CHINA MAIL, PÅGE 24
HONG KONG CENTENARY NUMBER
1841
From Pages
Records of hotels go as far back as 1841. The majority were more or less "glorified public houses." The first to open its doors in 1841 was the Lane's Hotel, which remain- ed in operation until 1843. Similar establishments appeared and faded oul one after the other, and It was not until 43 years after the Decupation of Hong Kong a real attempt was made to run a hotel proper with the opening of the Waterloo Hotel. under the management of a Mr. Lopes,
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In the same year the Commer- cial Hotel was opened by a Mr Marlehose. The now well-known Hong Kong Hotel was, however, well-established in a class of its own, at about the same period.
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Following on the heels of Grand Hotel came the Astor House, now St. Francis, and the Carlton, located in Ice House Street, now occupied by the Ju panese Matsubara Hotel.
At the top of Wyndham Street was the Wyndham, which ended its carcer In 1928. The King Edward Hotel, was destroyed by fire in March 1929, on the site of the present Chung Tin Building.
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The First J. P.s The original list of unofficial Justices of the Pence, appointed on June 29, 1843, was as follows:-
A. Jardine, S. Matheson, W. Morgan, W. Stewart, G. Braine, J. Dent, F. C. Drummond, D. 1. Burn, W. Le Geyt, P. Dudgeson,
T. W. L. Mackean, H. Dundas, C. Kerr J. F. Edger A. Fletcher, J. A. Gibb, W. P. Livingston, W. Gray, H. R. Parker, J. Holli- day, J. Wise, J. A. Mercer, P. Stewart, J. White, A. Wilkinson and J. M. Smith.
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The Land Office which is now in charge of Mr. T. S. Whyte- Smith, is the oldest Government institution. It functioned im- mediately after the occupation. In June, 1841, five months after the landing, 110 lots were auctioned, under proclamation Issued by Captain Elliot,
Hon. Mr. S. H. Dodwell
THERE is
no better way vf celebrating the Colony's Cen- tenary than by a fresh drive to bring our Bomber Fund and B.W.O.F. Fund nearer the level to which they should be in view of the Colony's extremely light war taxation.
I estimate from practical ex- perience of Home taxation that if the local partnerships, companies and corporations operating here under the British flag were to divide between the Bomber and B.W.O.F. Funds the difference be- tween the amount they paid in local taxation last year and the amount they would have had to pay had they been subject Home taxation, both these funds would be at least ten times as large as they are.
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war
It is just as vital to the interests of this Colony that we win the war as it is to the Mother Country.
We feared that a higher tax than 10% would drive capital away from the Colony. It does
not appear to have done so, There- fore, should we not voluntarily bring our contribution. towards the stupendous cost of prosecuting the war, at any rate nearer to that. of the people at Home, more par- ticularly as the British Govern- ment's permission to allow us to remain partially outside the ster- ling bloc has been of incalculable assistance to our entrepot trade?
S. H. DODWELL.
Of The Past
Hong Kong's oldest police station, No. 7 in the Western District.
The Colony's first mosque was built in 1843 at the bottom end of the present Shelly Street.
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Hong Kong's first industry con- sisted of briek making. In West Point, the brick making estab- lishment was started in 1841 and its products went into the first buildings erected in Hong Kong.
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First In The Field
Among the first to purchase land were Jardine, Matheson and Co., Heerjebhoy Rustomjee, John Dent and Co., MacVicar and Co., Germel and Co., John Smith, D. Rustomjee, Gribble. Hughes and Co., Hooker and Lane, Hol- liday and Co., F. Leighton and Co., Innes, Fletcher and Co.. Jamieson and How, Fox, Rawson & Co., Turner & Co., Robert Web- ster, R. Gulley, Charles Hart. Captain Larkins, P. F. Robertson, Capt. William Morgan, Dirom and Co., Pestonjee Cowasjee Framjee Jamsetjee, and Henry Pybus.
The first Post Office was located near the present St. John's Cathe- dral, later moved to the site now occupied by the China Building.
LE 對 * The first Land Office
was lo- cated near St. John's Cathedral.
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Hong Kong's first church was matshed and was called the Matshed Church. It was, how- ever, the forerunner of the Cat- hedral and was located in the north-east corner of the present
Murray Parade Ground,
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Cemeteries were removed to Happy Valley in 1845.
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The first Government House was erected in the present Bo- tanical Gardens. The present Gov. ernment. House was completed in 1856.
