A few weekends ago, I went on the Singapore Women Pioneers Heritage Tour by The Fullerton Heritage. As we walked around the civic and cultural district, we were regaled with inspiring tales of trailblazing Singaporean pioneer women.

Our guide began by telling us about Ruth Wong, the first woman principal of the Teachers’ Training College and the founding director of the Institute of Education in Singapore. Education is very close to my heart and I was fascinated to hear about Ruth Wong and what she had done for teacher education.

As we walked along the Singapore River, we heard about Georgette Chen, one of a group of artists who established the regional ‘Nanyang Style’ of painting. The Singapore waterfront was often featured in her paintings and n 1982 she was awarded the Singapore Cultural Medallion.

In front of Old Parliament House, our guide mentioned Yu-Foo Yee Shoon and Halimah Yacob. Yu-Foo Yee Shoon was one of the first women to be elected as Member of Parliament and became the first woman mayor in 2001 when she was appointed to lead the South West Community Development Council.

Halimah Yacob was the first Singaporean to be elected to the governing body of the International Labor Organisation, the first female Speaker of Singapore’s Parliament in January 2013, and the first Malay woman to be elected an MP.

Old Supreme Court brought to mind Jenny Lau Buong Bee, the first woman to be appointed a district judge. She had earlier made Malayan legal history by becoming the first magistrate in Malaya.

At this point, our guide also spoke of Mary Quintal, the first woman Assistant Superintendent of police, and Zuraidah Abdullah, the first woman to become a Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police.

Our walk took us past the Merlion and back to Fullerton Hotel where we made our way up to The Lighthouse rooftop bar for a vantage view of the Marina Bay area. Cheong Koon Hean was the first woman to head the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and she led the planning of the Marina Bay precinct, creating the signature skyline that we were admiring.

Looking towards the Floating Platform, we were also reminded of the annual National Day parades and the usual military display. Our guide told us about Khoo Teh Lynn, Singapore’s first female jet fighter pilot, and Esther Tan Cheng Yin, the first female navy diver.

After the enriching and inspiring heritage walk, we retreated downstairs for our delicious and satisfying Purple Afternoon Tea with our limited edition Wonderful Woman plush bear. My personal favourites were the lavender financier, lavender flavoured macaroons, yuzu meringue tartlet, and tiger prawns with avruga caviar on sesame roll. Very thankful to The Fullerton Hotel for hosting us!

If you missed out on the promotions in celebration of International Women’s Day, The Fullerton Hotel is celebrating SG50 with a special room package that includes S$50 dining credit, a refreshing Merlion mocktail and a custom-designed Fullerton Merlion Plush Bear. There are also complimentary heritage tours that are open to hotel guests and to the public.