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The MPH after its opening, was described as a building of a graceful and even palatial appearance.
It occupied one of the most commanding positions and possessed an uninterrupted and significant view of every part of the harbour and also the Kowloon Peninsula.
The Main Building of MPH was originally of two storeys with the top floor added in the early 1920s.
rooms.
Most of the rooms in the Main Building were originally barracks and duty
The two towers on the south-east and south-west comers of the Main Building were used as married quarters until 1975 when they were converted into offices and the Officers' Mess.
During the Japanese Occupation, the MPH was used as a base by the enemy navy, extensive tunnels under the lawn were built and the MPH was painted in camouflage colours.
war.
These various measures helped to keep MPH in reasonable condition during the
After the War, the lawn was restored and the network of tunnels was filled in for safety reasons.
A special feature of the MPH is the Round House which is a two-storey tower built in 1884 on the very end of the promontory as a time signal station.
The time ball dropped at 1 pm every day to enable ships in the harbour to check their chronometers. It ceased to operate in 1907 when the ball and its mechanism were removed to Signal Hill.
The Round House is now used as an exhibition gallery by the Marine Police.
A spokesman for the Antiquities and Monuments Office of the Recreation and Culture Branch said: "The MPH is the fourth oldest surviving historical government building, ranking only after the Former Flagstaff House (built 1846), the Old Stanley Police Station (built 1859) and the Royal Observatory (built 1883).
"All these three latter buildings have been declared as historical buildings."
End/Friday, December 23, 1994
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