Stories Of Yesteryear: Singapore In The 1980s - Landmarks & Landscapes

This 12-episode series features documentaries produced by the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation in the 1980s and early 90s. The documentaries feature buildings and neighbourhoods across Singapore, delving into their rich histories and the lives of the people who lived and worked there. The series also sheds light on the transformations of these spaces, presented against the backdrop of urbanisation and urban redevelopment at the end of the twentieth century.

Ep 1 Orchard Road And Great Houses
33 mins

From rural plantation to food enclave and shopping haven, learn about the origins of Orchard Road and gain insight into its oldest businesses and buildings. Then, visit some of the impressive homes and holiday bungalows of early pioneers, such as the Alkaff Mansion and the Jade House of Aw Boon Haw. To view more episodes from the Life and Times series on places such as Mount Sophia and Haw Par Villa, please visit www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline.

Ep 1 Orchard Road And Great Houses

From rural plantation to food enclave and shopping haven, learn about the origins of Orchard Road and gain insight into its oldest businesses and buildings. Then, visit some of the impressive homes and holiday bungalows of early pioneers, such as the Alkaff Mansion and the Jade House of Aw Boon Haw. To view more episodes from the Life and Times series on places such as Mount Sophia and Haw Par Villa, please visit www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline.

Ep 2 Punggol
11 mins

Visit one of the last seaside villages in Singapore in the 1980s. For the residents of Kampong Punggol, life revolved around the sea. Residents would fish or dive for mussels for a living, and in their free time, would go dragon boat racing. Listen to their memories of growing up in this village built over the water, and their thoughts about the future. To view more episodes from the Life and Times series on places such as Mount Sophia and Ha...

Ep 2 Punggol

Visit one of the last seaside villages in Singapore in the 1980s. For the residents of Kampong Punggol, life revolved around the sea. Residents would fish or dive for mussels for a living, and in their free time, would go dragon boat racing. Listen to their memories of growing up in this village built over the water, and their thoughts about the future. To view more episodes from the Life and Times series on places such as Mount Sophia and Ha...

Ep 3 Serangoon
48 mins

Explore bustling textile shops, goldsmiths, garland makers and fortune tellers, all plying their trades on the five-foot ways of Serangoon. Then, see the last days of the food stalls at Albert Street and the hawkers at Kandang Kerbau (Tekka) Market before their move to new sites nearby. Finally, tour landmarks such as the New World Amusement Park and vibrant places of worship.

Ep 3 Serangoon

Explore bustling textile shops, goldsmiths, garland makers and fortune tellers, all plying their trades on the five-foot ways of Serangoon. Then, see the last days of the food stalls at Albert Street and the hawkers at Kandang Kerbau (Tekka) Market before their move to new sites nearby. Finally, tour landmarks such as the New World Amusement Park and vibrant places of worship.

Ep 4 Katong
24 mins

Listen to long-time residents recount their childhood days in Katong, and see how land reclamation and the tides of change have transformed this former seaside town over the years. To view more episodes from the Changing Times series on places such as City Hall and Raffles Place, please visit www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline.

Ep 4 Katong

Listen to long-time residents recount their childhood days in Katong, and see how land reclamation and the tides of change have transformed this former seaside town over the years. To view more episodes from the Changing Times series on places such as City Hall and Raffles Place, please visit www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline.

Ep 5 Chinatown
30 mins

Hear the stories of people who made their living in Chinatown in the 1980s, from domestic servants and early migrants who plied their trades as barbers, to street hawkers preparing for their impending move to Kreta Ayer Hawker Centre.

Ep 5 Chinatown

Hear the stories of people who made their living in Chinatown in the 1980s, from domestic servants and early migrants who plied their trades as barbers, to street hawkers preparing for their impending move to Kreta Ayer Hawker Centre.

Ep 6 Sultan Shoal Lighthouse, Tanjong Pagar Railway Station And Goodwood Park Hotel
26 mins

In this episode of the documentary series Singapore Landmarks, experience the life of a lighthouse keeper at Sultan Shoal Lighthouse, learn about the history and architecture of the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, and visit the historic rooms of the fairytale-like Goodwood Park Hotel.

