• As it is close to Tanglin and is served by just one main road (Dempsey Road), Dempsey Hill was also previously known as Tanglin Village or simply Dempsey Road.
• The road was named after Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey, the commander of the British Second Army during the Second World War and the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Land Forces South East Asia after the war.
• In the 1850s, the area was a nutmeg plantation known as Mount Harriet. The plantation was jointly owned by William Willans (the Treasurer for the Crown Colony) and Hoo Ah Kay (also known as Whampoa).
• In May 1860, the British colonial government bought Mount Harriet from the two men for 25,000 Spanish silver dollars, and built black-andwhite bungalows in the area. It was developed into the Tanglin Barracks, and the British army eventually settled here in 1872.
• In 1971, with the withdrawal of the British troops, Singapore’s Ministry of Defence and the Central Manpower Base moved to Dempsey Hill.
• In the 1990s, following the Ministry of Defence’s relocation from the area, the area was subsequently managed by the Singapore Land Authority and leased to private operators.
• In 2007, this area was officially named Dempsey Hill.

The new guided tours launched this year include visits to Reflections at Bukit Chandu, Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, Dempsey Hill and Alexandra Hospital. The theme is on reflecting upon Singapore’s Second World War history from different perspectives. (Lianhe Zaobao, 12/2/2022)