Challenges for an Evolving City
160 Years of Port and Land Development in Hong Kong
Challenges
for
160 Years of Port and
an Evolving City Land Development in Hong Kong
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Ho Pui Yin
Ho Pui Yin
THE COMMERCIAL PRESS
:
Early twentieth century Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula, with reclamation carried out at the Royal Naval Base.
20 世紀的香港島及九龍半島,海軍基地正展開填海工程。
160 Years of Port and Land Development in Hong Kong
PLEASE RETURN TO PUBLIC RECORDS OFFICE OF HONG KONG
Public Records Office of Hong Kong
Ref. No.
Acc. No. 3/0 && Datel 9 SEP 2004
Ho Pui Yin
PRO TO
THE COMMERCIAL PRESS
333.7309+125
CHA
2004
Acknowledgements
Author
Translator
Challenges for an Evolving City
160 Years of Port and Land Development in Hong Kong
: Ho Pui Yin
: C. S. Johnson
Executive Editor : Lai Choi Yuk
Cover Designer: Foremedia Design & Production
Publisher
Printer
: The Commercial Press (H.K.) Ltd.
8/F., Eastern Central Plaza, 3 Yiu Hing Rd.,
Shau Kei Wan, H. K.
http://www.commercialpress.com.hk
: Elegance Printing & Book Binding Co., Ltd.
Bolck A, 4/F., Hoi Bun Industrial Bldg.,
6 Wing Yip St., Kwun Tong, Kowloon.
First edition first impression June 2004
© 2004
The Commercial Press (H.K.) Ltd. Civil Engineering Department,
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
ISBN 962 07 6336 X
Printed in Hong Kong
All rights reserved. Copyright of the text and photographs of this book belongs to the relevant parties. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior permission in writing from the copyright holder.
}
Over the past 160 years, urban development in Hong Kong has witnessed the tremendous advances made in science and technology and mankind's ability to overcome nature's obstacles. The development of the port of Hong Kong and the utilization of its land resources bear all the hallmarks of a city that undergoes its modernisation.
In 2002, with a generous grant from the Civil Engineering Department of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the challenging research study, 160 Year of Port and Land Development in Hong Kong, got underway. Although the Civil Engineering Department has been in existence for just a few decades, it did not insist on making the evolution of department as the focus of study. Instead, it expressed a desire to extend the period under study further back in time to the mid-nineteenth century. This has broadened the research scope and enabled a more comprehensive analysis of the port and land development activity in Hong Kong. The support that the department renders to scholarly research is highly commendable.
To conclude a general evaluation of land and port development works over the past 160 years is no easy task. It is the data furnished by the Civil Engineering Department on important engineering projects that ensures the well-grounding of this research. My special thanks go to many past and present staff members of the department. They include: Ir Lo Yiu-ching, Ir Tsao Tak-kiang, Ir Lam Moon-tim, Ir Dr Lau Ching-kwong, Ir Ching Kam-cheong, Ir Mok Yick-fan, Ir Loo Khim-chung, Ir Tong Nai-piu, Ir Lam Sing-kwok, Ir Luk Fuk- man, Ir Leung Kin-man, Ir Chan Wai-leung, Ir Wong Chi-pan, Mr So Wai-kwong and Mr Tsui Wai-cheung. Despite their heavy workload, they offered valuable assistance by explaining to me, with great patience, the complicated details of the engineering projects. On many occasions, I had to draw on their professional expertise to verify the accuracy of data. Their co-operation and support have empowered this research study to acquire a firm understanding of all the major infrastructural works ever undertaken in Hong Kong.
