History
During the early days, the majority of owners were young families with young children. Many houses were rented to expatriate families who worked in the camps in Sembawang belonging to the British Services (Air Force, Army and Navy).
The original price of an intermediate terrace house was S$20,000, quite a princely sum during the sixties. Many buyers just paid the deposit of around $2,000 and rented out their houses to service the loan for the balance of $18,000. The rent could easily service the loan.
There was a sarabat stall (drink stall) on the pedestrian walkway just in front of where the Shell Station is now located. This sarabat stall was there until the full completion of building all the houses.
Upper Thomson Road in those days was a single lane traffic, both ways. Kampong San Teng was famous for its gangster activities. Tay Koh Yat buses used to serve the area.
Imperial Theatre stood where Imperial Court. The theatre was open-air with hard wooden seats. In the mornings the area was turned into a market where vegetables, meats and fruits were sold.
There were a few cemeteries around the estate, including a Cantonese Kampong San Teng Cemetery (around the present Raffles Institution) and a Hainanese Cemetery (the present Lake View Estate).
Read more about this topic: Yew Lian Park
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