:
THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, MARCH
Our England is a garden
ONLY a few years passed before the early
English settlers in Hongkong took time to muse upon the possibility of a glorious garden planted upon the wild infertile slope above the City of Victoria:
It was on August 8, 1848 that the local branch of the Royal Asiatic Society held a meeting at which a paper was read by Dr Gutzlaff, the practical Pomeranian Medical Missionary who so closely identified himself with British interests in the East.
Addressing himself to prob- must have suggested itself, that lems and situations as wide and the area above the gubernatorial varied as publle gardens and domain could be cleared and pirates, he was chosen as the terraced.
-spokesman 10-address-the-meet- On October 7-1861, a curatar Ing on "The Advantages of was appointed, apparently on Establishing a Public Garden."
the theory that the less you' know about a job, the more At that point,
Committee Q was torped to enquire into the successful you will be. questions of a akte, the likely costs, and the possibility of giving their ideas concrete form. The idea certainly caught on, For once all the residents found that the one thing they wanted a garden. The next step WAS
the พย
obvious onc of pproseling Government to dis-
The curator's namo Was Thomas McDonalson. I have no Iden how he got the job, but apparently he did note the difference between a conifer and a bunch of Glasgow Rangers,
The official report speaks most cover what aid, practical and unaniteringly of him. So he got went and probably otherwise would be forthcom- the sack, ing. Government did not keep back to sco for a while. them waiting long. The Gover-
บ
Queen's Road and the harbour, looking west from Murray Battery (above Battery Path), This is a reproduction of a drawing by Mr M. Bruce, d Former Hongkong architect, and was sketched in 1846,
gether withdrawn from the followers, and the Advisory cet, to some extent the moods nominal control of the Sur Committee were still for putting occasioned by moonlight and veyor General,
up a fight.
music. The battle raged so fiercely that London rot hear about It. A report of the whole thing
bat was printed,
I have hitherto pointed out, the boys condusled their battles with
"The interposition of the latter officer as an organ of communication wollis the Gov- ernment may have been necessary when the person in charge of the Publie Gar- dens and Planting At any rate, Government set Tho Job properly. nor, Sir S. G. Bonham simply about the
person so uneducated and of generally inferior personal told them that Government had Gardens were set out entirely at no money for such a plan. This
stopped the committee right in By.
their tracka.
It was not until the sixtles that the idea come up again. The Surveyor General's Depart- ment were laying out Govern- ment House Grounds. The Idea
JACOBY BRIDGE
JACK Kennedy of Shreveport, writes: "Here is aghand that might interest you. I as pretty well pleased with the contract when I saw the dummy. West had overealled and ought to have the king of dlotnunds but he was one of those people who like to bid so there was no guarantee. Anyway, I decided to set up
•possible squeszó--so Tuffed spade and played the ace of a low trump to trumps and dummy'a ten.
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JOHN LUFF
Government expense, and seeds and plants were ordered from England, and Austraila.
of
011
status as Mr McDonalson, the late Superintendent."
and
Personally, I like that letter. A few regulations were drawn. It just shows that a Governor's up necessary to the maintenance plumed hat can cover an ironical
ordered estate, and tongue,
I rejoice in the in 1954, on August the sixth, passage which reciprocates such the gardens were thrown open C.S. jargon as retersing to a to the public.
superintendent as an "organ of communication." You will" notice too that Sir Richard has no high opinion of Mr McDonal son, the first Superintendent.
They were success from the stort. The public immediately showed an interest, and in no
the time, a walk through gordens become the order of the day.
the
Then from being a place just to visit and spend an hour or so in the pleasant shade, Botanic Gardens became a kind of institution. Undoubtedly the great publie parks. of London, with their social parades, and their military band concerts. suggested something on smaller lines In Hongkong..
For the public had to wait no Inter than October of the same year before the military bands began to give concerts in the Botanic Gardens.
Government tersely remark. ing, "the limited and not particularly selcot audiences who attend in the Gardens," ocessioned the move, Flower shows were held
They originated The Advisory Committee.
In
such candid comments on the the Gardens characters of each other that with when Government published Also annual al fresco fetes were a history of the encounter in held on two successive nights, October 1, 1879, the whole The fetes were in aid of
thing looked pretty libellous, Alice Memorial Hospital, We are old that about
one way and another.
