Old Hong Kong-3 — Page 144

NAVAL YARD. (Contd.)

145720

The letter from the Governor further quotes the approval of the Surveyor General (Mr. Price).

It was calculated that the project would cost about £45,000 and would take about three years in execution. This sum had already been voted by the Finance Department of the Legislative Council. It was suggested that the cost should be borne equally by the departments affected and the Civil Government.

The letter from the Governor, Sir George Bowen, concludes "The military authorities are in favour of the proposed plan, and I trust that the naval authorities will also be favourable to it. Of course, the final decision must be made in England by the three departments concerned, the War Office, the Colonial Office and the Admiralty. It will be understood that I have addressed you on this subject in consequence of the absence of Admiral Willes. Doubtless you will forward this letter with your remarks to him. I hope that I will be favoured at an early period with the opinion of the naval authorities on the subject, and if Admiral Willes bears with me and General Sargent, he will recommend the Admiralty, as General Sargent will recommend the War Office, to agree to the proposal of the Colonial Government."

*
*
*

Evidently a report was called for by the Commodore in charge of naval establishments in Hong Kong, because there is a letter dated June 29, 1883 and signed by G. A. Johnston, Master Attendant and E. M. Lloyd, Major R.E., Superintendent of Admiralty Works, in which it was pointed out that the proposed reclamation was inadequate for naval requirements and they suggested various extensions so that the whole expense should fall on the Colony "which really gains by the change."

It is apparent that owing to these various objections the scheme was never carried out as originally intended. The naval property remains between the two Prayas, the Central Praya and Wanchai, although an independent reclamation was subsequently carried out opposite the Naval Yard. This took place from 1899 onwards, about the time that the Government's Praya reclamation (commenced in 1890) was completed.

In July, 1902, it is disclosed, Messrs. Butterfield and Swire, in connexion with the work being carried out, notified their intention to obtain an injunction from the Supreme Court to restrain the contractors from continuing to dump stones and rubble into the sea in front of their Marine Lot No. 275, as they alleged it was an encroachment on their property.

The correspondence continued up to August, and a brief note is made by Mr. Bremer, then Naval Civil Secretary, dated November 26, 1903, stating:- "Nothing more has been heard of this case."

The first reference to the Naval reclamation proposal occurs in the early Nineties. There is a brief note on the extension of the foreshore, or reclamation of the Naval Yard, in October 1892, at a first cost of £1,346. This appears to have been merely a small project, subsequently absorbed in the larger scheme.

*
*
*
*

Part of the naval property abutting on the old, narrow Queen's Road was encroached upon when the road was re-aligned and widened. In April 1899, there is correspondence relating to the widening of Queen's Road and the consequent re-construction of the Garrison Parade Ground.

Meanwhile, there was further acquirement of property adjoining the original, somewhat circumscribed Naval Yard.