In addition to government records, references were made to vast quantities of non-official publications during the two years of research. I am grateful to the many research institutions that provided generous assistance to this project. They include the History Department of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the libraries of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the libraries of The University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies. I also wish to thank Professor Cathy Potter for her valuable comments on the manuscript as well as members of my research team: Cheng Ling-ling, Wong Ka-kin, Yiu Wing-ka and Chui Wing-kin, for their efforts in gathering materials, collating data, typing and proofreading the manuscript. Special gratitude is due to the Hong Kong Museum of History, the Information Services Department, the Public Records Office, the Survey and Mapping Office of the Lands Department and the President of Hong Kong Collectors Society, Dr Tong Cheuk-man, for generously making their precious collections available to us. Their unreserved help has abundantly enriched the book and allows comprehensive and striking visual illustrations of the urbanisation of Hong Kong over a period of 160 years. Last but not least, I want to thank my husband and daughter for their constant encouragements. The successful completion of this research would not have been possible without their support.
With limited knowledge and research duration, I envisage that my analyses are immature and inevitably contain numerous errors and omissions. I would greatly appreciate feedback and comments from readers.
Foreword
In the early years, the development of Hong Kong was centred around the Hong Kong Island as a coastal city. Inevitably, one of the foremost tasks for the government in those days was to construct piers of various types and sizes, in order to establish external transport links.
Owing to its unique natural topography with steep hills stretching right to the coastline, Hong Kong Island did not offer an abundance of developable flat land. Exacerbated by pressure due to rapid population growth, it was only natural that reclamation was employed as a means
of boosting land resources, and it remained the sole method for one-and-a-half centuries. Since the very first reclamation project in 1852, Hong Kong has successfully created more than 6,000 hectares of land. It is no understatement to say that most of our homes in Hong Kong were built
on land formed by either levelling the mountain slopes or reclamation of the sea, or a combination of both. The contribution of reclamation to the development of commerce and industry in Hong Kong is even more far-reaching. Examples of major developments on reclamation include the central business district at Central in the early years, the Kwun Tong industrial district and the Kwai Chung Container Terminal in the 1960s, as well as the Cyberport and Hong Kong Science Park projects in recent years. Many of these reclamations made use of construction and demolition materials as fill material, saving costs while solving the disposal problem. These recycling practices
demonstrate both the frugality and ingenuity of the people of Hong Kong. These reclamation projects have over the years made possible the creation of new jobs and business opportunities for tens of thousands of people, laying a firm foundation for the economic prosperity of Hong Kong. It is no exaggeration to say that the reclamation history of Hong Kong is synonymous with the history of Hong Kong's development.
Recently there has been much public debate in Hong Kong on the subject of reclamation. Arguments are presented against further reclamation within the harbour. However, when we look at the Netherlands where about one-fifth of its land area was derived from reclamation, we
find that she has seldom, if ever, been accused, whether by European or non-European nations, of having inflicted damage on the environment. Reclamation and environmental protection are not necessarily mutually exclusive: they could actually co-exist harmoniously. Nevertheless, as engineers entrusted with the execution of development works, we should receive comments and criticisms from other people with an open mind, and adopt the best solution for the community
with conscientious judgement. At the same time, our critics should comprehend 'reclamation' at the macro-level, studying the issues from various angles. Any assertions will have to be based on sound reasoning. Only through objective analysis can we draw from the collective wisdom of the community and work in unison to build a better future for Hong Kong. Convincing arguments are built on authentic records and scientific analysis. Authentic records came from history. This book is indeed well qualified to fill the void in the land and port development history of Hong Kong. In addition, the in-depth analyses of the development process and its unique features are valuable references for current discussions over the function of reclamation in the urban development of Hong Kong.
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This book enlightens us on how our predecessors had struggled for survival and development, making us more appreciative of what we took for granted. Much can be learnt by looking into the past. There is an old Chinese saying, “An honourable person learns from three sources of reflection history, other people's example and self-critique". As civil engineers, we currently face criticisms of various kinds. Yet, we will be filled with a sense of mission and pride as we become aware of the illustrious history of the civil engineering profession in Hong Kong and that we can draw upon the experiences of our counterparts in other countries. When we appreciate the sacred duty that we are entrusted with, we will remain steadfast in discharging our professional responsibilities. I would thus dedicate this book to all who are involved in the field of civil engineering. Let us rise to the challenge for the prosperity and betterment of Hong Kong.
