ENG-1963 — Page 48

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Town planning

REVIEW

If land survey was sporadic in its approach, town planning was even more so. A good start was made. In April 1843 Her Majesty instructed Sir Henry Pottinger 'to ascertain what particular lands it may be proper to reserve in the said Colony for public roads and other internal communication whether by land or by water, or as the sites of Towns, Villages, Churches, School-houses.or Parsonage-houses, or as places for the interment of the dead, or as places for the future extension of any existing Towns or Villages, or as places fit to be set apart for the recreation and amusement of the inhabitants of any Town or Village, or for promoting the health of such inhabitants or as the sites of quays or landing places, which it may at any future time be expedient to erect, form, or establish on the sea coast, or which it may be desirable to reserve for any other purposes of public convenience, utility, health or enjoyment, and you are to cause such tracts, pieces or parcels of land as may appear best adapted to answer and promote the several public purposes before mentioned, to be distinguished on the public charts of the said Colony, or in some other authentic manner'.

This was a very full and detailed planning brief but not one easy of execution in those early days nor for that matter today. Prior to this Instruction, Sir Henry had, in March 1842, appointed a committee 'to fix the direction, breadth, etc etc of the Queen's and all other public roads

and to examine the best with a view to

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points for laying down new road lines providing locations to meet the demands that may be expected from the rapidly increasing population'. These were more practical terms of reference and although the Committee appears to have done little long-term planning it granted some more land and no doubt paved the way for some new roads. Despite the fact that the Colony had not yet received its Royal Charter the enterprising merchants who had been so largely instrumental in its establish- ment were going ahead with development. Particularly enthusi- astic were Matheson, Dent and Lyndsay. Matheson established warehouses in the area now known as East Point; Dent chose a site on Queen's Road near Ice House Street, while Lyndsay settled in Wan Chai in a district soon to be known as Spring Gardens, in which area the first Government House was built. Residences