.
people attended each night.
the
and
0,000
At any rate, London perused These ran from 1880 to 1888 it for about two years, and the when the Superintendent com- Secretary of State ordered it to plained so much about having be cancelled, February 15, 1881. Els flower beds trodden down,
However,
before just
the that from 1888 they were held Gazette was distributed.- Mr elsewhere.. Ford won back his officó and the management of the Botanic Gardens and the Govertiment I only remains to mention Forestry Plantations was again that at one aime, there was placed under a Superintendent. probability of Happy Valley be
This recent talk about having coming the site of a Public a zoo in Hongkong is interesting Garden. In fact, the flongkong because at one time, there was Telegraph of May 1, 1893 men- quite a pretentious 200 in the tiens it in commenting upon, the Botanic Gardens.
development, or Happy Valley,
In 1976, someone presented some monkeys, zoa monitey house was built. This was fol lowed by an aviary.
In its heyday; there were dear, and bears, and particular reference to a Siamese honey- bear, and a plug-ugly Siberian bear who seems to have given quite à lot of trouble,
(Note: The name is spelt McDonalson in the records, and Sir Richard follows that spelling. The name was Me- Donaldson, and this gentleman who aspired to be Number One King of the Flowers, died in Hongkong in Noven- ber 1870.)
sold However, when the
It is difficult to know just Mr J. M. Price took up the what trouble this Siberian' bear office of Surveyor General, he gave, but from reports, it seems
nor Intimidated by any as if they wore skimping on the records, or references from Her material for his house, and that
He he broke out now and again. Majesty's copresentative.
In the reports of 1880, there wafted his time, learning what every good general must learn, is a "rocket about the dilapid- e. the disposition of the enemy ated appearance of the bear and monkey, house, and in 1893, this forces, and then he attacked.
First of all, he proved that was built up again of brickwork čla military axiom that to and galvanised Iron. divide a force is to weaken force, and showed
wae
This zoo gradually faded with same way, but up to the last war, logic that the separate depart an old goat-antelope and a stag ment created by giving Mr Ford roamed
around, while control of the Botanic Garden.. aulary had quite a few birds.
the led to angry misunderstandings and confusion,
*.
•
The aviaries were rebuilt few years ago, and the last time I was in the Gardens both pub- lie and birds seemed to bo enjoying themselves.
д
"We submit to the Govern- ment that the race, couras al Wongnelchong could,, at comparatively trifüng 'outlay, be converted into one of the fincat recreation grounds In the Far Eart
"It requires merely to be developed in some parts and a few necessary provletons made for its
is necessary drains
ts' a" nasty; indoin malariotif rampant
with fever. In the morning, dense mista rise from its bovýy, soll. By a
a little care and at very slight capense it could be con verted into a noble park and recreation ground where cricket, lawn tennis, and other sports and amusements could be carried on under the. most favourable auspices.. On March 10, 1885, the same paper makes reference to the Inaugurating ceremony at which Sir George Bowen cut the desi sod. I tako It the reporter is referring to the earth,
Government intended calling this place, Bowen Park, but tha public for some reason or other· objected. At any rate, the name tell into disuse.
With the passing of the years, the park-like aspects of the dis- trict has disappeared altogether.
To do the real thing London fashion required a bandstand, and it was the Parsee commun- lty who subscribed, for and presented to the public of Hong kong, a very pleasant bandstand In 1870, Government Intro duced the Public Garath's ~~Or- dinoace, and in 1871 ∙a very energetic Superintendent was found in a Mr Charles Forth Mr. Ford swung right into the
So full of initiative was M attack, and public sentiment was the
Up to October 26, 1682, among mony attractions of the Ford that the Gardens and
with him, "Me Ford pointed out Bolanle Gardens were the moon- Afforestation Dapartment
was that air d. M. Price had acted light performances by regiment- temporarily withdrawn from the in a inust, high and mighty al bands, the Buffs in particular supervision of the Surveyor" Danner,
being mentioned. General, and vested in a repre- What happened was this. The Unfortunately, what with the Eren a comparatively few years. sentative Advisory Committee, Survey Offee, predecessorS of moonlight and the music, many age, it was fairly rural, but now In which the public: was given the P.WD. had built a road, of the audience became too it is almost as dwelling, lockod
volee.
