Stop Twelve - The Old Parliament House.

The Old Parliament House (The Arts House)

At the statue of the elephant

The black marble plaque fixated on the monument

The 'Elephant Statue' was a gift from King Chulalongkorn of Siam to the people of Singapore as a token of his gratitude for the hospitality he had received between 16 and 23 March 1871. Inscribed on the black marble plaque are the words, "His Majesty Somdech Phra Paramindr Maha Chulalonkorn, the Supreme King of Siam, landed at Singapore, the first foreign land visited by a Siamese monarch, on the 16th March, 1871".

In the Old Parliament House, now known as The Arts House


The plaque at the stairs leading to the Corridors of Time

Originally the building was designed to be a home of Scottish merchant, John Argyle Maxwell. However, due to an administrative oversight, Maxwell's House became the only home in an area designated for government buildings based on Raffles' 1822 Town Plan, but it was never a residential building. In June 1827, it was rented out to the Government for use as a Court House. It was sold to George Gerald de H. Laurent and John Cockrell on 1st September 1829.

Additions to the building made in 1839 included a single-storey extension which served as the new Court House, while the front portion was occupied by the public offices. In 1841, the East-India Company purchased the building for 15,600 Spanish dollars. In 1847, the new Court House extension was enlarged to accommodate the Recorder, Jurors as well as prisoners. The Court House was later considered unsuitable for a Court of Justice mainly because of the racket created by a nearby boatyard and blacksmith shop. In 1864, the foundation stone was laid for a new building.

At the former Parliamentary Debating Chamber

Taking a breather at THE SHOP

The judiciary returned to their original premises in 1875 and the building served as the Supreme Court of the colony until 1939 when the new Supreme Court building was completed. The building served as a government storehouse and as the Department of Social Welfare, before becoming semi-derelict. In 1953, renovations began to restore the new building to the new Legislative Assembly and it was opened by Sir John Nicoll, Governor of Singapore. On 5th June 1959, it became known as Parliament House when the People's Action Party (PAP) became the ruling power of a self-governing Singapore. Singapore's first Parliament session was opened by President Yusof bin Ishak on 8 December 1965. It served as a Parliament house until 1999.