Tag Archives: singapore

Joseph Conrad’s Singapore

Posted on December 27, 2022 by ianburnet

In Conrad’s time the Post Office, the Harbour office, the offices of the ships chandlers and various shipping agents were situated along the harbourside with a view of the ships lined up in the Straits of Singapore. A rambling two-story … Continue reading →

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Fact from Fiction – A Review of Conrad’s EASTERN VOYAGES

Posted on May 24, 2021 by ianburnet

For many of us, Joseph Conrad is a famous English author known for such books as Lord Jim and Heart of Darkness, on which the films of the same name are based. Those of us who live in Sydney may, … Continue reading →

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East Indies – A Story of Spices, Gunpowder and Opium

Posted on July 18, 2017 by ianburnet

News Update. East Indies is now out in a paperback edition and available on order from your favorite bookstore or your favorite online retailer for A$29.95. In 1497 Vasco da Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope, his small Portuguese … Continue reading →

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The (almost) Forgotten Founder of Singapore

Posted on December 15, 2015 by ianburnet

I posted the following blog about William Farquhar and Singapore a year ago. I have always been surprised by the lack of recognition in Singapore for its co-founder William Farquhar. Please correct me if I am wrong but I cannot … Continue reading →

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The Forgotten Founder of Singapore

Posted on December 8, 2014 by ianburnet

I have always been surprised by the lack of recognition in Singapore for its co-founder William Farquhar. Please correct me if I am wrong but I cannot find a street or place named after him anywhere in the city. In … Continue reading →

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East Indies — The English East India Company and the Founding of Singapore

Posted on September 8, 2014 by ianburnet

Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore Friday Evening Lecture Series, 26 September 2014, 7 to 8:30 pm Speaker: Ian Burnet – Author This lecture is based on the speaker’s book ‘East Indies (2013). It follows trade winds and trade routes to the … Continue reading →

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‘East Indies’ at the Australian National Maritime Museum

Posted on January 28, 2014 by ianburnet

Book launch: East Indies book talk by Ian Burnet Sunday 16 February 2014| 2 pm – 4 pm A fascinating talk about the spice trade and its little known associated collateral. It documents the 200 year struggle between the Portuguese … Continue reading →

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‘East Indies’ — The first book reviews have started coming out

Posted on January 16, 2014 by ianburnet

The book reviews for ‘East Indies’ have started coming out and here is what they say: East Indies —- Book Review When you read East Indies by Ian Burnet, you can almost smell exotic spices over salt spray and wet … Continue reading →

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Malacca — Where it all started!

Posted on November 9, 2013 by ianburnet

For centuries Malacca was the fulcrum of East – West trade and was best described by its early Portuguese resident Tome Pires in 1514: “Men cannot estimate the worth of Malacca, on account of its greatness and profit. Malacca is … Continue reading →

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‘East Indies’ Book Launch September 21, 2013

Posted on October 10, 2013 by ianburnet

<img src="https://spiceislandsblog.files.wordpress.com   Adrian Vickers (Professor of South East Asian Studies at Sydney University) kindly launched the book ‘East Indies’ in front of an audience of 60 attendees at Gleebooks in Sydney. Here is the link to the video showing … Continue reading →

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