Sheares Hall

Sheares Hall has an illustrious history that runs parallel to that of NUS itself: from a cluster of 31 semi-detached five-room houses at the College Green to its current location at 20 Heng Mui Keng Terrace, the Hall of Residence has groomed generations of notable leaders and alumni which include former President S.R. Nathan, current Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu and celebrities such as Daniel Boey and Ivan Heng.

 

With roots as the institution’s first student hostel, Sheares Hall (then part of the Dunearn Road Hostels) officially opened in 1952 and offered accommodation for overseas undergraduates of the University of Malaya. The Hall was to provide temporary housing for 500 residents from Malaya and Singapore, including 100 female students, as the university had plans to move to Johor Bahru.

 

More hostels were built when plans to move the university were shelved, namely King Edward VII Hall for medical students in 1957, Eusoff College for female students and Raffles Hall for male students in 1958. Consequently, the increased competition from the new hostels halved the student occupancy in the Dunearn Road Hostels.

 

In spite of multiple attempts to close the hostel in 1962, Sheares Hall still stands in all its glory because of strong protests from its residents and the students’ union: a blessing in disguise given that the Hall of Residence was converted into a relief centre merely five years later, on 11 January 1967, when the low-lying areas of Bukit Timah and Dunearn road were submerged in four feet of water (~1.2 m). 

 

Today, Sheares Hall continues to foster a community which not only contributes to society through philanthropic efforts by the Sheares Hall Voluntary Corps and the Overseas Community Service Project, but also one in which Shearites push one another to take on new challenges to become the best versions of themselves. In doing so, Shearites grow and develop their individual passions whilst motivating and inspiring others to achieve their own dreams.

 

There’s no need to hesitate when applying for a Hall of Residence—Dare to Reach the Highest with an ambitious and supportive community today!