Blk 122 Mcnair Road (Kallang/Whampoa), HDB 4 Rooms - For Rent

McNair Road is a short stretch of road that lies adjacent to Towner Road, and is accessible via Balestier Road and Serangoon Road. It was named after Major John Federick Adolphus McNair (1828–1910),1 Singapore’s first Colonial Engineer.2 

McNair was responsible for the supervision of the construction of Government House (now known as the Istana),3 the original part of Empress Place Building4 and was also involved in the building of St Andrew’s Cathedral.5

In addition, he was a pioneer in prison management in Singapore.6 He also served as a Comptroller of Convicts between 1857 and 18777 and wrote a book Prisoners Their Own Warders in 1899.8 Outram Prison, which was established on 6 February 1847, was further extended in 1879 with design inputs by McNair.9 It remained Singapore’s largest prison facility until 1936, when Changi Prison was built.10