GuideGecko Travel Magazine > The Mystery of the Singapore Obelisks

Singapore’s Obelisk Mysteries

In the little country of Singapore, there are three obelisks. There is the famous one called the Dalhousie Obelisk located at the Civic District of Singapore, near the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall. There is another called the Labrador Obelisk located at the Labrador Park, part of the Labrador Nature Reserve. A third one is found to be standing in Bukit Brown cemetery. But how did these obelisks come about? What do they stand for? And why are they erected at these chosen areas?

An obelisk is a stone monolith which is tall, narrow and have four tapered sides which end with a pyramid at the top, called a pyramidion. In Egypt, obelisks were associated with timelessness and memorialisation since the enlightenment era. Smaller obelisks are usually erected in cemeteries which might provide us with some insight into the Bukit Brown case.

But after some research, we found that obelisks were considered to be associated with the greatness of ancient rulers, or patriotism. The fact that obelisks were less costly than elaborate sculpted monuments and still carry such a meaning was a positive factor in people erecting one as their gravestone.

Dalhousie Obelisk

The Dalhousie Obelisk was erected to commemorate the second visit of the Marquis of Dalhousie to Singapore back in February 1850. It was designed by John Turnbull Thomson when he was a Government Surveyor. He was a British and his work for this obelisk was always referred back to the Cleopatra’s Needle situated on the Thames embankment back in London. The Dalhousie Obelisk was moved many times but is also the most famous one among its other siblings in Singapore.

Fun fact: John Turnbull Thomson also designed and built the Horsburgh Lighthouse on Pedra Branca which was the centre of a dispute recently between Singapore and Malaysia.

Labrador Obelisk

Located at the south-eastern part of Labrador Park, there stands a really tall and intimidating obelisk. This obelisk has no name attached to it, unlike its more well-known counterpart, the Dalhousie Obelisk. On the maps scattered throughout the park, this attraction is just plain old, obelisk. The obelisk is at the foot of a cliff and is just beside a machine gun pillbox. The monolith’s original colour was white but now, it is just a piece of stone exposing the various bricks that supported it.

It was said to mark the southernmost tip of the Asia continent before land was reclaimed and erected by the British. However, we distinctly remember that the plaque for the southernmost tip of the Asia continent was situated in Sentosa.

So, the questions now are, who specifically erected it there and on what occasion was it commemorating?

Bukit Brown Cemetery Obelisk

This small obelisk could be gone unnoticed as it is only of knee’s height, if you just glanced through the various gravestones around it as it camouflages among all the ancient and weathered stones. But once you chance upon it, you would notice that it has a cross inscribed on its surface. It might be because of the religion of the individual who erected it as one could easily link the obelisk to the one standing in the Vatican today. Crosses on obelisks symbolises that the Christian God is greater than the pharaohs and emperors and also has temporal power and authority.

On the other hand, one could also decipher the cross on the obelisk as of having a kind of exorcising power. So believe it or not, it is up to you.

At the end of the day…

Obelisks were symbols of religions in ancient Egypt. However, besides the Dalhousie Obelisk in Singapore, the other couple do not have a known history. So who put it there? What were they used for? And how long have they been there? For the curious traveller, dig more into the mystery and you may be surprised or afraid. Just remember: be careful what you wish for. Who knows, it may be the inspiration for the obelisk in The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman who is currently in Singapore.

Fun fact: The Labrador Obelisk and the Dalhousie Obelisk are made of the same material and are of the same size.

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