1947 British GHQ Map of Singapore and Johore Bahru, Malaysia

This is a 1947 British Army General HQ map of Singapore and Johore Bahru, Malaysia, issued shortly after the dissolution of the Straits Settlements and the incorporation of Singapore as a separate Crown Colony. With greater self-governance, and bourgeoning international trade, Singapore flourished in the Post-War decades, setting the stage for independence in 1959.

A Closer Look

This impressively detailed map includes a meticulous mapping of individual sites throughout, including private estates, civic structures, military bases, airfields, and more. Many individual structures are labeled within Singapore city, including Raffles College, military barracks, museums, hospitals, municipal offices, and more. Johore Bahru is depicted with the same level of detail. Beyond the highly developed urban centers, the map leverages coding to define types of forests and changes in terrain. Topography is illustrated using the contour system.

Publication History and Census

This map was published in numerous editions by a host of British and colonial agencies. The present example is the fifth edition, first released in 1946, here updated by the Royal Indian Engineers Survey to June 1947.