Roland John Farrer (1873 – 24 July 1956) was a British colonial administrator who served as President of the

Municipal Commission of Singapore The Municipal Commission of Singapore was a body created in 1887 by the British colonial government to replace the Municipal Committee that was created in June 1848. The role of the commission was to manage key services for the Town of Singapo ...

from 1919 to 1931.

Early life and education

Farrer was born in 1873 in London, the son of Frederick Willis Farrer. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

Career

Farrer joined the

Straits Settlements The Straits Settlements () were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under control of the ...

civil service as a cadet in 1896. From 1897 to 1907, he served in

Province Wellesley A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provin ...

, except for the period 1901–02 when he served in the Singapore Secretariat. From 1908 to 1911, he served in the Land Office in Singapore, and from 1911 to 1915, served as Municipal Assessor. In 1915, he was transferred to

Kelantan Kelantan (; Kelantan-Pattani Malay, Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate''; ) is a state in Malaysia. The capital, Kota Bharu, includes the royal seat of Kubang Kerian. The honorific, honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' ("The Blissful Abode"). ...

where he served as acting British Adviser until 1919. In 1919, Farrer returned to Singapore where he served as President of the Municipal Commissioners, remaining in office until 1931. In 1928, due to his valuable services, his term was extended by special request for a further three years. During his 12 years as Municipal President, he played a leading role in the civic life and progress of Singapore in the post-War period, overseeing its almost complete transformation. Major public works carried out during his administration included the construction of the

Municipal Building Municipal Building may refer to the following places: United States Arkansas *Crossett Municipal Building, Crossett, AR *Municipal Building (El Dorado, Arkansas), El Dorado, AR *Texarkana, Arkansas, Municipal Building, Texarkana, AR California *V ...

; the St James's Power Station; Gunung Pulai Public Water Works; the

Fort Canning Reservoir The following is a list of service reservoirs in Singapore. There are currently 9 service reservoirs operating in Singapore which are used to store potable water. Changi Creek Reservoir Changi Creek Reservoir is a small service reservoir locat ...

; rebuilding and expansion of the sewerage system, and many new roads and bridges including Elgin Bridge. Trams were replaced by trolley-buses which reduced noise and the cost of upkeep of the roads. His term as president also saw Municipal revenue increase from $3 million to $16 million, and an increase in personnel in municipal services. He was succeeded by William Bartley on his retirement in 1931.

Personal life and death

Farrer died on 24 July 1956 at the home of his son on

Saint John's Island Saint John's Island ( ), also known as St John's, is an island in the Straits of Singapore located 6.5 km off the southern coast of Singapore. With an area of , it is the largest of the Sisters' Islands Marine Park, Marine Park islands wh ...

, Singapore, aged 84, and was buried at

Bidadari Cemetery Bidadari Cemetery ( Malay: ''Perkuburan Bidadari'', lit. ''Cemetery of the Angels'', Chinese: 比达达利坟场) is a defunct cemetery in Singapore. It used to serve the Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Sinhalese communities, and accepted burials ...

Honours and legacy

Farrer was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George ( CMG) in the

1930 New Year Honours The 1930 New Year Honours were appointments by King George V to Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the United Kingdom and British Empire. They were a ...

Farrer Park Farrer Park is a subzone of the Rochor planning area in the Central Region of Singapore, as defined by the Urban Redevelopment Authority bounded by Serangoon Road, Rangoon Road, Race Course Road, Northumberland Road, Tekka Lane and Bukit Timah ...

and Farrer Road in Singapore were named after him.

References

{{authority control 1873 births 1956 deaths People educated at Eton College Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Administrators in British Singapore Administrators in British Malaya