Princess Elizabeth Estate, Hillview

New use for an old school.

Princess Elizabeth Estate School (PEES) was built in 1955 and remained in the same location till 1st March 1987 when it moved to the new building at Bukit Batok New Town. It was renamed Princess Elizabeth Primary School.

The old school building at Elizabeth Drive was then converted to the Red Cross Home for the Disabled.
The Red Cross Home was relocated elsewhere in March 2010 and the building remained vacant.
The old building is now being converted to a new nursing home. It will be called the United Medicare Nursing Home.

My four siblings and myself, all ex-PEES, plus a whole generation of children, from around that area will always recall the old school with mixed feelings. But one thing I am sure is that we are all glad is that the building is not being demolished.

Here are some pictures of our old alma mater being converted to the new United Medicare Nursing Home.

Renovation works 20 Dec 2011.

The old servants quarters still exists.
Though the small school field is gone.

Genesis of Princess Elizabeth Estate

In commemoration of the marriage of Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip in Nov 1947, the British colonial government started a fund called the Princess Elizabeth Central Celebrations Wedding Fund.
The wedding celebration fund, raised by donations, would be used to commission jewellery as gifts for the royal couple's wedding and the balance would be used for some other social welfare purpose in their name.
The municipal authority finally decided that the remaining fund would be used to build low-cost modern housing for the locals, especially for those considered low wage earners, in view of the critical housing shortage at that time.

Two areas were allocated for this housing project; the first, in Farrer Park and the other at 9ms. Upper Bukit Timah. Work started in 1950 at Farrer Park and in 1951 at the Upper Bukit Timah site. These two sites, collectively known as the Princess Elizabeth Estates, were subsequently named Princess Elizabeth Flats at Farrer Park, and Princess Elizabeth Park at Upper Bukit Timah.

Princess Elizabeth Park was built on 12 acres of land donated by the French bank Credit Foncier. This comprised 16 rows of single storey units, later termed Artisan Quarters, with 84 homes and 16 shophouses.
As the construction costs were through donations, or called subscriptions at the time, rentals for these artisan quarters were kept at a very low rate. The low rental enabled workers to afford new modern housing with running water, electricity and sanitation, modern facilities which were scarce at the time.
The artisan quarters were readied for occupation in 1952.

The signboard originally read "Singapore Improvement Trust" and was
changed after the HDB took over from the SIT.

The Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT), built an additional 8 blocks of flats comprising 78 units in 6 blocks of 3-storeys and 84 units in 2 blocks of 7-storeys. These new additions, though built at the same time, were not funded under the Princess Elizabeth Wedding Fund but by the SIT itself.

Twenty-five percent of the allocation for artisan quarters were given to low wage government servants such as trash collectors and road sweepers. Priority was given to applicants who worked in the vicinity. This resulted in the estate becoming very close knit as many neighbors were also colleagues at work.

The Green Bus Company started a bus service (service #5) from the new estate running along Bukit Timah Road to Queens Street terminal in 1953.

A school was later built in 1955 to cater to the children in the estate. The school was named Princess Elizabeth Estate School.
A purpose-built Community Centre was raised in 1963 by the government People's Association. It was built on the open field in front of Blk 17.
In 1967, 52 hawker stalls was built near the junction of Elizabeth Drive/Hillview Ave to replace the makeshift market stalls located outside the community centre at Philip Walk.

Then and now...
Princess Elizabeth Estate survived till the mid 1990s when home ownership was emphasized over rentals by the government and residents were evicted by the year 1995. The Princess Elizabeth Wedding Fund Act was repealed in 1998. The estate was demolished with only the Primary School remaining and converted for use as the Red Cross Home for the Disabled.

The land which was once P.E.Estate was left vacant till 2011 when developments for new condominium projects started.

Photos

Princess Elizabeth Park Estate on completion in 1952.
The hill in the background is Bukit Gombak.

SIT 7-storey units Nos. 131-136 during construction in 1952. ( later as Blk 23)

SIT officials inspecting the construction of artisan quarters
at Princess Elizabeth Estate 1950.

School children viewing model of the planned P.E.E. workers'
artisan quarters at an exhibition at Victoria Memorial Hall 1950.

PEE carpark in front of Blk 21. (1964)
I lived at the house on the ground level (No.126)
P.E.E.School in the background (left)
Note the bus terminal hut at the rear of car park.

Kindergarten class at the old community centre (blk 16 shophouse). Taken around 1958?

Mr Lee Kuan Yew in front of Blk 17 after laying the foundation stone for the new
Princess Elizabeth Estate Community Centre. 5 May 1963.
(Photo from National Heritage Board PICAS)

Gotong Royong at PEES in 1974.
Note the SIT Block 22 in the background.
(Picture from PICAS National Heritage Board)

Mr Chai Chong Yii, MP Bukit Batok, launching the Gotong Royong project
for Bukit Batok at Princess Elizabeth Estate School 1974.
I believe the man on the right is Mr Pakir Maideen, Principal of PEES.
The person directly behind and half hidden is Mr Kam Eng Cheong,
Advisor to the PEECC and member of the Bukit Batok CCC.

The bus terminus at Princess Elizabeth Estate served by SBS #173. (1990)

Cubs from PEES at MacRitchie Reservoir Lim Bo Seng Memorial. 4 Nov 1967.
L-R. Goh Aik Swee, Yum Shoen Yih, Yeo Keng Thiam, James Tann, Babu, Cheng Joo Wei.
We were all in the same class Pri 6A, except for Babu who was in Pri 5.

