It is the 153rd Anniversary of The Singapore Botanic Gardens which are a dynamic and living monument to the foresight of the founding fathers of Singapore. Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore and a keen naturalist, established the first botanical and experimental garden on Government Hill (Fort Canning Hill) in 1822, shortly after his arrival in Singapore. He aimed to introduce cultivation of economic crops such as cocoa and nutmeg. However, without a full-time salaried director and sufficient funding, the garden languished and was closed in 1829, after Raffles' death.
The Gardens at its present site was founded in 1859 by an Agri-Horticultural Society. Planned as a leisure garden and ornamental park, the Society organised flower shows and horticultural fetes. In 1874, the Society handed over management and maintenance of the site to the government. The scientific mission of the Gardens evolved when the colonial government assumed management and deployed Kew-trained botanists and horticulturists to administer the Gardens. I had the pleasure of spending many pleasant hours at these wonderful botanical gardens in 2011 and early this year too.
The three lovely stamps on the first day cover were issued by Singapore on 15.12.1979 in order to Commemorate the 120thAnniversary of the Botanic Gardens.
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