Many of us have spotted HDB doppelgängers overseas, such as the dense high-rise estates in Hong Kong or the public housing blocks in the UK. Beyond these familiar lookalikes, there’s one estate that’s actually built by Singapore’s HDB, sitting 1,330km away from our country on Christmas Island.
Back in the 1960s, HDB took on its first overseas project and constructed a full-fledged housing estate in the remote Australian territory. The blocks at Poon Saan still stand today, offering a rare glimpse into Singapore’s public housing history beyond our borders.
HDB’s first overseas project on Christmas Island
Before it became an Australian territory, Christmas Island was administered by Singapore until 1958. The island is best known for its red crab migration and phosphate mining, and is home to around 2,000 residents today.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the phosphate mining industry drew workers across Southeast Asia, including many from Singapore and Malaysia. To support the growing workforce and relocate families from South Point, an older residential settlement, Christmas Island authorities partnered with Singapore’s HDB in 1968 under the Asian Housing Programme.
Staff quarters at Poon Saan in the early 1970s.
Image adapted from: Christmas Island Tourism Association
Backed by a $2 million contract, this became HDB’s first overseas project, with 150 workers sent to build 7 blocks at Poon Saan. The precinct takes its name from Cantonese, meaning “halfway up the hill”, similar to how some neighbourhoods in Singapore have dialect naming roots.
The project marked a milestone for HDB, and it was even recognised in a 1969 Straits Times report as “the first time that professional services offered by Singapore had been utilised elsewhere”. The flats were initially owned by the mining company, before being transferred to the government and later sold to private owners.
Today, 5 of the original 7 blocks remain, standing as traces of Singapore’s public housing history far away from home.
HDB-style architecture in Poon Saan
Image credit: u/ArmedSweeping on Reddit
Anyone who grew up alongside older HDB flats will instantly recognise the Poon Saan blocks. These low-rise flats are 3 to 4 storeys tall, mostly comprising 4-room units and occupied by nearly 100 households.
One real estate listing even mentioned that the blocks sit roughly 800m above sea level. Some units offer a sweeping view of the Indian Ocean, which feels like a step above the seaview properties we’re used to in Singapore.
Image credit: realestate.com.au
While low-rise early-day HDB blocks are an increasingly rare sight here, the exterior of the Poon Saan blocks remains almost unchanged from the 1970s. The blocks retain familiar old-school HDB features, such as flat roofs, uniform pastel-coloured facades, and long access corridors.
When they were first completed, flats only had basic cement flooring, with no tiles or hot water supply. Satellite dishes were installed in 2016 and 2017 to provide Internet access, making it one of the few modern upgrades visible from the outside.
Image credit: Christmas Island Poon Saan Club on Facebook
Just like our familiar HDB mama shops and kopitiams, the ground floor of the blocks is home to sundry shops and eateries. Poon Saan also offers a community club, where elderly residents gather for mahjong, alongside a mix of cafes serving both Chinese and Western cuisines that reflect the island’s multicultural community.
Local Singaporean traditions are kept alive too, with festivities such as Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated at the community club. These events make Poon Saan feel more than just a housing estate, with a sense of community and vibrancy that’s similar to our neighbourhoods.
How much did it cost to live at Poon Saan?
Inside a unit at Poon Saan.
Image credit: realestate.com.au
Before you start dreaming about living on Christmas Island, here’s what it would cost to live in the HDB-built blocks at Poon Saan. 4-room units were valued at around $250,000 in 2015, while each flat only cost about $12,000 when they first launched in the early 1970s.
Unlike the 99-year leases we’re used to in Singapore, these properties are freehold, giving owners a level of security that many HDB residents back home can only envy.
HDB estate on Christmas Island
The historical Poon Saan precinct is listed on the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List for its Singaporean-inspired design, recognising its historical and architectural value. Any alterations or redevelopment require formal approval, ensuring the estate’s original character is preserved for the future.
Although parts of Christmas Island have evolved over the years, the remaining HDB-style blocks still preserve a part of Singapore’s public housing history. If you’re visiting Australia, you can reach the island with a 4-hour flight from Perth, and you might just be surprised to find a slice of home waiting there.
For more “did you know” reads:
- Why older HDB blocks still don’t have full lift access
- 7 lesser known facts about 38 Oxley Road
- 127-year-old Marine Parade bungalow worth over $100m
Cover image adapted from: u/ArmedSweeping on Reddit, realestate.com.au
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