Tsao Tak-kiang
Director of Civil Engineering
CONTENTS
Part L
Part II
T
Part LEE
Part IV
• Acknowledgements 1
• Foreword 2
• Introduction 6
Birth of the City of Victoria
1843-1883
1. Overview of Hong Kong's
Geographical Environment 11 Establishment as an Entrepôt 11 Geographical Features 13 Harbour Depth 14
2. City of Victoria - Choice of Site 17
Development Blueprint 18
First Land Auction 25
3. Victoria Harbour -
Early Port Facilities 33
Pier Works 34
Construction and Maintenance -
The Praya 36
Lighthouse Construction 37
4. Chinese Community Demarcation 44
Upper/Lower Bazaar and
Tai Ping Shan 44
First Reclamation - Bonham Strand 47
5. Embryonic City 51
Thwarted Reclamation Schemes 51 Sheung Wan - Western District
Reclamation 56
Chinese Community Praya Works 58
6. Summary 63
Expansion of the City Nucleus
1883-1945
1. Large-Scale Reclamation
in the City of Victoria 69 Praya Reclamation Scheme -
Western District to Central Praya East Reclamation Scheme 79
2. Development of the Kowloon
Peninsula 88
70
New Land Formation
1945-1982
1. Post-War Works Departments 127
Port Works Division 127 From Civil Engineering Office to
Engineering Development Department 128
2. Land Development Policy 136
Patrick Abercrombie's Urban
Blueprint 137
Town Planning in the 1960s 139
Kowloon Peninsula Reclamation
Kowloon Tong Garden City Plan 93
88
3. New Satellite Towns
Kwun Tong 142
Tsuen Wan 146
142
3. Maintenance of Port Facilities 96
Fairway Dredging 96
Typhoon Shelter Construction 99
4. Transport Hubs 105
Large Piers 105
Kowloon - Canton Railway 110 Airport Reclamation 112
5. Wartime Hong Kong 115
6. Summary 120
Castle Peak (Tuen Mun) 150
Sha Tin 154
4. New Face of Victoria Harbour
New Typhoon Shelters 165
New Piers 170 Fairway Dredging 177
5. International Trading Port 182
165
Kwai Chung Container Terminal 182 Kai Tak Airport Reclamation 186
6. Summary 191
Multi-Nucleus Expansion
1982-2003
1. Territorywide Development
Strategy 197 Development Outlook 197 Land Use Planning 203 From Engineering Development
Department to Civil Engineering Department 207
2. Rose Garden Project 213
Airport Core Programme 213
West Kowloon Reclamation 219
3. Port Development 222
Enhancement of Logistic Capabilities 223
New Port Facilities 227
4. Environmental Protection
231
Environmental - Friendly Fill Material 231
Disposal of Dredged Mud 235
Improvement of the Shing Mun River 240
243
5. Tourism Facilities
Hong Kong Disneyland 243
6. Summary 250
• Conclusion 253
• Notes 258
• Major References 269
Introduction
!
The return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty has sparked an upsurge of interest in Hong Kong - both before and after 1997. The primary goal of many of the researchers is to disprove the conventional view of Hong Kong's century-old colonial history'. They attempt to prove that Hong Kong was not a mere barren land before the outbreak of the Opium War2, so as to refute the argument that the emergence of Hong Kong in modern times was due to British colonial rule. These researchers adopt one of two approaches: they either focus on investigating the origins of Hong Kong's culture prior to the Opium War, or concentrate on explaining the historical significance of the Opium War as a means of condemning the unjust invasion of China by the imperialists3. Those who are interested in this popular topic but fearful of getting embroiled in political controversies have turned their attention to Hong Kong's post-war economic takeoff and restructuring. This theme has become another major research focus for those studying Hong Kong in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Research that concentrates on Hong Kong's political role or post-war economic development has overemphasised the influence of politics or economics in the development of modern Hong Kong, without paying due attention to the city's urbanisation process.
