- Paya Lebar
englishname=Paya Lebar
chinesename=巴耶利巴
pinyin=bāyēlîbā
malayname=Paya Lebar
tamilname=பாய ளேபர்Paya Lebar is an area in the central-eastern part of
Singapore . It is served by Paya Lebar Station, on the East West Line of Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit system. It is also an urban planning area.Etymology and history
Paya Lebar was a large,
swamp y area close to theKallang River , hence its name. "Paya" means "swamp" and "lebar" means "wide" in Malay. This was an extensive and notorioussquatter district, whose inhabitants engage in cultivatingmarket produce, includingpig andpoultry rearing.One of the first persons to colonise this area was Richard Owen Norris (died 1905), who bought part of the area in 1865 and lived here with his family.
The admiralty wireless station was in this district in 1915.
In 1955,
Singapore International Airport (commonly referred to as "Paya Lebar Airport") was opened and became the area's chieflandmark , along with a number of housing estates, schools and factories.Paya Lebar Street was officially named in 1958, while Paya Lebar Way was named in 1972.
References
*Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2003), "Toponymics - A Study of Singapore Street Names", Eastern Universities Press, ISBN 981-210-205-1
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