The Watergardens at Canberra Location

The Watergardens at Canberra is located in the rustic Sembawang precinct which is in the Northern part of Singapore surrounded by Yishun in the east, Woodlands in the west, and the Straits of Johor to the north. In the early twentieth century, Sembawang was home to the British naval base which was subsequently handed back to the Singapore government and converted into a commercial dockyard, now known as Sembawang Shipyard.

The name Sembawang came from the Sembawang tree which was found in the area. This tree can be found at Sembawang Park.

Sembawang has a rich history that dated back to the twentieth century where it was the site for rubble plantations. Due to the modernization, the early inhabitants who lived in the kampongs started progressively to move out of the area.

Sembawang MRT was initially planned to be built on a later phase than other stations along the North-South line, but it was later revised due to the development in the vicinity. To maintain the kampong spirit living, Sembawang MRT features an attap kampong-styled roof over the MRT. The MRT station also has the highest number of bicycle stands for cyclists who worked at the Sembawang Shipyard.

In the 19^th century and early 20^th centuries, Sembawang Road was surrounded by rubber, pepper and gambier plantations that stretch from Sungei Sembawang to Seletar River.

Due to urbanisation, extensive land reclamation has left Sembawang with one of the country’s last natural beaches in Sembawang Park called Wak Hassan Beach. The once kampong-styled housing paved way for a new town built by Housing and Development Board. A new road, Gambas Avenue, was constructed to link Woodlands and Yishun together, thereby shortening the travelling time between Woodlands New Town and Sembawang Road.

Several recreational facilities can still be found in Sembawang like the Sembawang Park that was developed in the late 1970s, which is one of the biggest parks in the northern part of Singapore. As the awareness of biophilia increases, the park was lined with a wide variety of plants, linked by meandering footpaths and recreational facilities. Park Connector that runs from Tuah Road to Canberra Link via Sembawang Road that runs through residential estates to Sembawang Park was constructed. In this park, a prominent landmark, Beaulieu House, which was once an admiral’s residence still stands to this date. It has since been converted into a restaurant.

Another prominent landmark that was discovered in 1909 by a Chinese merchant is the Sembawang Hot Spring Park. It is a natural hot spring that is one of the two in Singapore, with the other in Pulau Tekong. Like hot springs worldwide, it is believed to provide health healing properties. The Park was redeveloped and reopened in January 2020 that features educational panels for visitors to learn about the park’s history and geology as well as new cascading pools and water collection points.

An upcoming communal amenity that will soon be coming to Sembawang residents is the Bukit Canberra. When its doors are fully opened, it will feature a verdant park-like setting and facilities such as a senior care centre, hawker centre, polyclinic, swimming pools and an indoor sports hall.

 The town’s connectivity was enhanced by the construction of a new Canberra MRT Station to the existing North-South line thereby shortening travelling time. The North-South Corridor will be a further road enhancement project that is underway. The North-South Corridor will feature a dedicated cycling route, pedestrian paths and bus lanes. Commuters will get to enjoy a smoother and faster journey to the city centre.