Van Kleef Aquarium was an oceanarium located in Fort Canning Park facing River Valley Road, opened in 1955 and demolished in 1998. It was named after Karl Willem Benjamin Van Kleef, a Dutch residend in Singapore in the 19th and early 20th century, who donated his fortune to the Singaporean government to build the aquarium after his death. When the aquarium opened it contained 6,500 marine creatures of 180 different species.
During the 1970s the average number of visitors was about 400,000 annually. In 1991 Underwater World opened on Sentosa island, and most visitors went to the new aquarium. This led to the decision by the Ministry of National Development of Singapore to close the Van Kleef Aquarium in 1991. The building was demolished in 1998, even if is was a landmark in the cultural consciousness of many Singaporeans for almost half a century.
About the stamp
The stamp is part of the series National Day - Tourist Landmarks, issued on August 9, 2007.
• Chinatown (1st local)
• Kampong Glam (0.65 SGD)
• Little India (0.80 SGD) - It's on the postcard 3145
• Orchard Road (1.10 SGD)
• The Merlion (5.00 SGD)
References
Remembering Karl Van Kleef and the Van Kleef Aquarium - National Archives of Singapore
Sender: Pumipat
Sent from Singapore, on 18.07.2017
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