Dalhousie Obelisk, Colonial monument at Empress Place, Singapore
The Dalhousie Obelisk is a stone monument standing near the Singapore River, rising approximately 15 meters tall with a plinth base. The stone plinth displays inscriptions in four different languages that explain its purpose as a commemorative marker.
The monument was erected in 1851 to commemorate a visit by the Governor-General of India to Singapore in February 1850. This structure ranks among the first public monuments built in the city, reflecting Singapore's growing importance to colonial rule.
The inscriptions in English, Chinese, Tamil, and Jawi script on the stone plinth represent the different communities that lived in Singapore during colonial times. You can see how the city valued multiple languages and cultures even then.
The monument sits in the Civic District near Empress Place and is easy to reach on foot, though the area can feel crowded with other sights. Visiting in the morning or late afternoon usually means fewer crowds around the structure.
The structure was designed by a surveying engineer whose technical skills were vital to Singapore's development and infrastructure. Its four-language inscriptions were hand-carved directly into the stone, a labor-intensive method rarely seen on modern monuments.
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