THE HON. T.L. BOWRING, C. M. G., OBE.
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, 1951-1957
In January of this year, the Hon. T.L. in Government's policy, and forced the ing the sentiments of all when I say to Bowring, the Director of Public Works, decision for an immediate and tremendous Mr. Bowring, and ask him also to convey left Hong Kong on leave prior to retire- increase in the building of resettlement to Mrs. Bowring, our very best wishes for
flats, in an effort to solve the problem. their future happiness.'
ment.
He arrived in Hong Kong in January Under Mr. Bowring's able and inspiring The list of the projects completed by 1951, and his six years' service has been leadership, the Public Works Department Mr. Bowring's Department during his marked by the steady and tremendous has not only met the demands made upon term of office is so impressive as to con- growth of the Colony, which had, of it. but has done so with such efficiency stitute the finest tribute to the man and necessity, to be accompanied by the com- and goodwill, that it has earned the ac- his work, but space will only permit the parable expansion of every Government claim and gratitude of the whole Colony. mention of a few highlights. Not includ- department. The Public Works Depart-
ed in the following are the millions of ment, however, has had to keep up not
On January 9th, at the first meeting of dollars worth of routine work carried out only with the work required to cope with the Legislative Council in the new Coun- on the construction of new roads, minor immediate requirements, but it has had cil Chambers, and the last to be attended but important buildings, schools and to initiate and carry out several important by Mr. Bowring, His Excellency the clinics, the network of drains and sewers, projects which anticipate future needs. Governor, Sir Alexander Grantham, said reclamation work and piers, the tremen- In addition to this, the continuous influx "Mr. Bowring arrived as Director of dous waterworks auxiliary and ancillary of refugees which raised the estimated Public Works just about six years ago. works, and the important and interlink- number of 350,000 in 1950 to between During these six years, the progress of ing parts played by the Crown Lands & 500,000 and 600,000 in 1955, and the public works has been greater than it has Survey Office, the Buildings Ordinance disastrous fires in resettlement areas ever been before in the history of the Office and the Electrical & Mechanical brought the whole problem into sharp Colony, and never has greater efficiency Office, and last, but not least, the tre- focus. The Shek Kip Mei fire on Christ- been shown in the execution of those mendous amount of maintenance and re- mas 1953 necessitated a complete change public works........ I feel that I am voic- pair work required annually.
REPRESENTATIVE P.W.D. CONTRACTS 1951-1956
....
PARTICULARS
AMOUNT
PARTICULARS
AMOUNT
1951
1955
Waterworks workshop
Bowen Road Service Reservoir
$ 292,659 I.325,497
Excavation of Lai Chi Kok Service Reservoir $ 902,120 Queen Elizabeth School
1,320,895
1952
Police Quarters, Canton Road, Kowloon
3.598,800
Sheung Li Uk Resettlement flats Low Gap Dams Nos. 2 & 3...
1,016,509
1,211,366
Police Station, Kam Tin & Sha Tau Kok, N.T.
838,474
Reclamation at Kun Tong Bay
2,879,928
Causeway Bay typhoon shelter and seawall
1,169,365
Fire Station, Kowloon
857,624
Sai Wan Reservoir and rapid gravity filters Kai Tak Airport (Stage 1)
1,413,180
89,717,020
North Point seawall
1,317,322
New Star Ferry Piers
6,609,253
New Govt. Offices (First Section)
2,323,549
New Govt. Offices, Secretariat Wing
2,432,862
Ho Tung School
347,935
Extn. to Eastern Police Station
Tai Lam Chung Dam
882,214
7,395,000
Quay wall, etc. Central Reclamation
954,050
Resettlement Flats, Tai Hang Tung (area G)
2,465,464
Water main, Lai Chi Kok Gap. Diamond Hill
1,589,314
1953
New Peak School
636, 167
1956
Albany Service Reservoir
469,251
Tsun Wan Primary School
442,805
New Queen's Pier & piling for other piers
571,015
Qtrs. at various Police Stations
5.406,805
Wanchai T.B. & Dental Clinic
596,496
Castle Peak Hospital (Stage 1)
568,755
Police Headquarters
3.403.340
Tai Lam Chung Catchwater Tunnel
2,893,617
Sports Stadium. Sookunpoo
1,476,260
H.K.R.N.V.R. Headquarters
590.520
1954
Extension to Central Govt. Offices
648,263
Filter House near Tsun Wan
1,278,067
Multi-storey flats. Shek Kip Mei Resettlement Area
2,248,715
Tunnel Contract: Tai Lam Chung Scheme New Western Police Station
6,287,105
844.953
Leighton Hill
Flats
1,839,700
New C.E.M.E. Workshop, Caroline Hill, H.K. Chater Hall Flats
1,113,214
2.444.478
Tai Hang Tung Resettlement Flats
4.156,773 4,306,347
Service Reservoirs
Resettlement flats, Li Cheng Uk (Phase II) Mission Road Primary School, Kowloon Service Reservoir, etc. Tai Lam Chung Dam Extension to Grantham Training College, Kowloon Resettlement Flats, Tai Wan Hill (Phase I) Resettlement Flats. Li Cheng Uk (Stage III) P.W.D. Offices, Stores & Workshop Block, Kin. Resettlement flats at Tai Wan Hill (Phase II) Tại Lam Chung Catchwaters
Shek Kip Mei Redevelopment (Stage II) Housing and Commercial Centre, Kun Tong Construction of Market Bldg., Kansu Rd.
622,744
The above list in culled from the Government contracts actually awarded during the years indicat- ed. Mention should be made of such projects as the new City Hall, the rew Mental Hospital, the new Kowloon Hospital, the final stage of the Central Government Offices, and the projected new Resettle- ment Blocks, aggregating many millions of dollars, the planning and designing of which were completed before Mr. Bowring's retirement.
Or the following pages, we present in his honour and as a souvenir to the Public Works Depart- ment, photographs of the executives and staff groups of all the Public Works Department.
2,883,383
636.315
5.645.239
584.944
787.285
1,382,240
821,304 1,033,132
2,603,895
2.753.030
2,958,389
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