SINGAPOre persONALITIES
Mr. Donald Cameron Rae, F.R.I.B.A., D.A., is the first in our series of leading personalities in the Architectural profession of Singapore.
Born in Aberdeen in 1896, Mr. Rae was educated at the Robert Gordens College, Aberdeen, and gained his professional training with Mr. A. H. L. Mackinnon, A.R.L.B.A., of Aberdeen, the Greye School of Art, Aberdeen, and the Aberdeen School of Architecture of which he holds the Diploma of Architecture.
Mr. Rae served with a Field Company in Italy and France during the First World War returning to Aberdeen in 1919 where, after completing his training, he was appointed Architect with the Aberdeen Town Council.
Joining the Singapore Municipality in 1924 Mr. Rae was appointed Municipal Architect in 1931, and when the two Departments were combined in 1933 became the Town's Municipal Architect and Building Surveyor which post he has now held for the past 17 years.
For the first twelve months of the Japanese Occupation Mr. Rae was employed on building operations in connection with buildings housing essential services before being interned in Changi Gaol and Sime Road Prison Camp.
Mr. Rae controls a department having a staff of 65 of which 6 are qualified Architects and in addition a labour force of approximately 250 men of all trades who carry out the maintenance work of Municipal buildings and parks.
Apart from the considerable amount of maintenance and general miscellaneous work the annual volume of new work over the past four years has approximated $4,000,000.00 annually and the Department annually deals with approxi- mately 1,600 deposited plans for private building works and issues approximately 3,500 licences and permits,
The Department also controls the Town's rapidly expand- ing Parks and Open Spaces and its open-air Swimming Pools and Sports Stadiums.
In his younger days Mr. Rae was an enthusiastic sports- man with a keen interest in tennis, golf, bowls and horseman- ship and he still enjoys his early Sunday morning canter round the Catchment Area.
He also served with the Singapore Scottish Volunteers, being transferred to the Reserve of Officers in 1936 after 12 years service with the Unit.
During his 26 years in Singapore Mr. Rae has seen marked changes in the growth of this present great City of Singapore. The Municipal Commissioners have carried out few building schemes in the last quarter of a century which Mr. Rae has not designed or been connected with and the City's rapid development and the construction of many of its biggest buildings has taken place during his tenure of the office of Building Surveyor.
Mr. Rae is the doyen of the Municipal Departmental heads and has served under seven Municipal Presidents. For many years he has been a leading member of the Institute of Architects of Malaya and has filled the chair of President on a number of occasions. He has also been a member of the Board of Architects (which administers the Architects Ordinance) since 1931.
When Mr. Rae leaves Singapore on retirement in early March next year his wide fund of experience and his detailed knowledge of Singapore's building activities and problems will not only be greatly missed in the Municipality, but he will leave a very definite gap in the Architectural profession of the Colony.
It is particularly fitting that this tribute can be paid to Mr. Rae on the virtual eve of his retirement and this Journal wishes him and Mrs. Rae a well-earned and a very happy retirement in the land which all Scotsmen still think by far the best and where Mr. Rae's two children are at present completing their education.
LONDON
EDINBURGH CAIRO
BAGHDAD
SINGAPORE
WIMPEY
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