An interesting photograph is published to-day, understood to have been taken in 1890, which shows a panoramic view of the Garden Road and Central Praya areas in the days before the Praya reclamation. St. John's Cathedral can be seen to the left of the picture, with its roof partly covered with a matting construction, which suggests that repairs were being carried out at the time possibly an earlier attack by white ants being dealt with. The seafront, it will be observed, comes right up to Des Voeux Road, and the City Hall is distinctly shown close to the former Praya, with the Hongkong Bank dome to the left; and neither the Supreme Court nor the present Hongkong Club building, of course, are to be seen. The Central Praya reclamation was commenced in 1890 and concluded in 1902: the seawall constructed for the purpose measures two miles in length, and the land obtained by the scheme has an area of 63 acres. Some of the Colony's finest buildings in the centre of the city were erected almost as soon as the land became available, the chief period of activity being between 1903 and 1907.
It is interesting to know in this connexion, that for some years previous to the Central Praya reclamation scheme being set on foot, efforts were made to obtain Naval and Military sanction to run a Praya right across the front of the present Naval Yard and Military land, so that had it been carried out the public would now be able to travel from Connaught Road almost in a straight line along the seafront to the Praya East reclamation. However, there was considerable opposition to the plan from the Navy, who found it would hamper their easy and essential access to the naval berths, and the idea was not carried out. Thus when the big reclamation scheme was launched in 1890, it was confined to the area from West Point to Murray Road alongside the Naval Yard.
An old photograph is published to-day, showing the seafront as it appeared in the early Nineties, about the time of the Praya Central reclamation which was commenced in 1890. The newly built Central Market is shown, on its present site, at the seafront. The history of this market might be given briefly. Originally it occupied a site nearby, but on the opposite side (south) of Queen's Road, where a Central Market was erected a year after the Colony was founded, being opened on June 10, 1842. A more substantial building was erected in 1858, to be superseded by the present structure, which was commenced in 1890 and completed in 1895. The building can be discerned to the left of the picture, its archways and central tower showing clearly.
It is interesting to note that the market was first farmed out, and the original lessee under this system, in 1842, was a Chinese named Ah Foon.
I am able to publish to-day a portion of an old plan of Victoria City, Hongkong, which is of considerable interest, as it shows an important transition stage in the centre of the town. The map was drawn about 1875, and the area reproduced here covers the military and naval establishments. Some features of this plan might be commented on briefly.
5.
An interesting photograph is published to-day, understood to have been taken in 1890, which shows a panoramic view of the Garden Road and Central Praya areas in the days before the Praya reclamation. St. John's Cathedral can be seen to the left of the picture, with its roof partly covered with a matt- ing construction, which suggests that repairs were being carried out at the time possibly an earlier attack by white ants being dealt with. The seafront, it will be observed, comes right up to Des Voeux Road, and the City Hall is dis- tinctly shown close to the former Praya, with the Hongkong Bank dome to the left; and neither the Supreme Court nor the present Hongkong Club building, of course, are to be seen. The Central Praya reclamation was commenced in 1890 and con- cluded in 1902: the seawall constructed for the purpose measures two miles in length, and the land obtained by the scheme has an area of 63 acres. Some of the Colony's finest buildings in the centre of the city were erected almost as soon as the land became available, the chief period of activity being between 1903 and 1907.
1
It is interesting to know in this connexion, that for some years previous to the Central Praya reclamation scheme being set on foot, efforts were made to obtain Naval and Military sanction to run a Praya right across the front of cae present Naval Yard and Military land, so that had it been carried out the public would now be able to travel from Connaught Road almost in a straight line along the seafront to the Praya East reclamation. However, there was con-
sod siderable opposition to the plan from the Navy, who found it would hamper their easy and essential access to the naval Gerths, and the idea was not carried out. Thus when the big reclamation scheme was launched in 1890, it was confined to the area from West Point to Murray Road alongside the Naval Yard.
An old photograph is published to-day, showing the sea- front as it appeared in the early Nineties, about the time of the Praya Central reclamation which was commenced in 1890. The newly built Central Market is shown, on its present site, at the seafront, The history of this market might be given briefly. Originally it occupied a site nearby, but on the opposite side (south) of Queen's Road, where a Central Market was erected a year after the Colony was founded, being opened on June 10, 1842. A more substantial building was erected in 1858, to be superseded by the present structure, which was commenced in 1890 and completed in 1895. The building can be discerned to the left of the picture, its archways and central tower showing clearly.
It is interesting to note that the market was first farmed out, and the original lessee under this system, in 1842, was a Chinese named Ah. Foon.
I am able to publish to-day a portion of an old plan of Victoria City, Hongkong, which is of considerable interest, as it shows an important transition stage in the centre of
the town. The map was drawn about 1875, and the area reproduced here covers the military and naval e stablishments. Some features of this plan might be commented on briefly.
usy
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