There is a common reason as to why the Swiss, Hollandse and British clubs came into being; their nationals felt the need to have a place where they could congregate.

Their reasons for wanting to be together differed, though. For example, the first incarnation of Singapore’s Swiss Club was a rifle club in 1871 housed in an attap-roof hut, with its Swiss lineage indicated only by their country’s flag flying atop a pole.

Today the club, as well as the British and the Hollandse clubs, have evolved into homes away from home for the local European community and country clubs with myriad amenities for many other nationalities.

Yet, there are features of these buildings that make a distinct connection with their respective homelands.

Swiss club

Finding the Swiss Club isn’t difficult, especially since the road that leads there is named after it.

“In 1902, there weren’t any roads or buildings in Bukit Tinggi [where the club is located], which was why we bought the land - for the privacy,” says Heinz Iten, its present manager.

“So when they made the road, it led only to the Swiss Club, which was why they called it Swiss Club Road.”

The Swiss Club was founded in 1871 by Otto Alder, who was in the weaving industry.

With little to do at weekends, he and his fellow Swiss came together to partake in their country’s national sport - rifle shooting. first known as the Swiss Rifle Shooting Club of Singapore, it was situated in the forests off Balestier Road. There, a wooden hut sheltered members from the heat.

The club moved to the expansive 15-hectare site at Bukit Tinggi (‘high hill’ in Malay) in 1902, but it wasn’t until 1925 that its name was changed to the Swiss Club - a natural move, as it had evolved into more of a social club for the growing Swiss community in Singapore.

Designed by then club president HR Arbenz, the club one sees today was constructed in 1927. Inspired by the lines and turreted roofs of chalets found in the mountains of Switzerland, the building’s exterior is painted in the red and white of the Swiss flag.

You will no longer hear the sound of gunfire, as the shooting range closed in the 80s and all the rifles were destroyed about three years ago.

"The only shots now are from tennis and soccer balls,” says Heinz, with a laugh. “But we still have one of the historic rifles on display.”

Village square fountain in front of the Swiss Club

Other vestiges of Swiss identity are apparent, including the numerous sculptures of cows - which bring to mind Switzerland’s famed dairy exports - dotting the garden. At the garden’s edge is a scaled-down version of a chalet, another Swiss symbol.

“The Swiss embassy donated the chalet, and members can rent it to host parties and enjoy the Swiss national dish of fondue,” explains Heinz, a 56-year old Singapore Permanent Resident.

Though the Swiss still make up the majority of the club’s membership, there are members of 32 other nationalities.

“Like Switzerland, the club has become more international over the last 30 years,” explains Heinz, who adds that the club today has 1,500 members. And with German membership almost equalling that of Swiss, the traditional German annual fair of Oktoberfest is now held on the Swiss Club’s grounds.

Embodying this community spirit is the fountain at the club’s entrance. “Such fountains are found in most village squares in Switzerland,” says Heinz. “I brought it in four years ago because the club has become like a village as well, bringing together the Swiss here, along with many others.”

Where to find them
Swiss Club
36 Swiss Club Road
Available visiting memberships range from 1-6 months.

A bit of British

The British Club was only established in 1983.

Getting to the British Club atop Bukit Tinggi, on land leased from the Swiss Club, means a workout if you are approaching it on foot.

Reasons behind the club’s choice of location aren’t clear, though the late Mike Gorrie -its president from 1989 to 1990 - is quoted on the club’s website as having said: “I can’t help wondering how it was that the first three Club Presidents, and many of the original committee, were Scots, as was our much loved architect Jamie Ferrie.

“The Scots have a predilection for highlands and perhaps that is what drew us to Bukit Tinggi.”

The British Club’s history only began in 1983. Before its inception, Singapore’s British community congregated at the Tanglin Club, founded in 1865.

“Singapore was a British colony, so there wasn’t a reason for the British to have a place to call their own,” says general manager Sean Boyle of those days prior to Singapore’s independence in 1965.

“As far as the British were concerned, all of Singapore was theirs at the time.”

To accomodate Singapore’s growing multi-racial society, the Tanglin Club opened its doors to all races in 1962. Still, the British community wanted a place to remind them of home. This led to a decision to start the British Club in its current location at Bukit Tinggi.

That’s not to say that the club is exclusively British, as membership is open to those of other nationalities. Just over 50 per cent of the 2,300 or so members are British.

