Sembawang Hill Estate is a small estate off Upper Thomson Road, being founded in the fifties by Bukit Sembawang Estates Limited.
At Jalan Leban, an unique little hut stands here for some forty-plus years. It is the focal point of Sembawang Hill Estate Taxi Services, where in the past the cab drivers would gather here for a chat or drink coffee while waiting for commuters to call and book their services.
Previously owned by Sembawang Hill Estates Limited, the hut is now maintained by a group of old cab drivers, who decorated it with colourful bulbs and lanterns. Bonded by friendship, some of the former drivers, probably in their sixties or seventies now, also gather here once in a while even though their taxi-driving careers are over.
There are two old stone benches in front of the hut. The Chinese wordings on the left and right of each bench indicate that the taxi services station was established in the summer of 1968. Note that the phone number for booking was only five digits during that era (compared to eight now). The Chinese name of Sembawang was also stated as 森峇旺 instead of the current 三巴旺, and it refers Sembawang Hill as a new estate.
There are another similar taxi services huts elsewhere in Singapore
One is located at Boon Lay Place, standing beside a possibly former bus terminal of Jurong West. Boon Lay Place, previously known as Boon Lay Garden, has seen more crowds in recent decades due to Boon Lay Shopping Centre and the popular Boon Lay Place Hawker Centre.
Another old taxi services hut is situated at the junction of Ulu Pandan Road and Clementi Road. Like Boon Lay Place, there was once a small bus terminal here in the seventies and eighties, before the premises were taken over by an outdoor restaurant called Rong Guang BBQ Seafood Restaurant.
According to its signboard, the little humble house once provided both day and night taxi services islandwide. Even trips to Johore could be booked.
The seafood restaurant has ceased its business in 2011, and with the taxi services hut in little usage, the buildings might give way to redevelopment soon.
Hope these little cozy huts will continue to be maintained and preserved even after the older generation of taxi drivers are no longer around.
Published: 09 June 2011
Updated: 14 April 2013
I remember it very well as in the sixties and seventies I use to go there for the “Sunday” pasar malam (night market). Also the Singapore Grand Prix circuit was there and I was a volunteer track marshall. Chan Lye Choon (race driver) and K C Wong ( motor bike rider), Soh Guan Bee and Chris Proffit-White (England) who won the motorbile Grand Prix one year. I have lived in Perth, WA for the last 30 years but I still have wonderful memories of those days. I used to live in Jalan Pemimpin and opposite The Little Sisters of the Poor (Thomson Rd.) were some good eating shops. There was also Pek San Teng (the Chinese cemetry). Can anyone remember all this?
Yeah mate I know where it was. There was a huge tree at the entrance of Jalan Pemempin @ Upp. Thoson road and few metres away there was a Shell Petrol Station owned by the Ng and See family, very nice people. There used to be a coffee shop under the big tree and they used to serve very good coffee. A lot of memory….!
Good day mate.
I hope that you still can recalled the ‘old lake view’ market and hawker centre which is demolished now. Can you recalled the nick name along Jalan Pemimpin as ‘gor pa keng’ in hokkien meaning lieterally 500 units houses? now with the latest development of cicle line, RI and some condo’s, the place is no more as kampong-like as before.
HI James, I am the nephew of Tim Proffitt-White, John Proffitt-White and have the copies of the photo;s of tim winning the grand prix on his works Honda. my email is profwhite@hotmail.com. Regards
So great to see this message. Chris Proffitt-White was my dad who sadly passed away in 1989. I am so proud to see him still being remembered and his name getting a mention. Thank you.
