According to Singapore Street Names, High Street is probably the oldest street in Singapore. Dating back to the founding of Singapore in 1819, it was laid by Lieutenant Henry Ralfe, a gunnery officer of the Bengal Artillery. During that time, Singapore was still largely forested. Ralfe and his soldiers were tasked to clear the land to create a meeting place for the signing of the preliminary treaty with the Temenggong of Johor.
The name High Street is appropriate considering it is on a higher ground than the river bank, thus it avoids any flooding. After High Street was laid, Hill Street and North Bridge Road were likewise laid. Along with Raffles Place, High Street was the choice retail centre for Singapore until Orchard Road overtook it. This is now a thing of the past, as High Street evolves away from its role as shopping street.
Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.