XN000022-1977-01-10 — Page 2

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 1977

GOVERNOR OPENS OCEAN PARK ******

THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, TODAY DESCRIBED THE OCEAN PARK AS +A GREAT AND IMAGINATIVE VENTURE+.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE OCEAN PARK, SIR MURRAY SAID HE DID NOT BELIEVE THERE WAS ANYTHING QUITE LIKE IT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, BECAUSE IT COMBINED SO STRIKINGLY THE BEST THAT NATURE COULD OFFER AND MAN CONTRIVE.

HE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE LAND WAS GRANTED FREE BY THE GOVERNMENT, THE ENORMOUS CAPITAL REQUIRED WAS DONATED, AS A GIFT, BY THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB.

+ THE PARK DISPLAYS A WIDE RANGE OF LOCAL AND EXOTIC FLORA AND FAUNA. BUT ITS HEADLAND SITE, WHICH IS THE CORE AND PRINCIPAL FEATURE OF THE PARK, IS CONCERNED WITH THE SEA,+ THE GOVERNOR SAID.

AT PRESENT, HE ADDED, THE HEADLAND SITE CONSISTED LARGELY OF THE THREE BIG MAJOR EXHIBITS THE REEF TANK, THE THEATRE AND THE WAVE TANK.

+THESE ARE BRILLIANTLY DESIGNED AND THEMSELVES PROVIDE AN OUTING OF SEVERAL HOURS ENJOYMENT, SIR MURRAY SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE THREE MAJOR EXHIBITS AND THE CABLE CAR ACCESS TO THEM +ARE OF COURSE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN. +

HOWEVER, THE GOVERNOR EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT IN THE COURSE OF TIME, AND IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE OF HANDLING OF CROWDS ON THIS STEEP AND RESTRICTED SITE, THE HEADLAND WOULD GRADUALLY BE DEVELOPED TO PROVIDE ROOM FOR ITS ENJOYMENT BY LARGER NUMBERS WHO MAY NOT ALWAYS WISH OR BE ABLE TO PAY TO SEE ALL THE EXHIBITS AT ONE TIME.

+1 AM SURE, HE ADDED, THIS TOO IS THE OBJECT OF THE BOARD.+ THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE OCEANARIUM WAS TO LET HONG KONG PEOPLE SEE SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND ATTRACTIVE CREATURES THAT LIVE IN IT, AND TO SEE THEM AGAINST A SEA AND ISLAND BACKGROUND OF STRIKING GRANDEUR.

*THE JOCKEY CLUB'S CONCEPT, HE EMPHASISED, IS TRUELY WORTH OF HONG KONG.+

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