Published under the direction of John Povanaris, this rare almanac is crammed with interesting material relating to Singapore, Malacca, Sarawak, Penang and Labuan.
It includes listings of Government employees, and a “List of the Principal Inhabitants and their Addresses in Singapore” (professions are also listed). The multicultural population of the Straits Settlements are reflected in the calendar that notes Chinese New Year began on 11 February, Rosh Hashanah “the Jewish Era” on 6 September, and Ramadan “Ramalan” on 5 December. There are other salient tables, legislation, shipping information, and business data: this directory is a major source of information, invaluable for research into the colony at this period.
Singapore was initially reliant on the British-run press at Malacca, which was established in 1806. Printing began in the island itself in 1823 at the Mission Press, by the London Missionary Society. It concentrated on religious texts though was officially sanctioned by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles and began issuing government documents. Almanacs were initially issued by The Straits Times, first in 1845 as The Singapore Almanac and Directory and later under other titles. The Straits Calendar and Directory had a rival, the Colonial Directory, that was published by the Mission Press.
All issues are rare. OCLC locates a single copy at the National Library of Singapore.
