Thus by 1932, when Telok Ayer Basin was formally declared open, the Port of Singapore encompassed the Singapore River, Telok Ayer Basin and Keppel Harbour, and the port limits covered some 36 1/2 sq miles (23,168 acres).
Port facilities in Keppel Harbour were much enhanced by the Singapore Harbour Board. The entire wharf frontage built originally of wood was demolished and replaced with concrete structures. Facilities for bonded storage and cold storage and for the bulk storage of vegetable oil and latex were built. Quick-working portal electric cranes, elevating platform trucks and forklift trucks were introduced for cargo handling. A new dock, the King's Dock was built. Coaling was mechanised and shore mains were laid for the supply of bunker fuel oil and water. The entire premises were connected by a railway system linked with the Federated Malay States Railways. A floating crane, salvage tug, floating coal plant, fire float and a fleet of harbour tugs, lighters and steel barges were introduced to perform ancillary services. By-laws and a tariff of rates and charges were formally introduced. The port limits were extended and re-defined by the Government in accordance with the Singapore Port Rules of 1936.
The developments which were however to gain the greatest significance in the years ahead were the establishment of oil storage and bunkering facilities of the Asiatic Petroleum Co at Pulau Bukom and the Standard Vacuum Oil Co at Pulau Sebarok and the opening of ship repair facilities at H.M. Naval Dockyard in Sembawang.
During the Pacific War (1941-45) about 70% of the warehouses in Keppel Harbour suffered damage from bombing raids and much of the machinery and equipment in the dockyards fell into a state of disrepair. Port waters became encumbered with sunken craft and maintenance of port installations and ancillary facilities came to a standstill. When the Singapore Harbour Board resumed control in 1946, it was faced not only with the task of physical re-construction but also with the problem of restoring the full complement of portworkers. The port had also to cope with a sudden influx of heavy traffic transporting food and other essentials which were so necessary to alleviate the war time sufferings of the people of Malaysia and Singapore.
With the restoration of port facilities and the eventual resumption of passenger and cargo services, the shipping tonnages steadily mounted from 20.4 million NRT in 1947 to 82.9 million NRT in 1963.
On 1 Apr 1964, the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) was formed to take over the functions, assets and liabilities of the Singapore Harbour Board. At that time, its facilities were confined to some five kilomteres of wharves and 160,000 square metres of transit sheds and warehouses at Telok Ayer and Keppel Harbour. The main type of cargo then handled was break-bulk general cargo, with small volumes of bulk vegetable oil and latex.
The most significant port development took place on 23 June 1972, when a container berth was opened at Tanjong Pagar (at the East Lagoon). With that, Singapore became the first port in Southeast Asia to accomodate a third generation container vessel, making it an important link in the new chain of global container ports.
