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Sunday, June 25, 2017

Stories from the Relics of the 50s & 60s

These are the records which I managed to retrieve from my mother's cupboard, documenting some part of my parent's life in the 50s and 60s.

My father went to Raffles Institution in the late 40s from Outram but it seemed that he did not complete the full years there. He took a Diploma in Bible Studies and later took the external (British) Accountancy course and examinations.




  The Diploma my father obtained through correspondence school 1950

A letter of Recommendation in 1950

 Leaving certificate 1950s
Application for exemption in his Accountancy Course 1956

 My father's Birth Certificate 1930s
Job application for post of Inspector in the Police force 1950

Meanwhile my mother enrolled into evening class in the early 50s

List of LPs in my father's collection




He finally found a job as a Clerk in Singapore Harbour Board (SHB) at Keppel area. His annual salary was $3240 in 1956 till $3986 in 1962, a raise of $750 in 7 years!!



My father's detailed records of the Salary Scale and the salaries of some of the SHB Workers then in the early 1960s.



The Pass to the SHB Dockyard area was renewed every 6 months

        He kept the receipts of the SHB Staff Association membership


Vaccination cards in the 50s and 60s


Record of collections from colleagues at SHB 1963

We lived in Margaret Drive after moving out from grandfather's place at Silat Road. It was a large 3-room 3-storey SIT flat where the present Dawson flats are being built.

 1958 Rental agreement with SIT for 242A Margaret Drive

Receipt for payment of rental 1958

Envelop to a past competition in the 60s where hair grooming was important

 Poll Card for General Election in the 60s

A receipt for gold purchase in the 60s

Insurance Certificate 1960s

Primary school's School fees receipts in the 60s

In August 1963 when my father passed away, we (my mother and a brood of 4 sons) have to move out of Margaret Drive to a much smaller unit at Blk 5 Bukit Ho Swee. It was a SINGLE room unit with communal toilets. A couple years later, these few blocks were demolished and we moved to a unit at nearby Block 13 which came with our own toilet!! Presently Boon Tiong HDB blocks occupied the area where Block 13 was.

Appeal for remission of my school fee in secondary school



Even in the dark times, my mother's application for an Istana job was rejected after the interview. She finally found a job at The Botanic Gardens.
PUB receipt during our stay in Bukit Ho Swee

Fortunately the Social Welfare Department gave us a monthly allowance to see us through the dark days.


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