RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1964 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/qz20zx09r 155 ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY HONG KONG BRANCH List of Members on the 30th April 1964 Patron: His Excellency Sir David Trench, K.C.M.G., M.C. Honorary Members: His Excellency Sir Robert Black, G.C.M.G., O.B.E. J. L. Cranmer-Byng, M.C., M.A. Dept. of History, University of Toronto, Sidney Smith Hall, Toronto 5, Canada. Members: ABRAHAM, R. D.* AIDE-DECAMP, The AKERS-JONES, D. ALLEYNE, Mrs. E. L. ANDERSON, H. M. Miss ARMERDING, L. E.* BADAMS, P. W. M. BAHR, Mrs. Kay BAIRD, J. W. BAKER, Mrs. Ann. BAKER, W. E. BARD, Dr. S. M. BARNETT, K. M. A. BARON, D. W. B. BARR, J. S. BARRY, Comdr. R. S. BASHALL, Mrs. C. G. BASTICK, Capt. W. G. BASTO, G. de 41, Island Road, Deep Water Bay, H.K. Government House, Garden Road, H.K. c/o District Office, Yuen Long, N.T. University of Hong Kong, Pokfulum, H.K. 14, Chater Hall, 1 Conduit Road, H.K. 11, Creasy Road, Jardine's Lookout, H.K. c/o H.K. & Shanghai Bank, H.K. (Trustee) Ltd. Shell House, 6th floor, H.K. 4. Abermor Court, May Road, H.K. c/o Jardine, Matheson & Co., Ltd. H.K. 23, Coombe Road, H.K. c/o The H.K. Electric Co., Ltd. P. O. Box 915, H.K. Hong Kong University, Pokfulum, H.K. P. O. Box 248, H.K. 30 Severn Road, H.K. Chung Chi College, Ma Liu Shui, N.T. c/o The Hong Kong Club, H.K. c/o H.M. Prison, Stanley, H.K. Camp Office, Victoria Barracks, H.K. BENANZIO, Dr. M. 604 Fu House, 7 Ice House Street, H.K. c/o Italian Embassy, Djalan Diponegoro 47, Djakarta, Indonesia, * Life Member Please notify the Hon. Secretary of any inaccuracy Page 180 Page 181 ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1966 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/bz60k0811 181 LINDSAY, T. J.* LIU, D. H. L LIU, Sydney C. LIU. Dr. Tsun-yan LLEWELLYN, J. LO, Dr. Chin-tang LO, Hsiang-lin LO, T. S.* LOCKING, J. R. LOCKS, Miss A. M. LOSEBY, Miss P. LOTHROP, F. B.* LUBMAN, Stanley LUCAS, Col. E. S. S. - LUI, Adam Yuen Chung LUM, Miss Ada LUPTON, G. C, M. LYM, Miss Renee M. - MA, Meng 3, Barcena Avenue, Wahroonga, N.S.W. c/o U.S. Consulate General, 26 Garden Road, H.K. 31 Kin Wah Street, 2nd Floor, North Point, H.K. c/o Faculty of Oriental Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, A.C.T., Australia. Dept. of Geography & Geology, The University, H.K. 38D, 8th Floor, Bonham Road, H.K. Dept. of Chinese, The University, H.K. c/o Lo and Lo. Jardine House, 7/F., Pedder St., H.K. District Office, Yuen Long, New Territories. King's Park House, Gascoigne Road, Kowloon. c/o Russ & Co., Rooms 523/5 Gloucester Building, H.K. c/o Peabody Museum, Salem, Mass, U.S.A. Universities Service Centre, 155 Argyle Street, Kowloon. 94, Main Street, Stanley, H.K. 1. Victory Avenue, 4th Floor, Kowloon, 142, Boundary Street, Kowloon. c/o Colonial Secretariat, H.K. Park Mansions, 4 Mile Taipo Road, 1st floor, Kowloon. Institute of Oriental Studies, The University, H.K. MACCABE, Miss E. M. A. - King's Park House, Gascoigne Road, Kowloon, MACDOUGALL, J. J. MACGREGOR, Miss M. h MACK, A. M. MACKEITH, J. S. MACKENZIE, J. MACKENZIE, Miss S. c/o U.S. Consulate General, Garden Road, H.K. 31-C, Bisney Road, Pokfulum, H.K. 34 Wilton Crescent, London, S.W.1., England. 80 Robinson Road, H.K. Davie, Boag & Co., Ltd., Jardine House, H.K. 17 Chater Hall, Conduit Road, H.K. • Life Member Please notify the Hon. Secretary of any inaccuracy ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1968 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/66833948d 212 MILLER, A. C. MILLER, C. F. O.* MOLTKE-HANSEN, Mrs. Olav. MOSLER, Mrs. M. MOYLE, G. C. NEILD, Mrs. Christine NELSON, Howard G. H. NEWBIGGING, D. K. NG, Ronald C. Y. NICHOLS, E. H. NIXON, F. A.* NOLDE, Prof. John J. NORONHA, J. E. OLIPHANT, R. G. L. OLIVER, J. R. ORD, Miss I. M. OU, Miss G. OVERBURY, Miss U. M. PATTERSON, G. N. PAYNE, Miss P. M. PEARSON, Miss E. F. PENNELL, W. V. PERESYPKIN, O. P. PHILLIPS, Prof. J. G. PICCIOTTO, Mrs. R. J. PICKFORD, J. B. Union Research Institute, 9 College Road, Kowloon. c/o Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch, C.P.O. Box 255, Seoul, Korea. A-4, Repulse Bay Mansions, 117 Repulse Bay Road, H.K. 3, Macdonnell Road, Flat 602, H.K. 61 Mile Taipo Road, N.T. 1201 Manson House, Nathan Road. c/o Universities Service Centre, 155 Argyle Street, Kowloon. c/o Jardine, Matheson & Co., Ltd., Jardine House, H.K. 148, King Henry's Road, Swiss Cottage, London N.W.3, England. 