Architecturally, the club isn’t ‘British’ at first glance. Take a closer look though, and you’ll be greeted by two icons of British culture.

At one side is a red telephone box flown in from England for the club’s official opening in 1987, complete with a working phone.

The other side is a ‘lamp box’, the smallest of the post boxes introduced by the Royal Mail in the United Kingdom in the late 1800s. The one at the club is no mere ornament, as members still use it to post their mail.

Sean explains that these light touches are representative of the club’s identity - an international club with a British ambience.

“More than anything else, it shows what the club is about—being a home for British culture in a tropical sanctuary,” says the 55-year-old Singapore Permanent Resident.

Where to find them
British Club
73 Bukit Tinggi Road
The club offers a three-month Summer membership that is available from 1 June - 30 August

Going Dutch

The Hollandse Club (or Dutch Club, as it’s sometimes called) has one thing in common with the British and Swiss clubs - an uphill driveway.

The Dutch presence was already prevalent in Singapore in the early 1900s,with businesses like bank Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij (known today as ABN AMRO) and the Hotel van Wijk set up in the Collyer Quay area.

“This was mostly due to overflow from Indonesia, one of the biggest Dutch colonies then,” says Andrew Baartscheer, a former president of the club and its current Heritage Committee chairman. “Singapore was already establishing itself as a financial and maritime hub, so the Dutch in Indonesia saw an opportunity and came.”

The late businessman Jacob Christian Koopman, who was then president of Hotel van Wijk, opened the doors of his Grange Road home to his countrymen in 1908. The space quickly became inadequate, so he bought land at Cairnhill Road to construct a bigger colonial style building, officially launching the Hollandse Club in 1912.

According to Andrew, a Dutch exodus from Indonesia began after the colony declared independence from the Netherlands in 1946. Singapore became a transit point for those who were torn between staying in Asia and returning to the Netherlands.

“It was a difficult decision for them,” says the 47-year-old Dutchman. “Many had grown up in Asia, so they weren’t sure where they could call home.”

No one knows what became of the Cairnhill Road building during World War II as all records have been lost, says Andrew.

But it was in a poor state of neglect after the war. For the Dutch who stayed on in Singapore, however, it seemed natural that the Hollandse Club open its doors again. So NederlandscheHandel-Maatschappij, together with other Dutch businesses in Singapore, pooled resources to open the club’s current incarnation at Camden Park in 1950.

The large roofs and brick exteriors of Dutch farmhouses inspired its design. “Using bricks for our farmhouses in Holland is for aesthetic and practical reasons,” explains Andrew. “There is a space of about 5cm between the concrete and brick walls where insulation material is placed to keep the house cool during summer, and warm during winter.”

Standing guard at the entrance’s doors are what Andrew considers “symbols of Amsterdam” - traffic poles.

“These are common in Amsterdam to prevent illegal parking, and feature the three Saint Andrew Crosses from the Amsterdam coat of arms,” says Andrew.

He brought the poles to the club a few years ago, and even wears a traffic pole pendant on a chain around his neck.

Also at the club’s entrance is a red mailbox donated by Dutch express and mail delivery company TNT about 45 years ago. Members still use it to post their letters, which TNT then collects and delivers to SingPost.

Countless renovations have been made to the club to accommodate its current 1,800 members. Thirty per cent are Dutch nationals - a minimum requirement - but 39 other nationalities make up the rest.

Wood is used prominently in the bar and restaurant areas to provide a homely feeling typical of a Dutch residence.

Adding to the atmosphere is a ship’s bell whose engravings state it was presented to the club by a shipping company from Groningen, Amsterdam.

Andrew surmises that a Dutch ship docked here and donated it, but warns against ringing it, unless you’re feeling generous. “A club tradition is that whoever rings the bell foots the bill for whoever’s in the bar at that moment,” he discloses.

Near the gym is a bronze statue of a little boy with his dog. Andrew says it is typically Dutch, with the boy in his knickerbockers.

“What’s ironic is that it’s not from Holland - a member donated it to the club after buying it in Thailand around 30 years ago!”

Where to find them
Hollandse Club
22 Camden Park
There are temporary memberships for tourists, available on a case-by-case basis.

* This article was written by Gene Khor and first published in Singapore Magazine (Apr-Jun 2011 issue).