Anyone wishing to gain a thorough understanding of Hong Kong's development must keep two things in mind.
Firstly, the territory covered by present-day Hong Kong has undergone two substantial expansions since 1841: in 1860 and 1898. Thus the territorial definition of Hong Kong changed significantly between the periods of 1841-1860, 1860-1898, and from 1898 to present. These changes are due to historical reasons and have linked the development of Hong Kong with the increase in land area through the development and creation of land. Briefly speaking, the modernisation of Hong Kong which has taken place since the mid-nineteenth century began with Hong Kong Island and then spread to the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories. The cultural development in the New Territories in the nineteenth century had no direct bearing on the urbanisation of Hong Kong Island.
t
Secondly, the statement that its prime geographical location and a deep and wide Victoria Harbour were pivotal to Hong Kong's development into an entrepôt is only valid for the second half of the nineteenth century. Such a viewpoint must be revised from the twentieth century
onwards. What came to be known as Victoria Harbour was the stretch of waters off the northern
shore of Hong Kong Island, from North Point and Hung Hum Point to the east, to Green Island and Stonecutters Island to the west. It had a maximum depth of 18 metres (59 feet)5. The harbour
could accommodate sailboats in the nineteenth century, the barges that carried supplies of the Qing government, and even ocean-going vessels with displacements of up to 2,300 tons and a draught of 6 metres (20 feet). With the passage of time, however, Victoria Harbour was silted up by continual deposits of silt and sediments from the Pearl River Delta, making it increasingly shallow. By the early twentieth century, maintenance dredging of the waterway had to be carried
out to keep the harbour operating properly and to serve the sea-going vessels with displacements of up to 9,000 tons'. According to government records of the 1920s, the largest vessels that
anchored inside Victoria Harbour had a draught of 10 metres (33 feet). By 2003, the largest
ships that entered Hong Kong displaced 72,000 tonnes, with a draught of 16 metres (53 feet). These vessels were far too large to be moored inside the original harbour. It was necessary to move the port centre westwards to the Ma Wan Channel area?. This illustrates the point that
since the twentieth century, the development of Hong Kong's port has had to rely on continuous infrastructural improvements and the commitment of human resources instead of nature's endowments.
Recognising these two important facts, this study on the history of Hong Kong's port and land development will identity the key elements behind the rise and blossoming of modern Hong Kong. The research undertaken below is more than a mere reconstruction of Hong Kong's development history on a macro-level; it also provides new and useful insights into the urbanisation
process and breaks new ground in the field of Hong Kong studies.
}
1
1843-1883
Birth of the City of Victoria
!
i
1
1. Overview of Hong Kong's Geographical Environment
Establishment as an Entrepôt
Geographical Features
Harbour Depth
2. City of Victoria - Choice of Site
Development Blueprint
First Land Auction
Overview of Hong Kong's Geographical Environment
Part Birth of the City of Victoria (1843 - 1883)
3. Victoria Harbour - Early Port Facilities
Pier Works
Construction and Maintenance - The Praya
Lighthouse Construction
4. Chinese Community Demarcation
Upper/Lower Bazaar and Tai Ping Shan
First Reclamation - Bonham Strand
5. Embryonic City
Thwarted Reclamation Schemes
Sheung Wan - Western District Reclamation
Chinese Community Praya Works
6. Summary
Natural resources, climate, location and external transport links are preconditions
for a city's development. Of all these prerequisites, Hong Kong, a flourishing trading hub that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century, only possessed a geographical advantage. As a result, this blessing of nature was often cited as being the key to the emergence of Hong Kong since the middle of the nineteenth century. Actually, it was through changes in political, economic and military situations in China and in the rest of the world that Hong Kong was able to exploit fully its superior geographical position.
