Bukit Kalang

History:

Bukit Kalang is one of the earliest named hills in Singapore. It first appeared on maps on a hydrographic chart "...Survey Of The Straits Of Singapore..." published in 1846, made by Samuel Congalton, the Commander of the Steamer, Diana, and J. T. Thomson, Government Surveyor.

The original source of Kallang River is from this area, hence Kallang river and Bukit Kalang share the same name (minus name variation/corruption over the years). I am guessing that the Hill is named after the river. If so, then seemingly paradoxically, Kallang River has its source from Bukit Kalang literally, while Bukit Kalang has its literal source from Kallang River.

Bukit Kalang is situated in the headwater area of both the Kallang River and Seletar River systems. In the past, the Orang Laut tribes (suku), Orang Biduanda Kallang and Orang Seletar, respectively, living at the mouths and along these river systems, would probably have used these marshy river systems as a 'highway' through the interior of Singapore island, connecting the island's south coast to the island's north coast, and beyond to the Malay peninsula hinterland [1]. As the highest hill in the upriver area of both these two rivers, Bukit Kalang may well have been quite an important landmark then, historically.