11, Queen's Gardens, Old Peak Road, H.K. Room 63, Hong Kong Club, H.K. Dept. of Chinese, The University of Maine, Orono, Maine, U.S.A. c/o W.F. Bollmeyer & Co., (H.K.) Ltd., 408, Yu To Sang Building, H.K. c/o The H.K. & Shanghai Banking Corpn., H.K. c/o Supreme Court, H.K. Sisters' Qtrs., 802 King's Park House, Kowloon. c/o French Consulate General, P. O. Box 13, H.K. The Helena May, Garden Road, H.K. 21 South Bay Road, Ground Floor, Repulse Bay, H.K. 1 Chater Hall, Ground floor, 1 Conduit Road, H.K. Flat 1002, 75 Macdonnell Road, H.K. C'an Boyet Mear Puerto Pollensa, Majorca, Spain. P. O. Box 1382, H.K. Dept. of Zoology, University of Hull, England. 46 Stubbs Road, H.K. Flat 2, Buxey Lodge, 37 Conduit Road, H.K. * Life Member Please notify the Hon. Secretary of any inaccuracy ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1972 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/gm80qf99h 22 P. H. COLLIN of the time. The painting of the praya at Macao (No. XVII) is a scene which is found in many nineteenth-century illustrated books;* the picture of the East walls of Canton (No. XXXV) is virtually the same as that of the frontispiece of Fisher's Three Years' Service in China, that of Howqua's garden (No. XLV) closely resembles the frontispiece of Albert Smith's pamphlet To China and Back. The dealer from whom the paintings were acquired was unable to identify their origin, nor the artist whose initials G.A.S. appear on numbers XXXIII and XLV. Nor was it possible to find any clues as to the whereabouts of the missing paintings, which, to go by the Roman numbers on the reverse, must be at least twenty-five in number. To discover the identity of the artist, there are certain clues in the paintings themselves. In view of their dates, it seems certain that he must have come to the Far East in connection with the "Arrow" war and the capture of Canton in December 1857. Reinforcements for this campaign were requested by Admiral Seymour in the summer of 1857 and arrived in China waters during the autumn of that year. The first to arrive were the steam-transports Imperador and Imperatrix, which reached Hong Kong on 28th October and 6th November respectively. Some time after them came the Adelaide, also a steamer, which, although leaving England at the same time as others (the Imperador left Plymouth on August 10th, the Imperatrix on 12th August, the Adelaide on 17th August), only arrived in Hong Kong on December 1st. Wingrove Cooke, in his despatches to "The Times", reveals the impatience of the Hong Kong garrison with what he calls "this lagging log, the Adelaide." In a later report, he states that "the long-expected Adelaide made her appearance on the 1st, having on board twenty officers and 507 rank and file". Judging from the date on the first painting, the artist we are concerned with must have been aboard the Adelaide: perhaps he devoted himself to painting to relieve the tedium of the excessively long voyage. There were, of course, people in Hong Kong at the time who might have painted the pictures. Albert Smith mentions meeting on 24th August 1858 the son-in-law of the P. and O. agent, a “Mr. * As, for example, in James Orange, The Chater Collection, Pictures relating to China, Hong Kong, Macao 1655-1830 (1924). ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1972 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/gm80qf99h 206 NOTES AND QUERIES the businessman's enterprise disguised as a rustic farmstead. The emergence of vegetable cultivation is a spill-over from the urban areas. What we deal with is the city's adjustment to the countryside rather than the adaptation of the rural husbandry to meet urban demands. This is not to say that rice peasants have not switched over to vegetable cultivation at all. Obviously this kind of person is not common in Sha Tin, but he occurs and there are a few native vegetable farmers in nearly every village. Still, it is a noteworthy fact that the present village gardeners did not give up their rice cultivation until they had precedent models for action in the form of immigrant garden enterprises. The example of the successful immigrant truck garden was something to be envied and reproduced, and thus a primary incentive