The ACS Story

GRAND ENDEAVOURS

Our school's history is rich and exciting. The following timeline provides you a visual representation of the ACSian story from one school with 13 boys to the thriving 7 schools that we are today.

GROW OLD ALONG WITH ME, THE BEST IS YET TO BE.

1885

7 FEBRUARY 1885
ARRIVAL IN SINGAPORE

Upon arriving in Singapore, Rev Oldham was struck by the sight of the many Chinese boys roaming the streets of Chinatown. One day, while on a stroll along one of the Chinatown streets, he came across a signboard bearing the caption "The Celestial Reasoning Association"

LECTURE ON ASTRONOMY

Rev Oldham was invited to give a lecture on astronomy to Chinese businessmen at the club dinner. The next morning, Rev Oldham received a request from a member of the Singapore Legislative Council — Mr Tan, to be his English Tutor. Rev Oldham accepted the appointment and soon, Mr Tan began to "make finer English speeches than he had been thought capable of."

Word of the success of Rev Oldham's English lessons started to spread. Rev Oldham was asked to be an English Tutor to several of the members who had attended his lecture. However, Rev Oldham turned them down and offered to teach their sons instead. The Chinese businessmen accepted this proposal and thus opened the door for Rev Oldham to begin classes for boys from influential Chinese circles.

1886

1 MARCH 1886
AMOY STREET

A handbill was posted advertising Rev Oldham's classes. On the 1st of March 1886, the Anglo-Chinese School opened with 13 sons of these Chinese businessmen. The school opened its doors in a rented shophouse on 70 Amoy Street.

Among the first pupils to be enrolled were Koh Kim Beng, Ong Soon Tee, Lim Tay Bee, Tan Cheng Tit and Tan Cheng Kee.

15 NOVEMBER 1886
COLEMAN STREET

The school moved to Coleman Street on 15 November 1886. 28 names made up the first roll at Coleman Street.

The first building was erected at an expense of about $4,000. The new building had two storeys and a "footprint" of approximately 22.6m x 18.3m.

Did you know?

Miss Sophia Blackmore also stayed in these quarters in 1887 when she arrived in Singapore.

The building was the home of the pastor-principal, and also a chapel, a boarding school and a day school. The first staff of teachers consisted of Rev Oldham, Mrs Oldham, Mr Webb and Madden with a few local helpers.

In July 1893, a new front section was built with a grant of $3,000. This allowed the school to double its capacity to 400 pupils housed under one roof.

It was also at Coleman Street that the seeds which later bloomed into Oldham Hall and Nind Home were sown. Here, Rev Oldham took in students whose parents needed help caring for them while they were out of town.

1887

1 APRIL 1897
BELLEVUE

Soon, the premises at Coleman Street were overtaxed and $12,000 was raised with the help of Mr Tan Jiak Kim for the purchase of Bellevue, an old bungalow situated at the end of Oldham Lane. By 1 April 1897, the new Bellevue premises were completed. Bellevue served as missionary quarters and the boarding department for the next few years.

In 1896, Rev Kelso, the School Principal, decided on the name "Bellevue" for the boys' boarding house.

1926

14 DECEMBER 1926
DUNEARN HOUSE

In 1925, the Methodist Church purchased Dunearn House from Mdm Tan Teck Neo, the widow of Mr Lee Choon Guan, to house missionaries and students of Anglo-Chinese School.

On 14 December 1926, the Rev and Mrs F. H. Sullivan, together with the Oldham Hall boys, marched from the "Bellevue" location to their new home at "Dunearn House", at Barker Road.

1928

1928-1950
CAIRNHILL

As enrolment continued to grow steadily, the premises at Coleman Street were once again congested. It was initially proposed that a new primary school be built at Oldham Lane. However, soil conditions were not favourable for the construction of a concrete building.

As such, the building at Cairnhill was purchased for approximately $115,000. This sum was raised through a campaign run by Rev Peach. Some of the principal donors of this sum were the Government, Mr Lim Peng Siang, Mr Tan Chin Tuan and Mr Tan Kah Kee.

The building was designed in a "semi-Chinese style" and was described as "unusual in appearance but very attractive". The new building was officially opened on 17 November 1928.

1942 - 1945

JAPANESE OCCUPATION

After the school moved to Cairnhill, studies were interrupted due to the Japanese occupation.
-LEARN MORE ABOUT THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION IN SINGAPORE

1950's

29 SEPTEMBER 1950
BARKER ROAD

The building of Barker Road was launched in 1948 by Rev Dr Herbert Peterson and was declared open by then Governor of Singapore, Sir Franklin Gimson.

Since 1950, Barker Road has been known as The Hill.

The new building boasted 21 spacious classrooms, a 1,200 seater assembly hall and up-to-date science laboratories. The property at Barker Road also included some missionary residences made available by the Methodist Mission.

For the next 50 years, the Barker Road campus served the Secondary School and the Post School Certificate/Pre-University classes. Through the new Post-School Certificate Classes, girls were admitted for the first time in ACS.

Did you know?

The land on which Barker Road sits was once owned by Mrs Lee Choon Guan, the daughter of Mr Tan Keong Saik, one of Rev Oldham's earliest supporters.

Mrs Lee and her sisters were tutored at home by a teacher provided by Miss Sophia Blackmore. It was purchased for $85,000.

1951
PRIMARY SCHOOL ENROLMENT

During this time, the primary school enrolment at ACS was growing. A group of boys were moved from the Coleman Street campus to Barker Road. Mr Thio Chan Bee took charge of the lower school.

Life at school revolved around lessons, games, sports and chapel services at the Oldham Hall building. There was also a small plot of land set aside for a gardening project.

1957
ANGLO-CHINESE JUNIOR SCHOOL

The school's name was officially changed to Anglo-Chinese Junior School.

1968

1968
SPORTS COMPLEX
The new Sports Complex was completed in 1968. This allowed swimming to become a regular part of the Physical Education curriculum.

1980's

1984-1985
MOVE TO CAIRNHILL

Some of the classrooms in Barker Road were demolished to make way for Oldham Hall. To make up for the loss of these classrooms, some of the boys moved to the new campus on Cairnhill provided by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

$4.3 million needed to be raised to complete the redevelopment of the Cairnhill campus. This was on top of the $6.7 million grant from the MOE. Shaw Foundation donated $1.5 million. The rest of the money was donated by Parents, Old Boys and through a fund-raising dinner and swimathon.

By early 1984, one section of the redevelopment project was already completed, allowing some of the boys to move to Cairnhill.

1985
OLDHAM HALL

Costing approximately $15 million, the new Oldham Hall was fully funded and when completed in 1985, was managed by the School and Barker Road Methodist Church.

22 MARCH 1986
PECK HAY ROAD CAMPUS

The campus was officially opened on 22 March 1986 by Mr Shaw Vee Meng.

2000's

2000
BURIED TIME-CAPSULE
In 2000, a time-capsule containing various items was buried during Founder's Day. This time-capsule was opened 10 years later in 2010.

2009
WINSTEDT ROAD
After almost 30 years at the Peck Hay Road campus, classes began at Winstedt Road, the current campus.