Wayfinding before modern roads existed? The 8 Mile Post holds a secret about Singapore’s past. Before modern road systems milestones marked the way. People found their way across the island using these stone markers. The 8 Mile Post is one such marker. These milestones stood about 1.6km apart. They were labelled with numbers to guide people. These markers led people across the island. They led people to both rural and modern areas.
The National Heritage Board documents Singapore’s milestone system. This happened after someone found what could be the last stone marker. Artist Akai Chew discovered a relic in May. It was hidden among tree roots. This was on the side of the road between Geylang Lorong 6 and 8. His Facebook post about it led to further investigation. Film-maker Chang Soh Kiak contacted NHB. NHB’s Impact Assessment and Mitigation team started a study on milestones.
NHB researchers called the mile post a rare find. The milestone system was implemented after the Singapore Municipal Committee began developing roads beyond the town center. These markers were likely introduced by the British around the 1840s. Early milestones were made of sandstone. Later milestones were made of granite. Markers were about 2m tall. About 35cm was exposed above ground.
Popular roads had mile posts. Hougang’s lark kok jio was also known as sixth milestone in Hokkien. Some names stuck. A station on the Bukit Panjang LRT Line is called Tenth Mile Junction. Mr Alvin Tan is assistant chief executive of policy and development at NHB. He said milestones represent a key component of the history of public roads in Singapore.
Freelance map consultant Mok Ly Yng said the milestone system was first mentioned in the Singapore Free Press in 1843. He said 25 milestones were purchased the year before by the British. The General Post Office was point zero for measuring road distances. It is where the Fullerton Hotel stands today. All roads stemmed from this point. The system traces its roots to the Roman Empire.
There had to be an address system. It helped authorities react to reports of tigers and murders across Singapore. The imperial system was replaced in the 1970s. It was replaced by the metric system using kilometers. Mile posts were gradually removed.
The Land Transport Authority removed the mile post discovered by Mr Chew due to road works. NHB worked with LTA to extract the marker. It is now part of the national collection. Mr Chew thought it was a pity the marker was removed. He said removing it removes it from its context. Heritage blogger Jerome Lim believes it might be more meaningful for the milestone to be preserved in a museum for greater public access.
The 8 Mile Post reminds us how people navigated Singapore. It shows a time before modern addresses. It is a piece of Singapore’s history. The General Post Office was point zero. It influenced perceptions of space and language. People thought of distance in milestones. It was common to refer to places by milestone. For example 7 Milestone Bukit Timah Road. This practice continued even after the metric system. Today the 8 Mile Post stands as a reminder. It connects us to Singapore’s colonial past. It shows how Singapore has developed.