Up to the 1930s, the area from the mouth of Seletar River to where Sembawang is today was known as Seletar. Most probably, the name came from this river, which was first mentioned in the 17th century work, Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals). The annals reported that in 1401, the ruler of Singapore, Iskandar Shah, escaped to Muar via Seletar River from the invading Javanese.
Seletar River played a crucial role in the development of this area. The first migrants here arrived via the river. Plantations were first established at the foot of the river and along it, before extending northwards. Businessmen used to ship their produce to the town by taking a boat down Seletar River and round East Coast. Today Seletar River pours into two impounding reservoirs - Lower Seletar and Upper Seletar Reservoirs.