SINGAPORE RIVER WALK

Ord Bridge
A simple, elegant steel structure with ornamental balustrades and girders, Ord Bridge was opened in 1886 and named after Sir Harry St George Ord, Singapore’s first Governor after the island became a Crown Colony.

Ord was known as an efficient but hard-nosed Governor as he sought to stamp out inefficiency and corruption in the colonial bureaucracy. To tackle abuses in the coolie trade that had led to inhumane treatment and kidnapping of newly arrived coolies, he introduced a Chinese Coolie Immigration Bill in 1873.

The bridge linked River Valley Road to Magazine Road, where ammunition was once stored. Due to its original paintwork, Ord Bridge was also known as Green Bridge in the various local languages, as was Toddy Bridge, as many shops selling toddy (palm liquor) operated in the area until the 1970s.

The Singapore River Walk is adopted by American Express.

[Image: View of Singapore River with Ord Bridge, 1970]
Courtesy of National Archives of Singapore

Logo of National Heritage Board
Logo of American Express

The bridge image was taken by the same photographer that day Click for a larger image

The sign is part of the signs in the River walk Click for sign's details