Hi there Victoria – I see your message posted on the site. I I knew your dad well and he first taught me how to ride a motor bike over in Singapore. A great guy and we were best mates for some time until he returned to UK and then I moved to NZ. Where do you live – in the UK or NZ.? It is great catching up with both John in the UK and Robin here in Australia where we now live. Robin lives very close to us and so when John comes over at Christmas time we are all hoping to get together for a trip down memory lane. Would love to hear more about your dad as we were good mates and had many friends in common before we all lost track of each other – tends to happen in the Forces. You can email me on davxmas@hotmail.com Regards, Jo Christmas
Hi Victoria,I lived in Singapore from 1960 to 63′ and was at Alexandra Sec Mod School there..Happy Days. I also went to the Singapore Gand Prix in those early years and of course saw Chris race the Honda 4 and Soh Guan Bee on the Norton manx. I still have post card pictures of them on those machines in those early days.
a good memory of my formative years in the far east.
Best regards..Dave Wayment
The Singapore Grand Prix, held at Upper Thomson Road on 16th and 17th September 1961, drew thousands of spectators
The cemetary is now part of Raffles Institution!
Brings back so many memories, particularly of old Thompson Road and the Singapore Grand Prix which I watched from the sidelines. Does anyone know the present whereabouts of Chris Proffit-White – a very old flame!!
Jo, Unfortunately Tim passed away back in the 90′s. I am his nephew John Proffitt-White
Thanks for the info John. I lived in S’pre from 1960-64 at the 6th milestone Thompson Road, just down the road from Sembawang Hills Estate. My father was a pilot in the airforce in the same section as “Prof” as he was known by then, and they were both motorbike fanatics so had many discussion. When dad found out I had bought a motorbike (from the firm that Prof used to race for) he had a fit of the horrors as S’pore driving back then was horrendous at times and he had visions of me being plastered all over S’pre. He persuaded Prof to teach me how to ride a bike properly and that is how we got to know each other. Our relationship was that of best friends and we used to drive all over S’pore and would then go out to dinner or a film on a Friday night. I eventually moved back to the UK but before I left I introduced Prof to very good friends of mine and I gather they kept up the correspondence for many years but they suddenly
lost track of him.after they moved to Perth. I met and married a Naval Pilot and we then emigrated to NZ for 28 years before moving over to Brisbane, Australia sixteen years ago. When I saw the site about old Singapore I was so interested as I have many great memories of living there, long before all the high rises went in. We are hoping to go back over there for our 50th wedding anniversary next March but it is nothing like the place I remember and more of my old haunts are not longer in existence. I often wondered if Prof kept up with his racing and I did hear from my friends that he had got married and visited them on his honeymoon. I was so sorry to hear that he has since
died and wondered if it was a racing accident or through sickness.
Thanks again for passing on the info and I am so sorry that Prof is no longer with us.
Hi Jo, Very interesting to hear about my uncle in his earlier years, I was not born until 66 so great to hear about him. It was through illness that he passed away. My mother and sister both now live in Christchurch and my mums husband now flys single prop planes as a hobby normally pipers. My brother now lives north of Brisbane with his family at a place called jardina. Kathy and I will be going over to NZ from 26 Dec and then onto my brothers on 26 Jan – 31 Jan, not sure if we could meet up even if it is in the airport prior to us flying back to UK???? be good if we could. let me know.
Regards
John
Sorry Jo I meant Yandina north of Brisbane!!
Most houses around this area were all occupied by British Army and Navy families this is Jalan Leban I’m sure some of you can remember Lucky Store? I was 10 than now reaching 62, I use live about a kilometer and a half from this taxi stand in fact my primary schools is Sembawang Hill Estate School. This taxi stand really brings back old memories I wonder if could anyone remember, just opposite this taxi stand there was a lone push cart hawker selling Mee Pok? I can still remember his mee pok ta. This hawker will take his trouble to decorate the mee with sliced prawns and vege before giving it to his customers that was the best mee pok with soup around before msg was introduced into our local food.
I remember the good days. I lived in Jalan Rukam in Sembawang Hills, just behind the shophouses. Used to go to the pasar malam every sunday night, and also used to watch the grand prix with my family. And yes, British Army families were our neighbours.
There is another taxi services hut at boon lay shopping center/market place at the car park area facing the food center. You may check it out =)
Thanks for the information, have added to it
Are these the only two remaining old taxi services huts in Singapore?
