All About The
Bukit Timah Area

1. An Overview

In case you didn't know, Bukit Timah is actually a hill in Singapore. It has a height of about 164 metres and is (ahem) the highest natural point in Singapore. Now you know how low the hills in Singapore are.

Now, traditionally, the Bukit Timah are is part of the island's Central Region. It lies 10 kilometres from Singapore central business district and is also called District 11.
 

2. The Meaning Of 'Bukit Timah'

The term 'Bukit Timah' literally means a "tin bearing hill" in Malay. Now, it was identified as 'Bukit Tima' in a map by Frankin and Jackson in 1828.

Now, since the interior of the Singapore island was not fully explored in 1828, the location and name for this interesting hill probably came from the native Malay community.

It is said that Bukit Timah has nothing to do with tin. If you know Malay, the original name for the hill was 'Bukit Temak', which means 'hill of the temak trees'. A 'temak tree' is referring to pokok temak, which is really a tree that grew abundantly on the hill slopes.
 

3. That Long, Long Road ...

Ok, about the Bukit Timah Road. This road, stretching 25 km, is the longest road in Singapore. It runs north and south of the island and takes its name from Bukit Timah Hill. In the past, this road was heavily infested with tigers and killed nearly 200 people back in 1860. Also, the first ride on horseback across Singapore was along this Bukit Timah Road. It happened in 1840 with a Mr Thomson and Dr Little taking four days to accomplish the task.
 

4. The Last Defensive Stand?

Historically, Bukit Timah Road also served as a last defensive stand against the might invading Japanese army. Now, during World War II, once the British lost Bukit Timah to the enemy, they knew had little chance of winning. Back in 15 February 1942, the head of the Allied forces in Singapore, Lieutenant General A.E. Percival, surrendered to Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita. This event occurred at the Ford Factory in Bukit Timah.
 

5. A Premier Housing Location

After the World War II, the plantations in Bukit Timah were changed to industrial buildings and various high-rise flats. Today, these have been replaced again with luxury bungalows, terraces and condominiums. The Bukit Timah is now Singapore's premier residential district, housing many expatriates and high wage earners.

The land value in Bukit Timah is very high, with many of the best schools on the island. Educational institutions such as National Junior College, Hwa Chong Institution,  Raffles Girls' Primary School, Nanyang Primary School, Methodist Girls' School, and Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School - are all situated along Bukit Timah.
 

Conclusion

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