Singapore Recreation Club

“To see the Padang green and undiminished, with the SCC and the SRC, buildings of another era, guarding two ends of it, is to be reassured. It is a piece of Singapore I know, a reassuring sight of the familiar in a vastly changed city.” – Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore, 13 July 1986 The Singapore Recreation Club (SRC) was founded on 23 June 1883 by a group of thirty Eurasian men and was officially established on 1 July 1883. At that time, the Club was housed in a building on Waterloo Street. In 1884, a Pavilion was erected on the site of the Padang allocated to the Club. Two years later, the Club adopted navy blue and red as its corporate colours: navy blue for sportsmanship and red for the brotherhood of man in sports. By 1904, with increasing membership, construction of a Clubhouse commenced, with the foundation stone laid by President Mr Edwin Tessensohn. The Clubhouse was formally opened on 2 September 1905, the Governor of Singapore, Sir John Anderson. The addition of two wings was completed in 1931 and declared open by President Dr Noel Clarke. In 1963, Ordinary membership of the Club was opened to people of all communities in Singapore. With this substantial pool of multi-racial and multi-talented members, SRC established a forceful presence in the sporting arena since its early days. History was made again on 28 June 1997 when the current Clubhouse was unveiled at a grand opening ceremony officiated by Dr Tony Tan, then Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore and Minister of Defence. The objectives of the Club remain: to promote all forms of sports, recreation and social activities through an active calendar of events, as well as to participate in activities of national sports association and the Singapore National Olympic Council. The commitment to sporting excellence is enshrined in the Club’s Constitution and prevails to the present day.

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