After the fiftieth year of the Queen's reign was celebrated, it was decided that a statue of Her Majesty should be erected in some prominent position. Orders were at once given and in due course executed, but owing largely to the delay in completing the Freya Reclamation, nothing was done for some years. When the Reclamation was finally completed, it was decided that Thursday May 28, 1896, the day officially appointed for the celebration of the seventy-seventh anniversary of the birth of the Queen, should be the occasion upon which the statue should be unveiled.
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According to the Hongkong Telegraph the ceremony was indeed grand and imposing, and must have been as instructive as it was pleasing to the thousands of Chinese who witnessed it. Surrounding the three sides of the statue, which was well set off by masses of palms and ferns placed in banks about the base, were nearly 2,000 troops, composed of detachments from the Royal Navy and Marine Light Infantry on the right flank, followed in succession by the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Rifle Brigade, the Hongkong Regiment and the Hongkong Volunteers, the whole being under the command of Colonel Anstey, R.E. These marched into position shortly after 5 o'clock.
Ranged on the steps facing the sea was a detachment composed of two men from each branch of the forces in Hongkong an instructive and picturesque detail. Long previous to this, the invited guests were accommodated to the number of 1,000 in a matshed temporarily erected by Mr. W. Denby on the water side of the square, and thousands of Chinese were permitted to occupy two large squares inside the enclosure.
Among those in the stand were the subscribers to the Jubilee Fund, all the Civil, Military and Naval officials, the Consular representatives of the various Powers in Hongkong, the heads of the many prosperous firms and all the prominent residents, together with their wives and daughters, the whole forming a most brilliant assembly. Thanks to the arrangements of the Police and Committee, there was no confusion or crushing, and those entitled to admission all found places prepared for them.
Promptly at 5.30 p.m., His Excellency the Governor, Sir William Robinson, accompanied by his staff, appeared in view, whereupon the troops were called to attention and shouldered arms. His Excellency and staff then proceeded to their places in the centre of the Stand, where, beneath the Royal Arms, His Excellency was met by the members of the Jubilee Committee, namely, the Hon. Mr. C.F. Chater (Hon. Treasurer and Acting Chairman), Hon. Mr. E.R. Belilios, Dr. Ho Kai, Messrs. T. Jackson, J. Francis, Q.C., H.N. Mody, A.P. MacEwen, Wai Yuk, Ho Amel, and Li Shing. His Excellency then faced about, the troops presented arms, and to the strains of the national anthem the Royal Standard was loosened and fluttered in the south-west breeze.
In requesting His Excellency to unveil the statue the Hon. Mr. C.F. Chater said that in the evolution of time, generation would follow generation, new firms would arise, new projects would be formed, new personalities would seek to advance the Colony's influence and many names, familiar then, would be forgotten, but the statue of a beloved Sovereign would remain to impress upon those who came after the esteem in which she was held by her subjects in Hongkong.
Before unveiling the statue, His Excellency briefly reviewed the progress made by the Colony. Fifty-nine years ago, he said, Hongkong was a barren rock, inhabited by 200 or 300 persons and the harbour unfrequented by vessels. Now, in 1896, the Colony presented a remarkable object lesson to the newly arrived resident or traveller unequalled in any part of the world. He sees before him large, and in some cases magnificent banks, city halls and houses of business gazing for miles along the sea-front. Inland, he sees rising tier above tier, hundreds of fine houses built by and for the thriving
6.
After the fiftieth year of the Queen's reign. was celebrated, it was decided that a statue of Her Majesty should be erected in sɔne prominent position. Orders were at once given and in due course executed, but owing largely to the delay in completing the Freya Reclamation, nothing was done for some years. When the Reclemation was finally completed, it was decided that Thursday May 28, 1896, the day officially appointed for the celebration of the seventy-seventh anniversary of the birth of the Queen, should be the occasion upon which the statue should be unveiled.
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226
1062
According to the Hongkong Telegraph the ceremony was indeed grand and imposing, and must have been as instructive as it was pleasing to the thousands of Chinese who witnessed it. Surrounding the three sides of the statue, which was well set off by masses of palms and ferns placed in benks about the base, were nearly 2,000 troops, composed of detachments from the Royal Navy and Marine Light Infantry on the right flank, followed in succession by the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Rifle Brigade, the Hongkong Regiment and the Hongkong Volunteers, the whole being under the command of Colonel Anstey, R.E. These marched into position shortly after 5 o'clock.
Renged on the steps facing the sea was a detachment composed of two men from each branch of the forces in Hongkong an instructive and picturesque detail. Long previous to this, the invited guests were accommodated to the number of 1,000 in a matshed temporarily erected by Mr. W. Denby on the water side of the square, and thousandı of Chinese were permitted to occupy two large squares inside the enclosure.
Among those in the stand were the subsoribers to the Jubilee Fund, all the Civil, Military and Naval officials, the Consular representatives of the various Powers in Hongkong, the heads of the many prosperous firms and all the prominent residents, together with.. their wives and daughters, the whole forming a most brilliant assem- bly. Thanks to the arrangements of the Police and Committee, there wes no confusion or crushing, and those entitled to admission all found places prepared for them.
Promptly at 5.30 p.m., His Excellency the Governor, Sir William Robinson, accompanied by his staff, appeared in view, whereupon the troops were called to attention and shouldered eras. His Excellency and staff then proceeded to their places in the centre of the Stand, where, beneath the Royal Arms, His Excellency was met by the members of the Jubilee Committee, namely, the Hon. Mr. C.F.Chater (Hon. Treasurer and Acting Chairman), Hon. Mr.E.R. Belilios, Dr. Ho Kai, Messrs. T. Jackson, J.. Francis, Q.C., H.N. Mody, A.P. MacEwen, Wai Yuk, Ho Amel, and L1 Shing. His Excellency then faced about, the troops presented arms, and to the strains of the national enthem the Royal Standard was loosened end fluttered in the south-west breeze.
In requesting His Excellency to unveil the statue the Hon. Mr.C.F. Chater said that in the evolution of time, generation would follow generation, new firms would arise, new projects would be formed, new personalities would seek to advence the Colony's influence end many nemes, familler then, would be forgotten,
but the statue of a beloved Sovereign would remain to impress upon those who came after the esteem in which she was held by her subjects in Hongkong.
Before unveiling the statue, His Excellency, briefly reviewed the progress made by the Colony. Fifty-nine years ago, he said, Hongkong was a barren rock, inhabited by 200 or 300 persons end the harbour unfrequented by vessels. Now, in 1896, the Colony present ed & remarkable object lesson to the newly arrived resident or traveller unequalled in any part of the world. He sees before him lerge, end in some cases magnificent banks, city halls and houses of business guzetching for miles along the sea-front. Inlend, he sees rising tier above tier, hundreds of fine houses built by and for the thriving
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