1872 from His Majesty Somdeth Phra Paraminda Maha Chulalongkorn (Rama V), supreme king of Siam, as a token of gratitude following his stay the previous year.

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