Harold Fairburn
Encyclopedia
Harold Fairburn, CMG, KPM, (1884-1973) was the Inspector General
of the Straits Settlements Police
in Singapore from 1925 to 1935.
The son of a schoolmaster, he spent his early life in Suffolk, England before joining the Straits Settlements Police as a cadet in 1904. His training included a twenty month period spent in China, where cadets learnt the language and gained an understanding of Chinese culture. He went on to become the first police cadet to be made an Inspector General, succeeding G C Denham in 1925. With the support of the Straits Settlements governor Hugh Clifford
, he initiated an extensive reorganisation of the police force. This included the construction of new police stations and officer's barracks, many of which remain as distinctive landmarks in Singapore.
He is recognised as having worked towards improving the salaries and working conditions of serving officers. In the years following World War I the rising level of inflation had significantly reduced the value of wages, which lead to an increase in the amount of debt amongst junior officers. In 1926, he became the president and advisor to the Singapore Police Cooperative Thrift and Loan Society, which gave officers their own collective credit scheme and also helped them to manage savings.
Following ten years as Inspector General, he retired and returned to England to live in Hampshire, handing his position over to René Onraet in 1935. Fairburn Channel is a shipping lane
through the Singapore Southern Islands
that was named after him.
Commissioner of Police (Singapore)
The Commissioner of Police is the top-ranking police officer of the Singapore Police Force. Assisted by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, he reports to the Minister for Home Affairs....
of the Straits Settlements Police
Singapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
in Singapore from 1925 to 1935.
The son of a schoolmaster, he spent his early life in Suffolk, England before joining the Straits Settlements Police as a cadet in 1904. His training included a twenty month period spent in China, where cadets learnt the language and gained an understanding of Chinese culture. He went on to become the first police cadet to be made an Inspector General, succeeding G C Denham in 1925. With the support of the Straits Settlements governor Hugh Clifford
Hugh Clifford
Sir Hugh Charles Clifford, GCMG, GBE was a British colonial administrator.-Early life:Clifford was born in Roehampton, London, the sixth of the eight children of Major-General Sir Henry Hugh Clifford and his wife Josephine Elizabeth, née Anstice; his grandfather was Hugh Clifford, 7th Baron...
, he initiated an extensive reorganisation of the police force. This included the construction of new police stations and officer's barracks, many of which remain as distinctive landmarks in Singapore.
He is recognised as having worked towards improving the salaries and working conditions of serving officers. In the years following World War I the rising level of inflation had significantly reduced the value of wages, which lead to an increase in the amount of debt amongst junior officers. In 1926, he became the president and advisor to the Singapore Police Cooperative Thrift and Loan Society, which gave officers their own collective credit scheme and also helped them to manage savings.
Following ten years as Inspector General, he retired and returned to England to live in Hampshire, handing his position over to René Onraet in 1935. Fairburn Channel is a shipping lane
Channel (geography)
In physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks.A channel is also the natural or human-made deeper course through a reef, sand bar, bay, or any shallow body of water...
through the Singapore Southern Islands
Southern Islands
The Southern Islands are an urban planning area in the Central Region of Singapore, along with the eight major islands of Kusu Island, Lazarus Island, Pulau Seringat, Pulau Tekukor, Saint John's Island, Sentosa and the two Sisters' Islands. The islands encompass a total land area of about...
that was named after him.
See also
- Commissioner of Police (Singapore)Commissioner of Police (Singapore)The Commissioner of Police is the top-ranking police officer of the Singapore Police Force. Assisted by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, he reports to the Minister for Home Affairs....