This mural, at the main hall of 32 Carpenter Street (SGInnovate), depicts the old Singapore River when it was the main artery for transporting goods to and from the ships anchored offshore and the hinterland of Singapore. Carpenter Street, being on the south bank of the River, became a thriving area for trading and warehousing the goods. The building at no.32 used to be a rice trader.
The mural carries details of the olden day commercial buzz around the river, including how the labourers carried heavy gunny sacks from the bumboats, to how an inside of the Rice Trader looked like. This scene went on for about 150 years until 1983 when the then filthy Singapore River was cleaned up. All the bumboats, traders and warehouses were relocated.
SGInnovate is a venture catalyst company aimed to help scientific entrepreneurs build and scale their businesses, building on the legacy of our forefathers. The hall is opened to the public for public events/talks. Register at SGInnovate’s website for its many free events/talks.
