Synopsis

There Was A Time: Singapore from Self-Rule to Independence 1959-1965 captures a pivotal chapter in the nation’s story through a rich photographic portrait of everyday life. Spanning the years from internal self-rule to full independence, the book presents a vivid look at how Singaporeans lived, worked, played, and gathered during a period of profound change.

The images bring back the texture of the streets and waterfronts, from bumboats crowding the Singapore River to children at play on five-foot ways, families enjoying sea breezes along Queen Elizabeth Walk, and the enduring ritual of eating at bustling hawker stalls. Both nostalgic and observant, it preserves the rhythm of ordinary moments against an extraordinary historical backdrop, offering older readers a powerful sense of recognition and giving new generations an intimate window into a simpler, unhurried Singapore.

About the Author

Lee Geok Boi is a Singaporean editor and writer known for shaping and documenting social memory through carefully curated non-fiction. She previously served as Assistant to the Editor at The Straits Times, working as an executive features writer and executive sub-editor, and she has also taught as an adjunct lecturer in Temasek Polytechnic’s Visual Communications diploma programme.

Since becoming an editorial consultant in 1989, she has contributed widely to publishing through writing, editing, and developing books that explore social history, corporate heritage, and food culture. Her work is recognised for bringing together narrative clarity and visual storytelling, helping readers connect personal experience and everyday detail to broader national and cultural change.