SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 1983
PRINCESS ANNE INAUGURATES R.O.'S CENTENARY BUILDING
****
HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, THE PRINCESS ANNE, THIS (SATURDAY) AFTERNOON UNVEILED A PLAQUE TO COMMEMORATE THE OPENING OF THE $18-MILLION CENTENARY BUILDING AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, WHICH ALSO MARKED THE BEGINNING OF A SERIES OF CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS OF THE OBSERVATORY.
ACCOMPANIED BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE AND LADY YOUDE, PRINCESS ANNE WAS RECEIVED ON ARRIVAL BY THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, MR PATRICK SHAM.
AFTER THE OPENING CEREMONY, THE PRINCESS TOURED AROUND THE NEW 10-STOREY BUILDING. HRH WENT FIRST TO THE CENTRAL FORECASTING OFFICE ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR, WHERE SHE INSPECTED THE HIGHLY ADVANCED EQUIPMENT USED FOR WEATHER FORECASTING, INCLUDING MODERN DISPLAY UNITS SHOWING DIGITAL RADAR AND SATELLITE INFORMATION.
THE PRINCESS LATER VISITED THE COMPUTER ROOM ON THE FIFTH FLOOR BEFORE PROCEEDING TO THE SEISMOLOGICAL OFFICE ON THE THIRD FLOOR, WHERE SHE WAS BRIEFED ON EARTHQUAKE RECORDING AND ANALYSIS WORK.
IN HIS WELCOMING ADDRESS, MR PATRICK SHAM SAID THE CENTENARY BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED BECAUSE OF INADEQUATE SPACE FOR STAFF AND EQUIPMENT IN THE OLD BUILDING WHICH WAS BUILT 100 YEARS AGO.
HE SAID THAT THE OLD BUILDING WOULD BE DECLARED A HISTORIC MOMUMENT, RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION AND PRESERVED FOR CONTINUED USE OF THE OBSERVATORY.
PRINCESS ANNE WAS TOLD THAT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY HAD ACHIEVED SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS AND EXPANDED ITS ACTIVITIES THROUGH THE YEARS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF HONG KONG. IT HAS ALSO ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS ONE OF THE MOST ADVANCED INSTITUTES IN THE WORLD IN TROPICAL CYCLONE FORECASTING AND RESEARCH.
MR SHAM ADDED THAT THE CENTENARY CELEBRATION PROGRAMME WILL INCLUDE THE PUBLICATION OF A HISTORICAL REVIEW OF THE OBSERVATORY, THE ISSUE OF A SET OF SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS, OPEN DAYS AND A REGIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SEMINAR UNDER THE CO-SPONSORSHIP OF THE OBSERVATORY AND THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL SEMINAR UNDER THE CO-SPONSORSHIP OF THE OBSERVATORY AND THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANISATION.
BEFORE LEAVING THE OBSERVATORY, PRINCESS ANNE ATTENDED A RECEPTION OF ABOUT 100 GUESTS. THE GUESTS INCLUDED SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, COMMONWEALTH COMMISSIONERS AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR AND THE BRITISH SERVICES.
12