somewhere, and having survey- gomantically-minded, 50 the as the White City This Kreally alimulated "When both opponents fol-
ed their work and found it moonlight. performances rvere publio interest...), but lowed I could afford to ruff an
there good, considered it would not be shifted to the Cricket Ground. gifter spade and suil have trump followed one of those blues gilding the Illy to mix No doubt, tur more commercial
which became 151 control. Another trump lead
Hamerlo metapher) If they planted a few and prosaic Queen's Road, off- pulled East's last trump and
epic of a struzzle for power, bamboos along this sald rond. which happens when the Now you can and all sorta gå -West-disoprded the queen, or
Civil Service Tharped pades. I let a diamond go.
pen- . bamboos. In all sorts of places in nibe, and, declares war on the Hongkong, but what did Mr from dummy and led a diamond:
public. East won toward the queen.
Price do but give orders to with the lding and shot the jack In 1873, Mr J. M.. Price gang of coolies to go up to the back. I took my ace and led my proceeded to the office of Botanic Gardens, and swipe Jast trump.
General Survēyor, Now incor- few from Mr Ford... "West went into a trance and porated in this office as we have Anally produced a tow club, just seen was the supervision of Dummy's last spade had the Botanic Gardens, but the
him out of his club energetic Mr Ford has won this. sqúéczed stopper. That spade had done independence.
its work. I threw it away and
all the clubs were good."
Very tine
technique and
*
*
A
This the coolies did, and that was the angry TILE understanding-a masterpiece ¡of understatement. Hongkong gepared for battle, deciding cocording to status under which king it would die. The Governor, as happens to all WOR Governors an occasion, more than a pretty fed up to think that by:
delegating authority to this man instead of that, he had brought own. So Mr.J. M. Price begen army of hornets around his to fight for his erstwhile rank, head.
presumably that of No. 1-Fah
The Surveyor General did not
this.
Worthy of study. An interesting regture of the play is that it like
any
East had held four clubs and the successful emperor likes.. seeing king-jack-len of diamonds the petty king break away on his last trump would have squeezo him since South held the dia- mond nine.
♥÷CARD Sense 44|
North
The bidding has been;
Rust South Wast
Pac 1M
PAIN
Pakur
You, South, hold: :
“The battle swayed to' and 'tra those at the back crying: for Ward, but the bigger department gakled a temporary, victory. No
Wong.
However, Mr Ford did not intend to surrender his crown or doubt the Governor's genius for his territory early ́ ́und"T" WIN now attempt to draw up a plan compromise winning the day.
to show how the battle proceed-
Pats
Pau
ed,
ABT VEJAS $1254 4413
What do you do?: (-
"Bolt flest, I mint moice' plata
thay the
office" morries Buch
At any rate, in December 1873, presente as the right to control the management of the Gardens the SurveYOT the growth, procedure of, and went back to blooming there of all costs and General when the Public Gar- other Bora, whether blushing done and Afforestation. Once wna mode a sub-department of the TUDI, or 'unseen.
The fact that your partner kas br-pamet for no-trump in dlosjok chiarly (iki 2018 VOLE WHEN" "TORE.Nee, ať šlubu mill-klog Mr Fort, the Superidtendent Surveyor General's department. of diamonds Sarri, For the Gardena dred the first The Advisors: Committee Br ALDER AWE YOU DEA Mireed swarane Phot. Probably Inspired by came the Puiffe Gardous Con- üμlmond blá de LE you Smith. 26 Napoleon's campaign of battle mitted at MeNIOREN A
• bə⋅ DocServaštvo imply hid who believed in Bring-off, hintin à nay, and batile (wan, k classle with Mr Ford, the, bald cfake and “lei” him decide shoes hoový gane "right away. Bile-grund niam Thomas
VETODAY'S QURAT
The first-order or battle flows skirmisher, and Bie Price the front the pom vont no lose Fablun. And it was, US, DEIA), pacson than Bir Biobed Mac. Fabian teltics that pakt eft, for donmall; and in dated 3-shusey in February 1077 the Public one^diamond: - Thi time: you: 091899/It anticipategi Mir J. M. Cárdenă Committee was offer
LÄSSIN EDLE partner Lopesed
Podion 3 30h9CMe Ford's Desa Hinterrada M. Förd yak DË #partment: should not be alfo- licked NUN KUN EI
NEXT WEEK
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