The former Singapore Naval Base built by the British in the 1920s used to stretch all the way from Sembawang Road to the Causeway at Woodlands. The base, which took more than 10 years to build, was established to defend Britain’s interests in Asia Pacific.
Sembawang was the site where the most intensive military build-up took place under British rule. The Singapore Naval Base came equipped with facilities such as barracks, workshops and hospitals. When the graving dock of the base was officially opened in 1938, it was the biggest naval dock in the world then. Other military facilities such as the airbases at Sembawang and Seletar and garrison barracks in Nee Soon were also built to provide air and land support to the base. The build-up was so impressive that Singapore was known as the “Gibraltar of the East” as the defences seemed impregnable.
The establishment of Singapore Naval Base and its supporting military facilities also led to development in northern Singapore. Businesses such as bars, laundry services and motor workshops were set up to cater to the servicemen staying in the base. The base was also effectively a self-sustaining town, with shops, schools and even theatres within its boundaries. Large numbers of workers were also needed to keep the base running and many people from India, Indonesia and other parts of Singapore flocked here in search of work. As they settled down, they formed communities which legacies are still found in parts of Sembawang and Yishun today.