The Beaulieu House

Beaulieu House is located at 117 Beaulieu Road, within the grounds of what is now Sembawang Park. Believed to date back to the 1910s, the house was originally owned by prominent businessman J. B. David, before the building and the surrounding land were acquired by the colonial government in 1924 for the development of the Sembawang Naval Base. The building later became the residence of senior engineering staff involved in the building of the naval base; Vice-Admiral Geoffrey Layton from 1940 to 1942; and senior Royal Navy officers after World War II. When British forces withdrew from Singapore and the naval base was handed over to the Singapore government in 1968, part of the base, including the house, was developed into Sembawang Park in the late 1970s. Beaulieu House has been leased out as a restaurant since 1981. The building received conservation status on 8 April 2005.

Architecture
Built in a neo-classical style; the entrance of the building is flanked by wings on either side and topped with a sloping mansard roof. The patio is enclosed in intricate Victorian-style cast iron work. The interior features high ceilings, patterned floor tiles, and ornate plaster wall-finishing. In front of the building stand a jetty and a small stretch of beach.

Origins
The house was located at the end of what was previously known as Seletar Road but is now Sembawang Road, at a favourable site overlooking the Straits of Johore. It was probably built in the 1910s, during the period when other beachfront properties were also built in the Katong and Pasir Panjang areas. The building was a holiday bungalow belonging to J. B. (Joseph Brook) David (d. Calcutta, India, 1946), scion of the Jewish David family. A well-known businessman, David had mining interests in Malaya as well as horse racing and real estate interests in Singapore. His main residence was at 7 Oxley Rise, a mansion that was demolished and replaced in 1972 by the former Cockpit Hotel. He also maintained a residence at Nassim Road and owned the Indonesian island of Tanjong Balai, where he maintained a lavish holiday home. A colourful character, David moved in high society circles that included members of Malay royalty and senior British officials, and often held parties at his residences. David reportedly lent his holiday bungalow at Seletar to a newly married couple for their honeymoon in July 1923.

Naval base
In late 1923, the colonial government began acquiring land in Sembawang and Seletar for the development of a naval base. David was paid $105,000 for approximately 1,730 acres of land in the area, including the house.

The building was first referred to as Beaulieu House during the construction of the naval base, when it became the residence of Superintending Civil Engineer C. H. Cole and his family. During this period, the Coles hosted meetings of the Singapore Art Club and religious services at Beaulieu House. The naval base was completed in 1938. The house subsequently became the residence of the most senior British naval officer in Singapore, Vice-Admiral Geoffrey Layton, from 1940 to 1942.

After the Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945, the house was occupied by senior fleet officers, including Rear-Admiral Francis Brian P. Brayne-Nicholls, Chief of Staff of the Eastern Fleet, Far East Station (1963-1965), who sometimes received salutes from passing ships from the jetty in front of the house.

In January 1968, the British government announced its intention to withdraw its military forces from the Far East and to close the naval base by the end of 1971. In a ceremony held on 9 December 1968, British Minister for Defense (Administration) G. W. Reynolds officially handed over the naval base to Singapore Foreign Minister S. Rajaratnam. Responsibility for the various facilities within the naval base was then handed over to several government agencies for further development.

Restaurant
In November 1978, the Parks and Recreation Department announced plans to develop a new public park at the end of Sembawang Road, facing the Straits of Johore. Spanning 11ha, Sembawang Park would encompass Beaulieu House. Since 1981, the building has been leased out to Lim Hock Lye as a restaurant. The building was closed for renovation in the early 2000s and reopened in 2002.

Source: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1768_2011-05-20.html