Life Struggles
SUPRAMANIAM VASARGA'S
ACCOUNT
The routined life of an Indian Milkman was tough - preparing before dawn and travelling by foot from the rurals to the city where a majority of the locals lived. In the 20th century, the expansion of the cattle trade industry impacted the Indian Milkmen negatively. Buffalos were in-demand for other trades such as water transportation, making it difficult for Milkmen to purchase them. Globalization and factory packaged milk eventually led to the demise of the Indian Milkman’s businesses in the late 20th century.
Portrait of Indian Milkman
Meticulously painted by one of Singapore’s foremost oil painters, the oil painting reflects the weariness of an Indian migrant - the harsh reality amid the pursuit of a new life in Singapore.
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Lee Boon Wang. Potong Pasir Dairy Farmer. 1958.
Image size: H70.3 x W60.2 cm. Oil on canvas.
Item from the collection of the National Gallery of Singapore.
Man Milking Cow on Street
In the 1930s, Bengali and Tamil Milkmen could be found along Buffalo Road and Chander Road. These men would go house to house with their goats or cows to deliver freshly squeezed milk to different households.
National Museum of Singapore. An Indian Man Milking a Cow. 1937.
Image size: H9.0 x W14.0 cm. Postcard.
Item from the collection of the National Museum of Singapore.
Cattle Shed
In the 1930s, Indian Milkmen began to develop and expand their cattle sheds, alongside a growing business in the local cattle trade. However, the cost and effort of expansion would eventually take a toll on them.
Wong Kwan. A Dairy Farm in Rural Singapore. 1937.
Image size: unknown. Photograph and negative.
Item from the Wong Kwan Collection, with collection of the National Archives of Singapore.
An Indian Milkman
Despite facing handicapped difficulties, this Indian Milkman continued to milk cows daily and pack the milk into different bottles to be sold. During the 1980s, there was a decrease in Milkmen going door to door to sell freshly squeezed milk due to the seizing existence of the cattle trade.
National Archives of Singapore. Indian Milkman. 1980-1990.
Image size: unknown. Photograph and negative.
Item from the collection of the National Archives of Singapore.
Buffalo Water Cart
In the early 20th century, the expansion of the cattle trade industry impacted the Indian Milkmen negatively. Buffalos were in-demand in other trades such as water transportation, making it increasingly difficult for Milkmen to purchase them.
National Museum of Singapore. Kreta Ayer Road with Buffalo Water Cart with Water for Hospital. Early 20th century.
Image size: L17 x W11.5 cm. Photograph and negative.
Item from the collection of the National Museum of Singapore.
Indian Milkman Pouring Milk
As the cattle trade slows down through the years, Indian Milkmen no longer brought their cattles around to serve freshly squeezed milk. Milk were prepared in the sheds and brought along in a milk container placed behind the Milkman's bicycle.
Sharon Siddique. Goat’s Milk Seller on Wheels. 1982.
Image size: unknown. Photograph and negative.
Item from the collection of the Sharon Siddique Collection National Archives of Singapore.