About three to four decades after Singapore was established as a Straits Settlement trading port in 1819, the adjoined estates consisted of Woodneuk and Tyersall at Tanglin and were first owned by the English trader Captain John Dill Ross,[1] and the lawyer William "Royal Billy" Napier[2] respectively, as their private residences.

[5][6] On 19 November 1881, the Maharaja of Johor, Abu Bakar, held the first drag hunt in Singapore with his hounds around the Tanglin area, including Woodneuk and Tyersall.

[12][13] On 10 December 1892 at the palace, the Sultan received the First Class of the First Grade of the Order of the Double Dragon by the Guangxu Emperor, as conveyed by the Consul General in Singapore of his care, sympathy and kindness for permitting the Chinese to settle in Johor.

On 6 April 1893, the Sultan held his reception to the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his party who arrived at his residence in the evening at 5.30 pm.

The Archduke and Prince Franz Ferdinand, and his party was shown various rooms and items of the palace, before proceeding on the Sultan's carriages towards the direction of Tanjong Pagar.

[18] Upon his death from pneumonia in South Kensington, London, on 4 June 1895,[19] the Tyersall and its premises were soon handed over to his son upon his reign as the Sultan Ibrahim of Johor in November 1895.

[23][24] On 17 February 1900, the Sultan held the Farewell Gymkhara with 4th King's Own Regiment at the Tyersall Polo Ground,[25] Following the gymkhana, he held the farewell luncheon party at the palace on 21 February, with over 60 guests which included officers of the King's Own Regiment, the 16th Madras Native Infantry and the rest of the Garrison, and also the representatives of the official, commercial and sports.

It had to determine the issue of debentures and other matters, which included the dividing of its halls and apartments, the rebuilding of its ballroom and the erection of the new buildings nearby.

[46] Meanwhile, on 8 August 1939, the Second Battalion of Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders under Lieutenant Colonel Ian MacAlister Stewart arrived in Singapore from India[47] and first settled temporarily at the Gillman Barracks.

[49][50][51] Following which, the Second Battalion of Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders later moved to Tyersall Park in December 1939 as part of 12th Indian Infantry Brigade under Brigadier Archibald Charles Melvill Paris.

The Istana Woodneuk, under the name of "Tyersall Palace",[55] served temporarily as the 2/30th Battalion AIF headquarters under Major General Gordon Bennett.

On 11 February 1942, the 2nd Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders moved to Tyersall Park from the bombed Birdwood Camp at Changi, and departed for Bukit Timah to fight the invading Imperial Japanese Army.

The Indian Military Hospital, despite having Red Crosses painted on its roof, was destroyed by a fire caused by incendiary bombs deliberately dropped by Japanese fighter planes.

Later on the following day in the afternoon of 12 February 1942, the surviving Plymouth Argylls arrived back at Tyersall Park, only to find themselves involved in a major rescue operation there.

Tyersall Park would later serve as one of seven POW camps for interned Indian Army personnel in Singapore under Lieutenant Colonel Gurbaksh Singh of Jind State Forces.

[57] After Singapore was liberated in 1945, the Supreme Allied Command South East Asia (SACSEA) headquarters was set up at the Tyersall Park.

[66] On 26 September 2021, it was reported that the representatives for the Tunku Mahkota of Johor were in discussions with the Singapore authorities since last year for permission to develop a cluster of high-end homes on the estate itself, but the final decision has yet to be reached.