for a new agricultural order. Paradoxically, the indigenous villagers have been able to remain in their traditional rice world by giving up rice cultivation. The main sources of change lie in the urban areas, in Hong Kong and overseas. New ideas flowing into the villages will not disrupt traditional notions concerning land, although land use may have changed in that land is rented to outsiders, abandoned or converted into building lots. The few native villagers who have engaged in horticulture did not venture the shift in land use until they had access to models in the form of outsider gardeners. I feel that the general lack of response to city needs for food in the Sha Tin valley is due to the proximity of the valley to the city, a feature which involved people directly in city life. On the other hand, we have found that city people have become involved in rural production. Thus, the change in land use in the New Territories is no simple process generated by the maximization of profits. Only our awareness of the social characteristics of the actors in the drama will allow us to gain some understanding of the complexity of the situation. University of Gothenburg, 1972. GORAN AijMER Footnote: This is an abstract from a report intended to form a chapter in a monograph on social life in the Sha Tin valley. Field work was conducted from June 1967 to February 1968, and in Summer 1969 for three months. The field work was supported by the Humanistic Foundation of Sweden. The writing of the report was carried out at the Harvard-Yenching Institute, Cambridge, Mass., with the support of Carl-Bertel Nathhorst Foundation and Stockholm University. I gratefully acknowledge the generosity of these institutions. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1979 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/2801w5938 NOTES AND QUERIES 203 Territories and neighbouring areas. In this district there was a hill called Kwun Fu Shan, which is said to have been where Argyle Street is now. The San On district records published during the reign of Ka Hing: A.D. 1796-1820: state "Kwun Fu Shan lies to the east of Kap Shui Mun and in the neighbourhood of Fat Tong Mun. The royal barge anchored here, near where the foundations of the Emperor's Palace still stand". Fat Tong Mun is the passage lying between the Mainland and Lam Tong Island, to the east of Lei Yue Mun. In the chapter "Kwun Fu Chu Fat" meaning Kwun Fu where the Emperor halted when on tour, the same records contain this section under the heading "Court Circuit". "In the fourth moon of the year Ting Chau (A.D. 1277) the royal barge arrived at this place, where the Imperial Palace was erected, the plinths and pillars as well as the site of this Palace were still existing until the local residents built on the site a temple dedicated to Pak Tai." It is now over a hundred years since this was written and during that time old landmarks have long since been altered or removed. The true site of the Imperial Palace is now unknown but the scholar Chan Pak To has reported that there is known to have been a village called Yee Wong Tin, the Palace of two Kings, on the right of the Pak Tai Temple. But this temple has itself been at some time moved and rebuilt. The site of the village of the Palace of the two Kings is also therefore uncertain although an old map suggests that it may have been to the west of Sung Shan which lay south of the original Sung Wong Toi. There was however yet another temple nearby. Once known as the Temple of the Supreme Ruler, it was built where this Rest Garden is now. This Temple of the Supreme Ruler had within it a stone tablet recording that a Pak Tai Temple in the old Ma Tau Wei Village, which used to be known as Kwu Kan Wai was repaired during the reign of Ch'ien Lung (A.D. 1736-1796). That Pak Tai Temple is believed by some to have been the same as the one mentioned in the San On district records and built on the site of the original Palace at Kwun Fu. Whether this is so or not, it later disappeared from within the old Ma Tau Wei Village and thereafter the village elders used to perform their sacrifices at the Temple of the Supreme Ruler. