Saint John's Island also known as Saint John's is the largest of the

Southern Islands The Southern Islands is a planning area consisting of a collection of islets located within the Central Region of Singapore, once home to the native Malay islanders and sea nomads before they were relocated to the mainland for urban redevelopm ...

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

. Its indigenous Malay name is Pulau Sekijang Bendera. It is located approximately 6.5 km to the south of the main island of Singapore, off the

Straits of Singapore The Singapore Strait is a , strait between the Strait of Malacca in the west and the South China Sea in the east. Singapore is on the north of the channel, and the Indonesian Riau Islands are on the south. The two countries share a maritime ...

. It is accessible by taking by a boat from

Marina South Pier Marina South Pier is a pier that is located in Marina South, Singapore. It is used as a terminal for tourists and day-trippers who are boarding small boats and ferries heading for the Southern Islands. There are regular ferries from the pier to K ...

, and has a causeway connecting it directly to neighboring Lazarus Island. Saint John's Island in Singapore facing the city

Saint John's Island formerly housed a quarantine station for cholera cases detected among immigrants in the late 19th century, and starting from 1901, victims of

beriberi Thiamine deficiency is a medical condition of low levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1). A severe and chronic form is known as beriberi. The two main types in adults are wet beriberi and dry beriberi. Wet beriberi affects the cardiovascular system, ...

were also brought to the island. By 1930, the island gained world recognition as a quarantine centre screening immigrants and pilgrims returning from Mecca. The quarantine station was eventually also used to house victims of other diseases, such as leprosy. When mass immigration was closed in mid-20th century, the island was used to house a penal settlement and from 1955 a

drug rehabilitation Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin or amphetamines. The general intent i ...

centre. The 40.5-

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100- metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is ...

hilly island was transformed in 1975 into a tranquil getaway with swimming lagoons, beaches, picnic grounds, trekking routes and football fields. The island is also a haven for a host of flora and fauna, and is popular for weekend visits. There is also a small jetty at the southern end of the island to transport visitors to and from the mainland. St John's Island Panorama

The island, reputedly haunted according to some local traditions, was the site of Sir

Stamford Raffles Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British statesman who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816, and Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen between 1818 and 1824. He is ...

's anchorage before meeting the Malay chief of Singapore in 1819. St John's Island jetty

Also located on the island is the Tropical

Marine Science Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dyna ...

Institute, Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) of Singapore's Marine Aquaculture Centre. A detention centre for

illegal immigrants Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwa ...

still remains. Holiday-makers yearning for an island stay on Saint John's Island can book the Holiday Bungalow, which can accommodate up to 10 persons and comes furnished with a kitchen. Organised groups can stay over in the dormitories at the Holiday Camps which can take up to 60 persons. The dormitories are equipped with basic cooking facilities. Overnight stays are only allowed for occupants at the Holiday Bungalow and Holiday Camps.

External links

Satellite image of Pulau Sakijang Bendera
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Info for visitors
on wildsingapore
Public Ferry
to Saint John's and Kusu Islands
Photos of marine life at St. John's Island
from wildsingapore
Saint John's Island History
from Guidegecko.com
asbestos found on island
from tnp
Singapore Archipelago E1
- The history of Saint John's Island from the 19th century onwards is featured in the docuseries ''Singapore Archipelago'' produced by Sitting In Pictures in 2021, available on

meWatch meWATCH is a Singaporean digital video on demand service brand owned by Mediacorp. It was launched on 1 February 2013 as an over-the-top media service and an entertainment and lifestyle website Toggle. On 1 April 2015, xinmsn, an internet port ...

. {{Islands of Singapore Islands of Singapore Southern Islands