Katong Park has a long and varied history. It is hard to tell this from a casual visit to the park. Once a popular haunt for families who flocked to its seaside location, the park is now more than a stone’s throw away from the breaking waves of East Coast Park.
Nowadays, it looks like a serene neighbourhood park. However, if peel back the curtains of time, there is more to discover at Katong Park.
History of Katong Park
Katong Park was once the location of Fort Tanjong Katong, built in 1879. It was eventually abandoned and covered up in 1901. It is the fort which lends its name to present-day Fort Road.
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In 1950, the fort was rediscovered and one of its turrets was even used as a sandpit for kids. It was forgotten again until it was rediscovered in 2001.
Katong Park, which is built on top of the fort, opened in 1931. It had Singapore’s first public sea swimming enclosure. The park even had a bandstand, changing rooms and a playground.
The popularity of the park even led to a series of bombings in 1963 during the Konfrontasi. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
Nowadays, Katong Park is a lot more peaceful.
The neighbourhood park is filled with mature trees and has a stage platform area.
There is also a Katong Park Dog Run for furry friends to get in some run-time off the leash.
Katong Park Playground
The Katong Park Playground is a sandy spot where children can enjoy some play on the various pieces of equipment.
The Katong Park Playground has a platform structure for kids as well as an interesting looking swing and rope-based merry-go-round.
Close to the playground, there is a set of restrooms.
Remains of Tanjong Katong Fort
Part of the remains of Fort Tanjong Katong can be seen at the park. A map provides an overview of the fort’s layout, its bastions and even where its draw bridge once was.
The Rainbow Gum Tree
Something else which attracts the more aesthetically-driven crowd to Katong Park is its Mindanao Gum Tree, or Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree.
The tree with its colourful bark can be found a short distance away from the archaeological dig section of Fort Tanjong Katong.
Katong Park
With the opening of the Katong Park station along the Thomson East Coast Line, perhaps more people will be inclined to pay Katong Park a visit once again.