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1979 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/2801w5938 237 FABER, Mrs. Audrey, 10 Cooper Road, Jardine's Lookout, HONG KONG, LOCAL LIFE MEMBERS FAULKNER, Mr. Raymond J., 423 Holland House, Ice House Street, HONG KONG. FREMANTLE, Mr. Adam, Coudert Bros, Alexandra House, 31/F, 20 Chater Road, HONG KONG, FRY, Mr. R. A., Office of the Commissioner of Rating and Valuation, 1 Garden Road, HONG KONG. FUNG, Mrs. Leatrice, 17 Magazine Gap Road, Flat 5A, HONG KONG. FUNG, Sir Kenneth Ping-Fan, O.B.E., J.P., Fung Ping Fan & Co. Ltd., 2705-2718, Connaught Centre, HONG KONG. GAFF, Mrs. Jennifer A. Wilfred Flat 6, 110 Repulse Bay Road, Repulse Bay, HONG KONG. GILKES, Mr. D. A., J.P. The Bursar's Office, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NEW TERRITORIES. GOLDNEY, Miss C. M., c/o Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp., Queen's Road, HONG KONG, GORDON, Mr. K. H. A., 48 Mount Kellett Road, HONG KONG. GORDON, The Hon. Sir S. S., c/o Sir Elly Kadoorie & Sons, St. George's Building 24/F, HONG KONG. HAYES, Dr. James, J.P. 7 The Albany, Albany Road, HONG KONG. HAYIM, Mr. E. J., C.B.E., 4th Island Road, Deep Water Bay, HONG KONG. HECHTEL, Mr. F. O. P., Flat 10 Aigburth Hall, May Road, HONG KONG HO, Mr. Tickon, 50 Village Road, G/Fl., Happy Valley, HONG KONG. HONEY, Mr. N. R., c/o Medical and Health Dept., Lee Gardens, Hysan Avenue, HONG KONG HOPKINSON, Mrs. I. 12 Mount Nicholson Gap HONG KONG HOWARD, Mr. W. J., P.O. Box 20704, Causeway Bay Post Office, HONG KONG. + HOWNAM-MEEK, Mr. R. S., 7A, Conway Mansion, 29 Conduit Road, HONG KONG. HOYNINGEN-HUENE, Baron Ture von, 9A Stanley Beach Road, HONG KONG. HU, Dr. Shih Chang, 210 Tin Hau Temple Road, Flat C1, 15/F., HONG KONG. HUI, Miss Wai Haan, Dept. of Chemistry, University of Hong Kong, HONG KONG + HUNG, Mr. Chiu Sung, Yuet Ming Building, 17/F, Flat B, King's Road, HONG KONG. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1979 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/2801w5938 240 TAN, Mr. Khek-Seng, A, 11th Floor, Elegant Garden, 11 Conduit Road, HONG KONG LOCAL LIFE MEMBERS TANG, Sir Shiu-Kin, CBE, The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. Ltd., Room 1701 Central Building, HONG KONG. TANG, Mrs. Madeleine, 8C Grenville House, 1 Magazine Gap Road, HONG KONG. THOMAS, Mr. Louis F., c/o Lowe, Bingham, & Mathews, Prince's Building, 22/Fl., HONG KONG. THOMPSON, Mr. P. J., c/o Johnson, Stokes & Master, 10th and 11th Floors Alexandra House, 16-20 Chater Road, HONG KONG THROWER, Prof. L. B., Flat 6B, University Residence No. 6, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NEW TERRITORIES. THROWER, Dr. Stella, Flat 6B, Residence No. 6, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NEW TERRITORIES. TON CHEN, Mrs. Chu-Ching, 3-D Chesterfield Mansion, Kingston Street, HONG KONG, TORRIBLE, Mr. Graham Robert, c/o Hong Kong Club, HONG KONG WATSON, Mr. K. A., c/o Lammert Bros., Pedder Building, HONG KONG. WAUNG, Mr. William Sikying, 1903 Hang Chong Building, 5 Queen's Road C., HONG KONG. WEINREBE, Mr. Harry M., Fairfield Enterprises Ltd., 1404 Bank of Canton Building, 6 Des Voeux Road C., HONG KONG. WERLE, Ms. Helga, 3 Wood Road, 6/Fl., HONG KONG. WESLEY-SMITH, Mr. Peter, School of Law, University of Hong Kong, HONG KONG, WILLIAMS, Mr. Roger, Dept. of Extra-Mural Studies, University of Hong Kong, HONG KONG. WILLIAMS, Mr. B. V., Hong Kong Housing Authority, Housing Authority Headquarters, 101 Princess Margaret Road, KOWLOON. WILLIAMS, Mr. & Mrs. W.D F., 1 Riante Rive Apartments, 141 Milestone, Castle Peak Road, NEW TERRITORIES. WINKLER, Mrs. E., Flat 402, 12 May Road, HONG KONG WONG, Mr. Kwok Fong, 92A Pokfulam Road 1/Fl., HONG KONG. WONG, Mr. Peng-Cheong, Wong, Tan & Co., Chartered Accountants, South China Building, 3rd Floor, 1 Wyndham Street, HONG KONG, YEUNG, Mr. Walter W. T., 60-B Conduit Road, G/F, HONG KONG. YOUNG Miss Pauline, The Peak School, Plunketts Road, The Peak, HONG KONG. I ¦ | ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1987 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/rx919b522 225 things very promptly.” There was general agreement that the park would not be of immediate benefit to the Chinese, but some thought that was no reason why it should not be a suitable project for the Jubilee. Given time the Chinese would realise its value. In seconding Mr. Chater's resolution, the Honourable A. J. Ackroyd looked into the future. In spite of the objections that the park would not be used much by the Chinese, he said: “I think it would be of great advantage to them, if not at the present, in the future, because there can be no doubt that in the future — at least I hope it will be so — the Chinese youth from the public schools will freely mix in our games and amusements.’ Mr. Ackroyd spoke about another objection that had been raised. A properly landscaped park would interfere with the viewing of the races. Indeed, he too “would disapprove of the valley being turned into a garden and shrubbery.” He envisaged a sports field, because "where there is so little level land in the Colony, we should utilise it to the best advantage. It could also be used advantageously by the military, for “the troops can occasionally assemble to go through their exercises and the crews of Her Majesty's vessels can be brought on shore and put through their drill.” Editorial comment on the park proposal was not entirely favourable. One editor made the point that the name Happy Valley was firmly linked to the oval where the horses ran, and it was doubtful whether the public would be weaned away from it. Not only that, but it was said future generations would associate the name "Victoria” with the City of Victoria, “rather than our much beloved and never-to-be-too-much-respected Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria.” With only a bare flat open space and little chance of its users adopting or properly understanding the name "Victoria Park," the ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1990 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/d79206299 The Hong Kong and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Company 735 Another important associate company of Jardine's until the mid-1980s was 'Wharf, which was a pioneer in the development of Kowloon. The firm was established in 1886 by Paul Chater and Kerfoot Hughes. About the same time Jardine's started a wharf at West Point, but largely because of labour difficulties with Chinese lightermen Kowloon Wharf and Jardine's Wharf amalgamated. In 1887, they acquired the P&O (Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company) wharf at West Point although this was later sold, Sir Paul Chater It is appropriate here to say something about Anglophile Catchick Paul Chater, born of Armenian parents in 1846, who came to Hong Kong from Calcutta at the age of 18. He started work as a clerk in the Bank of Hindustan, China and Japan, but soon branched out on his own as an exchange and bullion broker. Chater later became a business associate of the Sassoons, who were Jewish merchants. Chater's interests were many and varied. In addition to Hong Kong Land and Kowloon Wharf they included substantial real estate holdings. Hong Kong Bank, Dairy Farm, Star Ferry, Hong Kong Tramways, and Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels. Chater was also a pioneer in the 57 acre Praya reclamation scheme, in Central District, which included Des Voeux and Connaught Roads, and is now one of the most valuable areas of land on earth. Although he was sometimes accused of showing indecent regard for Royalty and all things British, including cricket, others believed, "Where Chater goes today Jardine's follow tomorrow". Venturesome in business, few men have contributed so much to Hong Kong as he did, and he worked closely with the British for several decades. One of the busiest roads in Central, as well as Chater Garden and Catchick Street, is named after him. As a self-made man with considerable foresight he was generous, and he became a public benefactor and patron of the arts. Unfortunately, the Chater collection of paintings was lost during World War II. Sir Paul, who served on both the Legislative and Executive Councils, died in 1926 an honoured and respected man. Butterfield and Swire Another of the great Hongs, Swire's, is Jardine's competitor, even ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1997 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/wp98g7579 86 Reclamation Victoria Harbour, the raison d'etre for Hong Kong's foundation, formed the focal point around which the new settlers clustered and around which the banks, business houses, the shipyards and, later, commercial factories were built. Hemmed in by hills both to the north and the south, the population around the harbour became concentrated on the