Hoo Ah Kay

Hoo Ah Kay (Whampoa) was a noted Chinese businessman who ran Whampoa & Co., and, with an uncommon mastery over English, became the first and only Chinese to hold a position as extraordinary member in the Executive Legislative Council. He was also noted for entertaining dinners at his Whampoa home, renamed Bendemeer House and his fascinating Whampoa Gardens.

Hoo Ah Kay was born in Huangpo (Whampoa), Canton (Guangdong). He arrived in Singapore in 1830, a 15-year old eager to work for his father. His father had set up a provision shop located at the junction of Bonham Street and Boat Quay, supplying beef, bread and vegetables. Hoo Ah Kay inherited the business after his father's death. The company, Whampoa & Co., had adopted the name of his birthplace and as Hoo Ah Kay grew in fame, his company's name became synonymous with his own. By 1840, Whampoa & Co., then located at Telok Ayer, had established itself as a shipchandler to the British Royal Navy. His fluency in English gave Hoo Ah Kay an edge in business and social interaction and he gained business from Europe. However, these ventures brought him only losses.

One of them was setting up an ice-house in 1854 - known familiarly as Whampoa's Ice House - located close to Coleman Bridge on Boat Quay. The godown was constructed on land that had been part of the exchange for Whampoa's Tanglin plantations where the Botanical Gardens now stands. The Ice House became a landmark of sorts with its Victorian wrought-iron balustrades. Although the ice trade under the initiative of American Frederick Tudor boomed in an age prior to refrigerators, the demand for ice proved too low for Whampoa's business to succeed in Singapore. However, his ventures into bakery lasted much longer. The bakery began in Havelock Road and continued in Club Street as late as the 1980s.

He held positions of Counsul of Russia, China and Japan. When the Legislative Council was first formed in 1867, he was one of the Unofficial Members. In 1869, he became the first Asian member of the Legislative Council and within a few years was made an extraordinary member of the Executive Council, the first and only Chinese to have held this seat. On 10 May 1876, he received the honour of Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (C.M.G.) at a public investiture ceremony held by the Straits Settlements Governor.

However, to the society at large, it was his Whampoa House with its expansive gardens which he was more well-known for. This home was opened to the public during Chinese New Year and became a popular place for gatherings during that festive season. When he died, his remains were shipped on 31 May 1880 and buried on Danes Island opposite Guangdong.