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Founders
Sir Thomas
Stamford Raffles
Former
Directors
On April 1st 1823, Thomas
Stamford Raffles came up with the idea of establishing a museum
for Singapore. In 1849, work on the building for the museum was
completed, and it was named after him in acknowledgement of his
contributions. The Raffles Museum was first established as a museum
of natural history and anthropology. It occupied the site of the
present Raffles City Complex. In 1887, it was shifted to the building
at Stamford Road (now the Singapore History Museum and National
Library. In the museum's infancy, scant attention was paid to
the building up of large collections. Specimens were mainly donated
by the public or from distinguished personalities like, Whampoa
or the Sultan of Johor. The more impressive acquisitions include
a 42 ft. baleen whale from Sabatu, near Malacca, on 19 June 1892;
and a 5 ft. 9 in. leathery turtle from Siglap in 1883.
Click here
to see an AV broadcast on the talk
The Raffles Museum:
A Story of Natural History Exploration in South-East Asia
given by
A/Prof Peter K.L. Ng
Director, Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research
at the Lee Kong Chian Art Museum on 30 Sep 2000
  
After 1890, the collection increased
not only through donations but also through the efforts of the
museum staff who started to actively collect specimens both locally
and in neighbouring areas. The first ever expedition was to the
Singapore Islands of Pulau Brani and Pulau Blakang Mati (present
Sentosa Island), led by the Director, Dr. Hanitsch, in 1895. Dr.
Hanitsch also prepared the first catalogues of the museum's bird,
herptile, fish, brachyuran and insect collections between 1900
and 1912.
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Insects on display at Raffles Museum (center)
The Raffles Museum acted as headquarters for
the museums of the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay
States in the 1920's. The official link between the Raffles Museum,
Selangor Museum and Perak Museum facilitated many joint expeditions
in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and
many of their adjacent islands, including Christmas Island and
Cocos-Keeling Islands. This resulted in the acquisition of large
numbers of specimens for the Raffles Museum.
Active zoologists
R. Hanitsch, H. C. Robinson, J.
C. Moulton, C.
B. Kloss,
F. N. Chasen, M.
W. F. Tweedie, and
C. A. Gibson-Hill were museum directors who have contributed
immensely to the collection. They organised expeditions, field
trips and exchange programmes with other museums to obtain many
valuable specimens. Many birds and mammals from the region were
received from individuals like C. Hose, W. L. Abbott, G. C.Shortridge,
C. J. Aagaard, E. Banks, K. G. Gairdner, E. Jacobson, H. N. Ridley,
H. J. V. Sody, Dato Loke Wan Tho and others. The Raffles Museum
collection survived the second World War (1942-1945) with relatively
minimal damage.
The zoological collection of the Raffles Museum
is known internationally for the leading role it played in Southeast
Asian zoological research and the many publications based on it.
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In 1961, the Raffles Museum was renamed the National
Museum of Singapore. The zoological collection continued to expand
through the efforts of director Eric
R. Alfred and other zoologists. Large collections of freshwater
fishes were acquired during this period. Raoul Serene, a marine
biologist from UNESCO was based at the Museum. He was largely
responsible for setting up the fine collection of crabs and stomatopods
there.
In 1969, the Singapore Science Centre was conceived
as a new institution for the development of science and technology
on the advice of the Singapore Science Council. The National Museum
had thus to forgo its zoological collection and concentrate on
arts and anthropology. In mid-1971, the Singapore Science Centre
took over the entire zoological collection from the National Museum
along with the literature collection. As the centre had no authority
or provisions to conduct taxonomic studies or research, the entire
zoological collection was donated to the University of Singapore.
A number of mounted animals were retained for display at the Singapore
Science Centre. Unfortunately, some specimens had been given
away by the National Museum. For example, the entire skeletal
system of the baleen whale, which now belongs at the National
Museum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Some of the specimens were also
damaged or lost during this period.
Reference collection at the National Museum in the 1960s
This elephant skeleton was on display at the National Museum in
the 1960s
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In 1972, C. M. Yang was appointed the Scientific
Officer to transfer and curate the zoological collection to the
Department of Zoology of the University of Singapore. Since then
it became known as the Zoological Reference Collection (ZRC).
Due to insufficient space at the University's campus in Bukit
Timah to house the specimens, the entire collection was deposited
in five Romney huts along Ayer Rajah Road (now the site of the
National University Hospital).
 
Romney huts along Ayer Rajah Road (left); Specimens inadequately
stored in wooden boxes (right)
In 1977, construction work for the National University
of Singapore commenced at the Ayer Rajah Road site and the ZRC
had to pack again. It had to be relocated to the University of
Singapore at the Bukit Timah Campus. Due to the lack of space
mentioned earlier, the entire collection was separated into parts
and housed temporarily in several buildings.
In 1979, student intake at the Bukit Timah
Campus was increased on account of the joint campus scheme which
merged the University of Singapore and the Nanyang University.
This led to high demand for additional space for lecture and tutorial
facilities in the campus. Hence the ZRC had to move again. At
that point in its history, the ZRC could have been ruined due
to lack of proper storage space and facilities. This called for
frantic consultations with various organisations.
In 1980, the Nanyang University (now the Nanyang
Technological University) offered the ZRC use of a part of their
library building at their Jurong Campus. Apart from the fish collection,
still satisfactorily lodged at the Bukit Timah Campus, the collection
was shifted there. During this difficult period, many museums
around the world were interested in acquiring the collection from
Singapore either as a whole or in parts. The scientific and historical
value of the collection was highlighted by requests from such
institutions. To preserve the ZRC in Singapore, a long-term solution
had to be found to house the collection. Fortunately, a proposal
made to house it at the Kent Ridge Campus of the National University
of Singapore was accepted. The new facility was completed in 1986
and the entire collection is now safely and permanently lodged
in the Science Library building (S6) where it occupies three floors.
However, some very old and brittle specimens, especially the skins
of birds and mammals and insects have suffered some degree of
damages from unsuitable housing and the relocations. The ZRC has
settled into its new home since 1987. The modern facilities it
now enjoys places it among the best zoological museums in Asia.
The new premises were officially opened by the then Senior Minister
of State for Education, Dr. Tony Tan Keng Yam on 31st October,
1988. Other dignitories present during the opening included former
directors of the museum, Mr. Michael Tweedie and Mr. Eric Alfred.
From then on, the ZRC's focus has especially been on preserving
the natural heritage of our young nation.
On 1 October 1998, the ZRC became part of the
Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research.
Distinguished guests at the ZRC's official opening
on 31 Oct. 1988 - (from left) the late Mr. Michael Tweedie, Prof.
Lim Pin (Vice Chancellor), Prof. Bernard Tan (former Dean of Science),
Dr. Tony Tan (then Minister for Education), being led by Prof.
T. J. Lam (former Head of Dept. of Biological Sciences) through
the new premises.
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