Clarke Quay, Singapore
Copyright © Timothy Tye.
Clarke Quay
Clarke Quay is the name of a food and entertainment mall on the north bank of the Singapore River, upsteam from Boat Quay. Clarke Quay is named after Sir Andrew Clarke, the second Governor of the Straits Settlements.
During colonial times, Clarke Quay was where godowns (dockside warehouses) were located. Barges would bring the goods from the ships anchored at the mouth of the Singapore River upstream to Clarke Quay. At the height of trading, Singapore river is choked with bumboats jostling for position. Needless to say, the Singapore River was very polluted at that time.
After independence, the Singapore Government took steps to clean up Singapore River. By the mid 1980's all the trading companies have vacated Clarke Quay, as they did Boat Quay, and the government set in motion plans to revitalise Clarke Quay as a commercial, residential and entertainment enclave. The shophouses and godowns at Clarke Quay, Clarke Street and Reed Street were preserved, and the placed turned into a pedestrian mall, complete with overhead shelter.
