Nature's colony : empire, nation and environment in the Singapore Botanic Gardens

Established in 1859, Singapore’s Botanic Gardens has been important as a park, a scientific institution, and as an economic testing ground and launchpad for tropical plantation agriculture. Setting the Singapore gardens alongside the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and botanic gardens in India, Ceylon, Mauritius and the West Indies, this book tells the story of nature’s colony.

Established in 1859, the Singapore Botanic Gardens are arguably the most important colonial botanic gardens in the world. Not only have the Gardens been important as a park for Singaporeans and visitors, they have had a significant role as a scientific institution and as a testing ground for tropical plantation agriculture implemented around the world. As Timothy P. Barnard shows in Nature's Colony, underlying each of these uses is a broader story of the Botanic Gardens as an arena where power and the natural world meet and interact.Initially conceived to exploit nature for the benefit of empire, the Gardens were part of a symbolic struggle by administrators, scientists, and gardeners to assert dominance within Southeast Asia's tropical landscape, reflecting shifting understandings of power, science, and nature among local administrators and distant mentors in Britain. Consequently, as an outpost of imperial science, the Gardens were instrumental in the development of plantation crops, such as rubber and oil palm, which went on to shape landscapes across the globe. Since the independence of Singapore, the Gardens have played a role in the "greening" of the country and have been named as Singapore's first World Heritage Site.Setting the Gardens alongside the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and botanic gardens in India, Ceylon, Mauritius, and the West Indies, Nature's Colony provide the first in-depth look at the history of this influential institution.

Established in 1859, the Singapore Botanic Gardens are arguably the most important colonial botanic gardens in the world. Not only have the Gardens been important as a park for Singaporeans and visitors, they have had a significant role as a scientific institution and as a testing ground for tropical plantation agriculture implemented around the world. As Timothy P. Barnard shows in Nature’s Colony , underlying each of these uses is a broader story of the Botanic Gardens as an arena where power and the natural world meet and interact. Initially conceived to exploit nature for the benefit of empire, the Gardens were part of a symbolic struggle by administrators, scientists, and gardeners to assert dominance within Southeast Asia’s tropical landscape, reflecting shifting understandings of power, science, and nature among local administrators and distant mentors in Britain. Consequently, as an outpost of imperial science, the Gardens were instrumental in the development of plantation crops, such as rubber and oil palm, which went on to shape landscapes across the globe. Since the independence of Singapore, the Gardens have played a role in the “greening” of the country and have been named as Singapore’s first World Heritage Site. Setting the Gardens alongside the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and botanic gardens in India, Ceylon, Mauritius, and the West Indies, Nature’s Colony provide the first in-depth look at the history of this influential institution. Established In 1859, Singapore’s Botanic Gardens Has Served As A Park For Singaporeans And Visitors, A Scientific Institution, And A Testing Ground For Tropical Plantation Crops. Each Function Has Its Own Story, While The Gardens Also Fuel An Underlying Narrative Of The Juncture Of Administrative Authority And The Natural World. Created To Help Exploit Natural Resources For The British Empire, The Gardens Became Contested Ground In Conflicts Involving Administrators And Scientists That Reveal Shifting Understandings Of Power, Science And Nature In Singapore And In Britain. This Continued After Independence, When The Gardens Featured In The “greening” Of The Nation-state, And Became Singapore’s First World Heritage Site. Positioning The Singapore Botanic Gardens Alongside The Royal Botanic Gardens At Kew And Gardens In India, Ceylon, Mauritius And The West Indies, This Book Tells The Story Of Nature’s Colony—a Place Where Plants Were Collected, Classified And Cultivated To Change Our Understanding Of The Region And World. "Positioning the Singapore Botanic Gardens alongside the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and gardens in India, Ceylon, Mauritius and the West Indies, this book tells the story of nature's colony -- a place wehre plants were collected, classified and cultivated to change our understanding of the region and the world.'-- back cover