Newton, Singapore
| Newton | |
|---|---|
| Name transcription(s) | |
| • Chinese | 纽顿 |
| • Pinyin | Niǔdùn |
| • Malay | Newton |
| • Tamil | நியூட்டன் |
| Country |
 Singapore |
Newton is an urban planning area within the Central Region in Singapore.
The Newton Planning Area is defined by the region bounded by Bukit Timah Road to the north, Balmoral Road, Anderson Road, Orange Grove Road, Tanglin Road and Grange Road to the west, Claymore Road, Claymore Hill, Scotts Road, Mount Elizabeth, Nutmeg Road, Cairnhill Road, Central Expressway and Orchard Road to the south, and Sophia Road, Upper Wilkie Road and Mackenzie Road to the east. Its namesake Newton Road, however, is located within the Novena Planning Area, and starts at Newton Circus in the south and ends at the junction with Thomson Road in the north.
Etymology and history
Originally Syed Ali Road, Newton Road was renamed in 1914 after Howard Newton (died 1897), the Assistant Municipal Engineer in late nineteenth century Singapore, in order to avoid confusion with Syed Alwi Road.
In 1933, Newton Circus, a 40-foot (12 m) wide circular carriage way, was constructed for gyratory traffic according to a Singapore Improvement Trust layout at the focus of a number of converging roads, including Bukit Timah Road (to Johor), Dunearn Road, Newton Road, Keng Lee Road, Kampong Java Road, Bukit Timah Road (from town), Clemenceau Avenue and Scotts Road. As eight roads converge on the Circus, the Tamils used to call Newton ethumuchandi, or "the eight junction place".
Newton Circus has become the site of a major hawker centre, Newton Hawker Centre (now the Newton Food Centre), which attracts many Singaporeans and tourists alike in the evenings.
See also
References
- Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2003), Toponymics - A Study of Singapore Street Names, Eastern Universities Press, ISBN 981-210-205-1