Official Opening of the Istana Heritage Gallery

President Tony Tan Keng Yam officially opened the Istana Heritage Gallery on Friday, 7 October 2016. Located at the Istana Park along Orchard Road and opposite the Istana, the Istana Heritage Gallery offers visitors the opportunity to understand the history and heritage of the Istana.

2          Gazetted in 1992 as a National Monument along with Sri Temasek (formerly the Colonial Secretary’s house), the Istana mirrors the growth and development of Singapore from a colony to sovereign state. The Gallery explores the role and significance of the Istana, and captures the Istana’s transition from being the Colonial Governor’s House to its current role as the official Residence of the President. It also seeks to provide visitors with a glimpse into the Istana’s rich history through a specially curated range of heritage displays including state artefacts, artwork and state gifts received from foreign dignitaries by our past and present Presidents and Prime Ministers.

3          The state gifts are a highlight of the Gallery as this is the first time they are placed on permanent display for visitors to enjoy. They are lasting testimonies of Singapore’s friendship with other countries. The current display of 18 state gifts includes:

• A silver cigarette box, which is one of the earliest recorded gifts in the Istana’s collection. This was presented by His Excellency Raja Tun Uda Al-Haj bin Raja Muhammad, Governor of Penang, to Yang di-Pertuan Negara Encik Yusof bin Ishak in 1961;

• A bronze bust of an Induna, presented to President Ong Teng Cheong by His Excellency Nelson Mandela, President of the Republic of the South Africa, during his first state visit to Singapore in 1997;

• A pair of silver goblets which bears Singapore’s Coat of Arms and the Royal Cypher of Queen Elizabeth II – symbolising the longstanding friendship between these two countries. This was presented by Queen Elizabeth II to President S R Nathan in 2006; and

• A bronze medal presented to President Tony Tan Keng Yam by His Holiness Pope Francis of the Holy See to mark the 35^th anniversary of bilateral relations between Singapore and the Holy See and the first State Visit by a Singapore President to the Vatican City in 2016.

4          The Istana Heritage Gallery will complement the annual calendar of Istana Open House days and guided tours, and provide the public greater access to Istana’s rich heritage. It will also showcase the President’s constitutional, ceremonial and community roles, and the Istana’s special place in these aspects of the Singapore story. Members of the public may start visiting the Gallery from 8 October 2016.

5          The Istana Heritage Gallery is a collaboration between the President’s Office, the National Parks Board, the National Heritage Board and the National Library Board. More information about the various features and exhibits of the Istana Heritage Gallery can be found in the accompanying Media Factsheet.

PRESIDENT’S OFFICE

7 OCTOBER 2016

About the National Heritage Board

The National Heritage Board (NHB) was formed on 1 August 1993. As the custodian of Singapore’s heritage, NHB is responsible for telling the Singapore story, sharing the Singaporean experience and imparting our Singapore spirit.

NHB’s mission is to preserve and celebrate the shared heritage of our diverse communities, for the purpose of education, nation-building and cultural understanding. It manages the national museums and heritage institutions, and sets policies relating to heritage sites, monuments and the national collection. Through the national collection, NHB curates heritage programmes and presents exhibitions to connect the past, present and future generations of Singaporeans. NHB is a statutory board under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. Please visit www.nhb.gov.sg for more information.

About the National Parks Board

National Parks Board (NParks) is responsible for providing and enhancing the greenery of our City in a Garden. Beyond building green infrastructure, NParks is actively engaging the community to enhance the quality of our living environment.

NParks manages over 350 parks and 4 nature reserves. Adding to this is the extensive streetscape, or roadside greenery, that forms the backbone of our City in a Garden. An island-wide Park Connector Network is also being developed to link major parks, nature areas and residential estates.

As the lead agency on biodiversity conservation, NParks has developed an urban biodiversity conservation model, which aims to conserve representative eco-systems in land-scarce Singapore.  NParks also monitors and coordinates measures to enhance the presence of biodiversity in our urban landscape.

NParks is working closely with partners in the landscape and horticulture industry to increase productivity, and provide training for all levels of the workforce.  Enhancing competencies of the industry will support Singapore’s vision of being a City in a Garden.

For more information, visit www.nparks.gov.sg and www.facebook.com/nparksbuzz

About the National Library Board

The National Library Board (NLB) nurtures Readers for Life, Learning Communities and a Knowledgeable Nation. Through the National Library and its network of 26 public libraries, NLB promotes reading, learning and information literacy. By forging strategic partnerships to cultivate knowledge sharing, the libraries also encourage appreciation and awareness of Singapore’s history through their wide range of programmes and collection on Singapore and regional content. The National Archives of Singapore, an institution of NLB, oversees the collection, preservation and management of public and private archival records, including government files, private memoirs, maps, photographs, oral history interviews and audio-visual materials. NLB also uses innovative technology to provide access to its digital library resources and services, and archival collection. Established on 1 September 1995 as a statutory board, NLB is now under the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI).

For more information on NLB, please visit www.nlb.gov.sg