JANUARY 25, 1941.
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST-HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, CENTENARY SUPPLEMENT
PROMOTIONAL ARZIU KOIRAN ARMATRAJU TEKRAR ZE
MANY COLONY PLACE-NAMES
RECALL EARLY CELEBRITIES
In any consideration of historical associations, place-names must always play their important part: thus are prominent men of the past, or some incident or association, commemorated. Often it is the only memorial to a pioneer who deserves to be remem- bered; and this applies to Hongkong.
Roads, bill-tops, bays and beaches, and localities in the Colony have in most cases some association which is of interest; and some of the more important of these from the point of view of old-time commemoration, are given here. A few already appear in other sections of this supplement.
It is not proposed to deal with the Chinese place-names, as these alone would require a great deal of space: in most cases, they go back before the British occupation.
to
A few localities have specially in- teresting associations, and include two villages on the south of the island. These are Stanley and Aberdeen-the latter particularly puzzling to new- comers--but are merely examples of a period when picturesque native names were changed to suit the idea of some local official who wished honour the powers in London-in this case, in 1845, it was decided to honour Lord Stanley, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, and the Earl of Aberdeen, who was Foreign Secretary. Two streets are also named after them. Lyndhurst Terrace was completed at that time and named after Lord Lyndhurst, who was Lord Chancellor of England; and Cochrane Street, ad- joining, commemorates the Comman- der-in-Chief of the China squadron at the same period, Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane.
One obvious name is Stonecutters Island, where quarrying had been in operation. Not so obvious, and often wrongly interpreted, is the naming of Repulse Bay and Sulphur Channel: these are both after naval craft which
A photograph taken about forty years ago, showing the Time Ball tower 00 its former site opposite the Water Police Station. The view is down Canton Road.
It will be noticed that in this list. of the names are attached to some Peak and Kowloon roads, and some, having been omitted previously, were used when new streets were laid out Other on the Praya East reclamation. streets, both old and new, commemor- ate former Colonial Secretaries or other officials.
On
were out here in the early years.
The naval and military surveyors, who did all the survey work before the Public Works Department had come into being, made full use of their opportunities, and both ships and com- manders were commemorated. Hong-
This matter of omission is seen in kong peaks (besides the obvious com- one outstanding case-Captain Elliot, memoration of the Queen in Victoria There used to be an Elliot Battery, Peak) were named after Vice-Admiral above the western district of the town; Sir William Parker, who was Com- otherwise he is not commemorated in mander-in-Chief of the naval forces out any outstanding way, except perhaps
Elliot Crescent, here at the time of the occupation of by
off Robinson Hongkong, and Major-General Sir Road, a place few people know Hugh Gough, the General Officer Com- about.
the other hand, the manding the troops in China at the military have made full use of the name same date (there is also a Gough Murray, naming their early barracks Street). Commander fafterwards Vice- and parade ground, the old battery Admiral) Sir H. Kellett R.N., (whose near the Government Offices (hence ship, H.M.S. Starling, gave its name to Battery Path), as well as a pier and near Shataukok) not the road leading thereto, after General Starting Inlet, only had a peak named after him. tut Sir George Murray, the Master General also a sboal off Green Island, and the of Ordnance who died in 1846, and who islet which the R.H.K. Yacht Club was one of the most celebrated soldiers occupies. Belcher's Bay and Belcher's of his time, considered second only to Street are named after Sir Edward the great Duke of Wellington. The Belcher. R.N., who carried out the first Duke, incidentally, is commemorated in survey of Hongkong harbour, in 1841, Wellington Barracks and Wellington aboard H.M.S. Sulphur.
Street.
an
GOVERNORS COMMEMORATED A peak and a city street commemor- ate
early Governor, Sir Henry Pottinger; and other past administrators and Governors honoured in the naming of streets (in their chronological order) are Mr A. R. Johnston. Sir John
German missionary who acted as inter-| preter for Captain Elliot, and later came to Hongkong, becoming Chinese Secretary in 1843 after the death of Mr Morrison.
Blackhead's Point, where the signal station is at Kowloon, behind Holt's Wharf, is named after a merchant of German origin, established here in the 'fifties, whose name was anglicised from Schwartzkopf.
GREAT POISON PLOT
Then and Now
How Colony Has Grown
Two by-streets in the central city area of interest are Zetland Street (named in connection with Zetland Lodge, alongside), and Duddell Street, which recalls Mr George Duddell, who was appointed Government Auctioneer and was also made bakery
To make a comparison be- in 1857,
tween trade, finance, popula- contractor to the troops the same year.
In connection with Mr Duddell's tion, public health and other contract, there occurred a sensational
statistics of the early days of to poison the attempt
European
Hongkong and the present time, population and garrison by the Chinese
who had held the
it is necessary to refer to the contract baker
No records are to monopoly) a
for
year 1844. some (practically
be found between 1841 and 1844 time. In January, 1857, someone at the
However, in 1842summated al bakery mixed arsenic with the bread, but used such a quantity that after
population there was present Rare Colony a garrison of 700 very little had been eaten the effects were felt, and the attempt failed: men. In 1939 the total popula- though some 400 Europeans becam SOME OF THE CIVILIANS
tion of the Colony was estimat- some of them being for cir's con-
ed at 1,050,256, based on the To come to civilian pioneers, we have serious condition Abril that year.
1921 census, and is probably Morrison Hill probably jointly named tract was torres induced him to take after the poisoning! after Mr J. R. Morrison, son of the but the earlier,
larger to-day. famous sinologue the Rev. Dr Roberttempt. No evidence could be pro- Morrison (who died just over six before Hongkong became
father. any of his assistants. Chinese
Davis (Mount Davis), Major-General possession). and his illumétodo pritish duced to convict the Chinese baker or
Aguilar, Sir Samuel Bonham, Major-
Mr
J. R Morrison
was
It is worthy of note here that Ward-
The first record of the European population occurs in 1844, which shows that 454 ton-Chinese were resident here. In the same year, 538 ships, total tonnage 18
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