Dalhousie Obelisk
Empress Place
Civic District Trail 1, Marker 4

Dalhousie Obelisk situated on the banks of the Singapore River near Empress Place. The memorial commemorates the visit to Singapore in 1850 by Marquis Dalhousie, Governor-General of India. The memorial was constructed in hopes that Singapore would have better standard of living. This history connected with this monument educates the public of the history of Singapore, about how Dalhousie tried to have a better standard of living in Singapore to create a united community.

The Dalhousie Obelisk was built to commemorate the visit of the Governor-General of India, Lord Dalhousie, and his wife in 1850. The purpose of Dalhousie's visit was somehow considered by the locals as to defend free trade while he himself came here for considering the reduction of administrative expenditure. Some locals opined that this obelisk shouldn't have been constructed at all. Singapore was by then a thriving port under the British East India Company. The funds for the Obelisk were donated by the prosperous merchant community in the hopes that the visit would lead to dramatic improvements in public works, amenities and the administration of the settlement. Unfortunately, nothing concrete materialised from the visit and Dalhousie left negative impression in Singapore.

The Obelisk was designed by John Turnbull Thomson (1821-1884), a surveyor and engineer. During his years in Singapore, he produced maps of the Town, the Island and the Straits, and constructed roads and bridges. He was also responsible for the building of Horsburgh Lighthouse on Pedra Branca at the eastern entrance to the Singapore Straits.

The Obelisk was threatened by the construction of Connaught Drive in 1886. Governor Sir Cecil Clementi Smith intervened and ensured its safe removal to the banks of the Singapore River near Empress Place, where it has stood since 1891.