Ep 6 Sultan Shoal Lighthouse, Tanjong Pagar Railway Station And Goodwood Park Hotel

In this episode of the documentary series Singapore Landmarks, experience the life of a lighthouse keeper at Sultan Shoal Lighthouse, learn about the history and architecture of the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, and visit the historic rooms of the fairytale-like Goodwood Park Hotel.

Ep 7 Singapore River
41 mins

Take a trip up the Singapore River to visit some of its historic buildings - remnants of the once bustling lighter trade - and learn about the river’s heyday as a commercial artery. Then, watch the cleaning up of the river and learn about the redevelopment plans for the Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, and Robertson Quay areas beyond the 1980s.

Ep 7 Singapore River

Take a trip up the Singapore River to visit some of its historic buildings - remnants of the once bustling lighter trade - and learn about the river’s heyday as a commercial artery. Then, watch the cleaning up of the river and learn about the redevelopment plans for the Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, and Robertson Quay areas beyond the 1980s.

Ep 8 Geylang
49 mins

Geylang in the 1980s was an intriguing mix of tradition and modernity, where high-rise flats emerged around old villages, cottage industries coexisted with new shopping complexes, and residents could be found in both traditional trades like farming and newer ones such as fashion designing.

Ep 8 Geylang

Geylang in the 1980s was an intriguing mix of tradition and modernity, where high-rise flats emerged around old villages, cottage industries coexisted with new shopping complexes, and residents could be found in both traditional trades like farming and newer ones such as fashion designing.

Ep 9 Sembawang
18 mins

Despite Sembawang’s transformation from colonial village to new town in the 1980s, the vestiges of its naval past remained. To view more episodes from the Life and Times series on places such as Mount Sophia and Haw Par Villa, please visit www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline.

Ep 9 Sembawang

Despite Sembawang’s transformation from colonial village to new town in the 1980s, the vestiges of its naval past remained. To view more episodes from the Life and Times series on places such as Mount Sophia and Haw Par Villa, please visit www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline.

Ep 10 Nee Soon
26 mins

Learn about the strong ties of kinship and friendship which characterised community life in the old farming villages of Nee Soon, and how this culture of “gotong royong” or mutual help endured over the decades. To view more episodes from the Changing Times series on places such as City Hall and Raffles Place, please visit www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline.

Ep 10 Nee Soon

Learn about the strong ties of kinship and friendship which characterised community life in the old farming villages of Nee Soon, and how this culture of “gotong royong” or mutual help endured over the decades. To view more episodes from the Changing Times series on places such as City Hall and Raffles Place, please visit www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline.

Ep 11 Kampong Glam
22 mins

Enjoy the sights and sounds of Kampong Glam, from historic Pondok Java and the Sultan Mosque, to bustling family businesses and the last capal (sandal) maker along Bussorah Street. Hear from people who grew up in the area and learn what draws them back to Kampong Glam long after they and their descendants have moved to other parts of Singapore. To view more episodes from the Life and Times series on places such as Mount Sophia and Haw Par Vil...

Ep 11 Kampong Glam

Enjoy the sights and sounds of Kampong Glam, from historic Pondok Java and the Sultan Mosque, to bustling family businesses and the last capal (sandal) maker along Bussorah Street. Hear from people who grew up in the area and learn what draws them back to Kampong Glam long after they and their descendants have moved to other parts of Singapore. To view more episodes from the Life and Times series on places such as Mount Sophia and Haw Par Vil...

Ep 12 Raffles Hotel
31 mins

Wander the corridors and lush grounds of the legendary Raffles Hotel, visiting storied spaces like the Tiffin Room and the Writers Bar, and meet the many personalities that worked and stayed there in the 1980s.

Ep 12 Raffles Hotel

Wander the corridors and lush grounds of the legendary Raffles Hotel, visiting storied spaces like the Tiffin Room and the Writers Bar, and meet the many personalities that worked and stayed there in the 1980s.

Additional Information

Premiered2024
Genresdocumentary
Suitable For All Ages