Establishment as an Entrepôt
Historical factors were behind Hong Kong's attaining the status as the transport hub of the Asia Pacific region. As early as the seventh century, Europeans had developed the China trade route via India. During the Sung and Yuan dynasties, coastal cities such as Mizhou and Dengzhou on the Shandong Peninsula, Hangzhou, Mingzhou (now Ningbo), Wenzhou, Xiuzhou (now Jiaxing), Jiangyin, Ganpu and Shanghai in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, as well as Quanzhou and Guangzhou (Canton), were all important centres engaged in foreign trade1o. The status of Guangzhou as a trading port rose dramatically when the shibosi (Offices of Maritime Trade) in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces were abolished by the central government in the first year of the reign of Ming Emperor Jiajing (1522), leaving Guangzhou the only city opened to foreign trade11. It became the place traders from Europe, Southeast Asia and Japan and other countries had to pass through to engage in trade with China12. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, although the central government had lifted the ban on maritime trade several times, the significant role played by Guangzhou in trade and commerce did not diminish.
In the mid-sixteenth century, Europeans were actively seeking to develop ports to serve as entrepôts along the coast of China. In 1575, the Portuguese took the lead
and established a permanent settlement in Macau, using it as their trading base in China. By the middle of the eighteenth century, the British took advantage of the
11
Part Birth of the City of Victoria (1843 1883)
Challenges for an Evolving City
12
navigational breakthroughs brought about by the Industrial Revolution and expanded its sphere of influence. They not only coveted the Portuguese-occupied Macau13, but
also sent many missions to China to seek the opening up of cities such as Chushan (Zhoushan), Ningbo and Tianjin as trading ports, as well as the development of the islands near Chushan as stopovers. In 1839, when the British East India Company lost its trade monopoly in the Far East14, the British merchants scrambled to retain
trade interests in China. Located at the mouth of the Pearl River estuary, Hong Kong Island was able to fulfill the China trade requirements for the British merchants from
the mid-nineteenth century onwards. Hong Kong enjoyed a prime geographical location,
and the outbreak of the Opium War marked the island's debut on the international
stage. To develop Hong Kong into an entrepôt, however, the Hong Kong government had to first resolve the twin problems of a severe land shortage and anchorage for the ocean-going vessels during the passage of typhoons.
Today, geographically Hong Kong encompasses Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories south of the Shenzhen River and more than 230 outlying islands15. In 2003, Hong Kong occupied a total area of 1,102 square kilometres. On 26 January 1841, after China lost the Opium War, the British annexed Hong Kong Island. When the Treaty of Nanking (Nanjing) was signed by the Chinese and British governments in August 1842, ceding Hong Kong Island to the United Kingdom in perpetuity, the territory encompassed an area of 75 square kilometres. In 1860, the British-French allied forces invaded Peking (Beijing) and the Convention of Peking was signed on 24 October 1860. As a result of this treaty, the Qing government was forced to cede to the British, in perpetuity, the Kowloon Peninsula, south of Boundary Street. This increased the size of the territory by an additional eight square kilometres. On 9 June 1898, under the Convention on the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, the Qing court was forced to grant to Great Britain a 99-lease on the New Territories,
north of Boundary Street and south of the Shenzhen River, and more than 230 islands lying within Hong Kong waters - a total area of 975 square kilometres. After the
signing of this convention, the colony had a total area of approximately 1,060 square kilometres and essentially possessed the geographical boundaries of modern Hong
Kong. When we study the emergence of the city of Hong Kong from the mid-nineteenth
century, the starting point is the island of Hong Kong.
Geographical Features
Hong Kong Island lies between latitude 22° 11' and 22° 17' north and longitude 114° 07' and 114° 15' east, with an area of just 75 square kilometres. Situated at the end of the seaward extension of the South China massif, the landforms of Hong Kong are similar to those of South China and are characterised by hilly terrains. There are
a large number of hills on the island, and the topography displays sharp and frequent spatial variations within a short distance. Highland areas do not concentrate in a core
region, but are scattered in different localities of the island. Lowland areas are rather
limited; there are long and narrow strips of lowland on the northern coast and along
the southern side of the island. A line of hills that runs in a west-east direction divides
the island into southern and northern parts. This line of hills starts from Victoria Peak
at 554 metres above sea level in the west and ends at Mount Parker at 531 metres in
the east. The island generally slopes down from north to south, with the south having a flatter terrain, levelling off to an altitude of between 250-300 metres. The prominent uplands are the Stanley Peninsula and the Cape d'Aguilar Peninsula, with the hills running in a north-south direction18.
