Bukit Timah

The first identification of the area was on the 1828 map by Frankin and Jackson and was noted as Bukit Timah.[4] As the interior of Singapore was not fully explored, it is likely the name came from the Malays.[4]

In Malay, Bukit Timah meant Tin bearing hill.[4] The original Malay name was Bukit Temak, meaning "hill of the temak trees" as the temak trees were abundant in the area.[4][5] It was possible that the British in Singapore had mispronounced or misheard and became Bukit Timah.[4]

During World War II, when the British lost Bukit Timah to the Japanese on 11 February 1942,[6] they knew they had little chance of continuing the defence of the island as most of their food and supplies were stored there. On 15 February 1942, the head of the Allied forces, Lieutenant General A.E. Percival surrendered to Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita at the Ford Factory in Bukit Timah.[6]

Farrer Road station

Bukit Timah Road is one of the earliest roads in Singapore.

During Japanese rule, the Japanese built the Syonan Jinja, a Shinto shrine (Syonan-to was the Occupation name for Singapore), similar to the Yasukuni Shrine in Japan but of a smaller size, at Bukit Timah. Two war memorials dedicated to the Japanese war dead and, surprisingly, to the British and Empire troops who died defending Singapore, were built at the site. Students, Japanese commanders and British POWs' representatives would gather there regularly to commemorate the dead during the Occupation. Syonan Jinja was destroyed by the Japanese before the Japanese surrender.

After World War II, the farms and plantations in Bukit Timah gave way to industrial buildings and high-rise flats. In the 1960s and 1970s, Bukit Timah was a major industrial centre. Today, these have been replaced with luxury bungalows, terraces and condominiums, making Bukit Timah Singapore's premier residential district.[7]

The Bukit Timah area is a particularly prominent location with high land value.

The Bukit Timah Race Course, a thoroughbred horse racing facility, was opened in 1933 and operated until 1999. The land has since been renovated, and is currently home to The Grandstand, which hosts several food outlets, childcare services and a Giant supermarket.[8]

The nearby area hosts many bungalows, typically expensive in land-scarce Singapore, as well as high rise condominiums. Many expatriates and well-heeled Singaporeans live in this region. Its main attractions include popular eateries at Sixth Avenue, as well as Turf City.

This region was later extended and Upper Bukit Timah (District 21) was formed.

Bukit Timah is known to having many international schools in the region, due to the high number of expatriates and immigrants living in this region.

• Bukit Timah Monkey Man – cryptid said to be living in the Bukit Timah forest

• National Heritage Board (2002), Singapore's 100 Historic Places, Archipelago Press, ISBN 981-4068-23-3