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Flagstaff House, formerly known as Headquarters House, is on the same site where the first residence of the Officer Commanding the Troops was erected in 1844.
CENTENARY MESSAGES
Mr. L. Kadoorie
HAVE always regarded the
Colony of Hong Kong as conveniently situated "clearing house" at the Gateway of China.
Trade is the reason for its exis- tence; all nationalities have and can benefit equally from the faci- lities and amenities offered.
In the comparatively short period of 100 years, Hong Kong has become the leading Free Port of the World, with shipping faci- lities pre-eminent throughout the Far East. Let us pause and con- template with admiration those Pioneers to whose foresight and energy this great achievement is due.
Hong Kong's location; the free- dom and confidence it connotes, combined with the very close re- lationship existing between the Colony and its neighbours, made possible the steady development of industries for the benefit of all.
Colonel H. B. L. Dowbiggin
VOLUNTEERING like most
things in this Colony has had its ups and downs. During the war of 1914-18, a very large num- ber was serving in the Defence Force, but on the cessation of that war the majority did not join up in the reconstructed Corps and for some years the strength of this Corps was low-quite out of pro- portion to the number of men in the Colony.
I sincerely hope that there will not be a repetition of this state of affairs at the end of this war, but that as many as possible, of those of military, age, will continue to serve. They might do so, if the
·Government would face the situn- tion and provide adequate, more attractive and up-to-date head- quarters, such as Singapore and Shanghai did some years ago.
H. B. L. DOWBIGGIN
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Mr. A. el Arculli
The past policy of tolerance, unrestricted freedom, cooperation und mutual understanding, laid- down in the historical proclama-
IT may not be fitting during war tions of 1841, is the basis upon
time lavishly to celebrate which the Colony's development non-celebration does not mean Hong Kong's Centenary but such
has been built.
If this wise policy can be main- tained, coming generations can look forward to the next hundred years with assurance.
LAWRENCE KADOORIE.
that this Colony is not proud of its past or not confident of its future. I personally feel assured of two things concerning this Colony →→ Victory and Prosperity.
A. EL ARCULLI,
The name Victoria was applied
to the city area in December 1843,
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The Anglo-Chinese College for training Chinese Ministers was established in Hong Kong on Sep- tember 30, 1844 by the London Mission.
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St. Peter's Church was opened on January 14, 1872. On Novem- ber 30, the same year, the Tung Wah Hospital and St. Joseph's Church were also opened.
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Unsuccessful attempts to form ʼn brokers' association were in 1872.
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The first issue of $1 banknotes by the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation took place in October, 1872.
Horticulture
The Horticultural Society was formed on February 13, 1873, for the purpose of holding annual ex- hibitions of flowers and ve- getables.
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Introduction of a Puisne Judge to the Supreme Court for sum- mary jurisdiction was made in 1873.
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The first cattle depot, with ac- commodation for 120 head, was constructed at Kennedy Town in 1877.
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The Hong Kong, Canton and Macao Steamboat Company, was established on October 19, 1865, with a capital of $750,000.
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Licensed gaming
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houses were
allowed in 1867 when 11 such es- tablishments were registered.
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Police Schools were opened in the Colony in 1869.
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✡ * First cable connection between Hong Kong and Amoy and Shanghai were established by the Great Northern Company, in 1870.
Mr. J. P. Braga
the
IT is literally true to say that the "China Mail" is almost as old as the Colony itself. So, in com- memorating the Colony's Centen- ary, it is well to note that "China Mail" will before long be celebrating its own Centenary in this Colony. The "China Mail" was in good company when, in the early days, it discouraged the set- tlement of the Island; for no less а journal than the London "Times" condemned the develop- ment of Hong Kong into a British settlement. For comparative in- terest the view expressed on the 27th August, 1846, will bear repetition, the "China Mail" wrote: "It is, and will continue, a subject of wonder, why, where so wide a choice was open, our negotiators should have selected such a ster- fle and wild unlovely land as Hong Kong."I fancy that the "China Mail," looking back, will have no cause for regret in revising the views of ninety-odd years ago, and will rejoice with the commun- ity that Hong Kong has survived successively a decimating fever, pestilence, a 'great' fire, and "ty- phoon havoc. By the vigour and determination of its earliest set- tlers and their descendants, Hong Kong has overcome the difficulties of its birth, its adolescence and early manhood. There will be none in fact, there can be none who will deny the hope and the wish that Hong Kong will rise to be greater than ever in the new. century on which, it enters this memorable day.
J. P. BRACA.
1941