My aunt Margaret standing outside Blk 21.
They used to grow hedges round each block.
In the background is the hill where Popular Estate
and Bamboo Grove Park would be built.
Photo taken in 1960.

You can follow another blog called Good Morning Yesterday by Lam Chun See, who has a thread on Princess Elizabeth Estate. Click the link above to get there. As part of the discussions on the his blog, the following pictures will mean a lot to those chatting there.

The staff of National Carbon (later called Union Carbide, or popularly Eveready)
L-R(back): Koh Keng Kwee, Peter Leong, Leong Wah Tim, Tann Yean.
L-R(seated): Lee Teck Hup, Mr Yap, Vincent Danker
(all identified , thanks to Lowy)

This is Mrs Cheng, my washerwoman and her daughter Lucy.
The baby is Lucy's charge, my younger sister Josephine.

'Thomak'
Thomas Cheng, son of the above Mrs Cheng on his wedding day.
They lived on the slope of Bukit Gombak just below the radar station.

My PEES Report Book.

Personal records 1st Page.
I was a B.S. ? haha, British Subject at birth!

This was my Primary 1 results.
I am too embarrassed to show you the later years.
It was downhill all the way!
My form teacher was Miss Tan Gek Eng ( later Mrs Teo Gek Eng)

PEE residents having regular coffee sessions.
Gentlemen on left is Mr Michael Wong of Blk 17 106B,
and Mr Cheong Kim Swee of Blk 17 103A in the middle.
On the right is Mr Teo who married Ms Tan Gek Eng of PEES.

Students from PEES 1966 attending the
Bukit Timah District Primary Schools Sports Meet at Chinese High School.
Boy on right is Nannie Chen who lived at Blk 21 123B
Scrawny me on the left.
I represented PEES in Shot Putt and 100m Hurdles.
Came in last in both events!

The following 13 photos are not mine. They are from the collection of a Mr Lee Lip Kin.
The thumbnail photos will link you to the National Library Archive site to whom the pictures belong.
All rights belong to National Library Archive. I list the thumbnail links under Fair Use for this blog only.
The comments below the thumbnails are mine.

Blk 20 on the left with Blk 23 on the right.
Elizabeth Drive ended at the small carpark that was between Blks 23 & 24.

Blk 17 (left) and Blk 21 (right). Blk 20 is just out of the right edge.
The field in front of Blk 20 has a worn path leading from the bus terminus.
A fruit orchard was in front of Blk 17 before PEECC was built there.

Blk 20 was the longest block in Princess Elizabeth Estate.
It had 3 stairwells instead of the usual 2 of other blocks.

Artisan Quarters Blk 11 (left) & Blk 15 (centre), Blk 16 (right)

Blk 16 Prince Charles Rise
Blk 16 was the row of shops #99-#102

#99 was Sin Wah Hin Provision Shop & Postal Agency.
#100 was the dhoby shop
#101 was the former PEECC replaced by "no. 10" provision shop
#102 was the 'Ah Pui" coffee shop.

Philip Walk (the footpath)
Artisan Quarters Blk 10 (left), Blk 8 (right- on Clarence walk)
& Blk 9 (behind Blk 8)
The football field was in front of Blks 9 & 10.

Clarence Walk Blk 8 (left) & Blk 7 (right)

The original P.E.E. wet market was located in the triangular 'square' above
and along the grass patch beside the footpath on the left.
In 1967 the wet market was shifted to a new location beside Hillview Ave
with 54 purpose built 'shops' - a fore runner of the dry market concept.
The footpath above is named Philip Walk.

Prince Charles Rise, Blk 17(left), Blk 18 (right).
The later PEE C.C. was built on this field.

The bus stop at Hillview Ave beside Blk 3.

Philip Walk
Blk 3 (Left) & Blk 2 (Right)

Clarence Walk is the footpath in front of Blk 8.
The track across the field was a shortcut created by pedestrian traffic.

Two young residents of the former P. E. estate.
Can anyone identify them?

Chandra, 11, from PEES streaks away from rivals barefooted.
National Primary Schools Athletic Meet at Chinese High School. 1971.
(SPH Photo courtesy of Prof Noordin Mohd Yusof)

Mr Lee Kuan Yew laying the foundation stone of
P.E.E. C.C. on 5th May 1963

The Chartered Bank at Hillview Road in 1957

Princess Elizabeth Estate School 1974.
Teacher on left is Mrs Teo Gek Eng.
(Appreciate assistance to identify the others)

Mr & Mrs Ronald Lim on their wedding day Nov 1966
Ronald Lim was the Organising Secretary at PEE C.C.

The field in front of Blk 21.
This was the smallest in the estate due to the bus terminus.

Beside PEES Elizabeth Drive

Elizabeth Drive bet Blk 21 and PEE School.
Notice the narrowness which barely allowed 2 cars to pass.
The school tuckshop in the background

The car park beside Blk 17 (in front of blk 21) c.1966.
The #173 bus terminated at this car park.
Notice the market stalls of the 'old market' on the left.

The same carpark. 4 lots for buses can be clearly seen.
Hillview Estate Blks 3 & 2 on the left. c. 1980s
(Due to objections from my sister, she's now 'the shadow'.)