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A neon pink sign that reads “Queenstown” in Chinese once stole the attention and hearts of visitors at the former Museum @ My Queenstown – a reminder of old Singapore when neon billboards were common.
Address: Block 30A Margaret Drive
(Old address at Block 46-3 Commonwealth Drive)
Opening Hours: Currently closed for rebuilding
Admission Fee: Free entry
Reopening Date: In 2024
Managed By: non-profit heritage group, My Community
My Queenstown Museum: Closed in July 2022
The Instagrammable artefact from the defunct Queenstown cinema is currently stored in a warehouse, waiting to light up again when the ground-up community museum gets a new home.
It is architecture graduate Jeremy John Kum’s favourite artefact from the museum, which previously nestled in a shophouse at Block 46-3 Commonwealth Drive. It was closed in July 2022 for the redevelopment of Tanglin Halt under Housing Board’s Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme.
Mr Jeremy John Kum is working with residents and volunteers to rebuild the museum at Block 30A Margaret Drive, which will open its doors in 2024. PHOTO: COURTESY OF JEREMY JOHN KUM
The ground-up community museum was closed for SERS
The communal space, which was launched in 2019, was funded, managed and curated by residents in Queenstown with the help of non-profit heritage group My Community. It featured more than 2,000 photographs, 300 oral histories and 50 artefacts.
My Queenstown Museum: New museum reopens in 2024
Now, Mr Kum, 28, who is part of My Community, is working with residents and volunteers to rebuild the museum at Block 30A Margaret Drive, which will open its doors in 2024.
“Previously, the museum had about 45 sq m of exhibition space. The new one will have 300 sq m, which means we need many more artefacts,” said Mr Kum, who is helping to design the new space.
“It’s a challenge to accommodate the different views of the residents, including uncles and aunties who are very passionate about the project.”
To date, the team has gathered over 6,000 items, including photographs and artefacts, showing how people live, work, study, play and even pray in Queenstown.
My Queenstown Museum: Free entry
It has raised about $200,000 towards the $2 million needed to build and run the museum for three years. Entry to the volunteer-run museum is free.
The museum is very close to Mr Kum’s heart, as he has been living in Queenstown since he was two.
“It’s where I connect with my neighbours and learn the fun facts of my own backyard,” he said.
The Margaret Drive Hawker Centre is among new developments completed in Queenstown. PHOTO: ST FILE
Queenstown, Singapore: History
Queenstown was named after Queen Elizabeth II on Sep 27 in 1953 and developed as Singapore’s first satellite town in the 1950s.
In recent years, it has undergone extensive rejuvenation, including the renovation of Queenstown Sports Centre and an upcoming revamp of the Queenstown Public Library.
Queenstown Redevelopment Ongoing
New developments have also been completed, such as the Margaret Drive Hawker Centre and Build-To-Order housing project Sky Residence@Dawson.
Mr Kwek Li Yong, 34, co-founder and president of My Community, said a community museum imbues in people a sense of rootedness amid Singapore’s rapid pace of growth and Queenstown’s redevelopment.
The former Museum @ My Queenstown was funded, managed and curated by residents in Queenstown with the help of My Community. PHOTO: MY COMMUNITY
My Queenstown Museum: Retro memorabilia
“One may lose a sense of stability and comfort in an ever-changing environment,” he said. “A museum is an anchor and a repository of memories. It narrates the stories of the common man and celebrates the little things which make Queenstown special.”
There are about 1,000 volunteers aged 18 to 90, including “uncles and aunties”, donating small cash amounts or artefacts to the project, he said.
“When you don’t have a lot of resources, you see the power of the community coming together to make things happen,” he added.
Some organisations in the area, including Queenstown Baptist Church, Tiong Ghee Temple, Sri Muneeswaran Temple and Faith Methodist Church, have also made contributions.
Contributions from volunteers, organisations, and non Queenstown residents
Even non-Queenstown residents like Mr Leeyau Chun Chuan, a “designpreneur” in his mid 50s, have stepped forward to offer their expertise.
The Telok Blangah Cresent resident studied graphic design from 1986 to 1989 at the former Baharuddin Vocational Institute in Queenstown.
“I hope the museum will serve as a lighthouse to attract, connect, and reunite new and lost memories,” he said.
He also hopes it will serve as an inspiration for other estates to begin documenting the distinctive identity of their community.
“In an increasingly individualistic culture, this will help to establish a more integrated, caring, and relatable community that we can be proud of.”
Those who wish to contribute to the museum can contact My Community via email.
This article was first published in The Straits Times.