limited flat or less steeply sloping land available along the coast. Expansion was only possible by reclamation into the sea (and later by higher buildings), spoil being obtained from nearby hills thus providing additional building land. Until the advent of motor vehicles, reclamations were unable to benefit from more remote fill sources, like the Peak where site development necessitated balanced cut and fill. In all several hundred hectares of land were reclaimed in the hundred years up to 1941 (compared with many thousands in the 50 years following). Some of the people who were lucky enough to lease the first lots of land fronting on the sea, which had been auctioned in 1841, extended their lots by illicit reclamation over the foreshore absorbing such land as could easily be reclaimed, a procedure which was soon forbidden. Quite early, probably in 1842-3, some valuable land was reclaimed in Victoria, part of which was subsequently occupied by the Hong Kong Cricket Club (now Chater Garden). The first formal praya (waterfront) reclamation scheme was partly carried out in 1851, by the filling of a small creek in the Bonham Strand area, but as might be expected it aroused stiff opposition from affected lessees who claimed marine rights. This, compounded by the destruction of part of the original praya wall by severe typhoons in 1867 and 1874, delayed matters but, despite these problems, by 1886 an 8km-long near-continuous strip of land (the major discontinuance being the section adjacent to the naval and military areas), perhaps broadly averaging around 100m wide was formed between Kennedy Town and North Point, the seawalls providing much needed access for handling marine cargo. In 1887 further reclamation was recommended to alleviate overcrowding in the city. As a result, the Praya Reclamation Ordinance was gazetted in 1890 and a year later Paul Chater (later Sir Paul) initiated a band of reclamation, totalling 26 hectares and extending three kilometres westward from Murray Road along the northern foreshore. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-2002 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/mp4901278 330 the long queue. After a few words from him and a few glares from odd people lined up, formalities were completed. My barging in seemed, more or less, to have been accepted. In January 1955, I remember going to a new workshop which was being built for the government Public Works Department at So Kon Po, on Hong Kong Island. There, old women were straightening nails, for reuse, which had been knocked out of timber formwork into which concrete was poured. They were paid $1.50 a day. Tradesmen were paid $5.00. What were my other impressions of the winter of 1954/55? I could not get over how crystal clear the sky was as I stood on Hong Kong Island gazing northward over the Kowloon foothills. Leading on, jumping to 1964, businessman K.A. Watson of the Traffic Advisory Committee, said: 'Hong Kong might one day have a smog problem as bad as Los Angeles unless action is taken to eliminate vehicle exhaust fumes.' No one took much notice. In those days if one spoke of 'the Government' one meant the one in Whitehall. But if one wrote 'government,' with no definite article and a small 'g,' then one meant the administration in Hong Kong. Interestingly, during the 1957/58 legislative year, only one question was asked in the Legislative Council among the eight unofficial (non-government) Councillors and they only, between them, made a total of 12 speeches. Hong Kong was a pretty colonial place in those days and there was always a military parade with bands marching along the streets of Kowloon on the morning of 21st April. It was a public holiday and the Queen's Birthday. It was a jingoistic occasion with a few Britons carrying furled umbrellas and wearing bowler hats. In the 1950s the Murray Parade Ground was regularly used, near the Garden Road-Queen's Road corner, opposite the cricket field where Chater Garden is situated today. We went into "whites" on about 1st May and this, for most of us in government at least, meant shorts with shirts tucked in and knee-length socks. We changed back to heavy clothing on about 1st November. My old boss, typical of the more senior, used to come down on the Peak ================================================================================