I rememeber going to the “San Xi” supermart with my dad …. and playing snooker/feeding bey kee at the mess nearby ie. on top of the lounge, Mayflower.. etc
Yes I remember the taxi Stand. There was also another taxi stand on the entarnce of Sembawang Hills Drive. Just opposte there use to be a small mama (muslim) shop and there was also a frame shop. I stayed at 101, Sembawang Hills Drive – the last 3rd House of the terrace houses just before where now ST Nicholas school is. Can anyone of you remember what was there after the last group of Houses before ST Nicholas. I was at Sembawang Hills Estate Primary School from 1961 to 1966.
From 1967 to 1970 I was at the Former Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School ( now occuopied by Duke University)
Anyone interetsed to contact me can do at my mobile 97567004
there still one along pandan road near clementi road junction
We lived in Jalan gelenggang from 68 to 70,when we were in the British army. I remember the Bar on the corner,Charlies bar. also all the trades people who delivered to the door and gave US christmas presents!!!
We have been back 4 times since, we are going back in 10 days time yet again!!!
Are Old schools haunted cause i hear funny sounds in school when im in class with my friends
Which school are you refering to. Within Sembawang Hills Estate there was 2 schools -One is the Sembawawang Hills Estate Primary School at Old Upper Thomson Road near Pierce Reservoir ( which already been demolished long ago and replace by Private Housing) and the other is the Former Ahmad Ibrahim Intergrated School at Jalan Kuras ( where the building is still there and now been occupied by Duke University ) Both of this two school I studied from 1961 to 1966 at the Primary School and from 1967 to 1970 at the Secondary school . I stayed at 101, Sembawang Hills Drive. If anyone happens to visit Singapore I will be glad to show Sembawang Hills Estate and soem of the British sites as I can still remember till now ( not many folks in Spore are able to – some of them no more living)
It’s so interesting to read all this. I lived at 1 Jalan Menarong from late 1960 to 1963, it was a bungalow then but looking at Google street maps today I see it is an extended house. My sister was born in Changi Hospital. My Dad, Syd Steer, was in the British Army in the Royal Signals, I believe he was attached to an RAF unit. I started school, Nee Soon Primary, while living in Singapore and have vivid memories of being frightened by an army training camp next to the school – I think it may have been Ghurkas. As I was so young I have only a few memories of my time in Singapore but they are precious.
Most of the houses at Sembawang Hills Estate has been torned down/ modified to 2nd/ 3rd story typw with extension here and there .Sadly the original type of house does not exist.Some of th Nee Soon Primary School after finishing their primary school did continue at Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School located at Jalan Kuras ( within Sembawang Hills Estate). Mr Mau was one of the principal at Nee Soon School and he ows a spectacle shop that time at Nee Soon. The shop name is Mau Johnson Spectacle.Can you remember. If you stayed at Jalan Menarong during 1960 to 1963 you may know british family name Mike and his wife Ann, melvin family, Jane to name a few. The corner house was a Indian house
Taxi services were already available before the Second World War. Most of the passengers were the British military servicemen and their families.
The Rural Board set up many taxi service huts in different parts of Singapore, one of which was located at Kangkar in 1951.
There was also similar taxi stand at the entrance of Sembawang Hills Drive near the Sembawang Circus. Can anyone remember this
You are right including the riders like Chris Corn ( no 77) Profit Wide ( No 103) Suzuki ( No (69) and drivers like Albert Poon, Sonny Rajah, Rodney and Philips Seow ( both brothers) which I can still remember a few. The Grand Prix was held in March ( not Sept) during the Good Friday/ Easter session. If you remeber those days Easter Monday beside Good Friday was also a public holday in Singapore.
The trial was held on Good Friday, Saturday was the events for Vintage Cars, Motorcycles ( different cc) and Saloon cars ( Covered Cars ) The main Grand Prix was held on Sundays
Has anyone reading this have stayed in Sembawabg Hills Drive. I stayed at 101( the last of the terrace house) just before leading to the Chinese Kampong ( Village)