To sum up, Hong Kong Island is hampered by a severe lack of developable lowland. Its geographical characteristics have placed a natural barrier between the inland and the coastal regions. The coastal regions are better endowed, while the inland areas are generally dominated by harsh hilly landforms. Such geomorphological setting prompted people to set up their homes along the coast. Whenever there was a need for more land, it could only be met by building on the steep slopes. Faced with a scarcity of usable land, the development of Hong Kong Island, sneeringly described as a "barren island" in the mid-nineteenth century", required the mobilisation of enormous amounts of human resources. Mountains had to be levelled and land had to be reclaimed from
the sea, in order to overcome the island's geographical handicap.
13
Challenges for an Evolving City
1.1
Situated on the western side of the Pacific Ocean, at the entrance of the Pearl
River along the South China coast, Hong Kong's climate is classified as subtropical. Each year, between May and October, an average of five to six typhoons originate from the waters east of the Philippines and move northwards towards the South China Sea20. These tropical cyclones that head towards Hong Kong from the Western Pacific Ocean often wreak havoc along the coast of Hong Kong Island. The passage of a typhoon is often followed by persistent heavy rain. According to Hong Kong Observatory records
for 1884-2002, the highest single-day rainfall was the 534 millimetres recorded on 19 July 1926. This is equivalent to 24 per cent of the mean annual rainfall of 2,221 millimetres2 for the period 1884-2002. There are significant rainfall variations between the rainy season (May-September) and the dry season (October-April), with differences ranging between 900 and 3,000 millimetres of rainfall22. The speedy development of the city was hampered by meagre land resources and unstable climatic conditions.
Harbour Depth
In addition to a shortage of developable land and a less than ideal climate, the depth of Hong Kong's harbour was a fundamental issue if the island was to be developed into a premier entrepôt during the era of flourishing maritime trade. A harbour of sufficient depth could sometimes compensate for other shortcomings. An ideal harbour for ships to drop anchor is one that is sufficiently deep and provides safe shelter during typhoons. In 1806, James Horsburgh, hydrographer to the East India Company, conducted surveys in Hong Kong waters. He found that the waters west of Kap Shui Mun, in the
East Lamma Channel between Hong Kong Island and Lamma Island, at Lei Yue Mun to the north of Hong Kong Island, and at Tai Tam Wan to the south of the island, were excellent typhoon shelters and suitable mooring sites 23.
According to the topographical map drawn by Lt Thomas Collinson in 184524,
14
1.1
1.2
Situated in the Northern Hemisphere at lati-
tude 22° 11' - 22° 17' north and longitude 114°
07' - 114° 15' east, Hong Kong Island had an area of just 75 km. It was described as a bar- ren island in the mid-nineteenth century.
Victoria Peak, located in the northern part of Hong Kong Island, was an ideal place to moni- tor the harbour and disseminate information.
1.2
1.3
Located south of Hong
Kong Island, Aberdeen was one of the early fishing villages devel- oped in the mid-nine- teenth century.
City of Victoria - Choice of Site
Part Birth of the City of Victoria (1843 - 1883)
Challenges for an Evolving City
16
the deepest waters around Hong Kong Island were found in:
1. The Lyemoon Pass (now Lei Yue Mun Channel), along the eastern coast of the island. It had a depth of up to 46 metres (150 feet) and was only 0.4 kilometres (0.25 miles)25 from the territory. When ships entered the harbour from the east, this bottleneck-shaped pass provided a safe haven for vessels seeking shelter from an approaching typhoon.
2. The East Lamma Channel, southwest of Hong Kong Island and northeast of Lamma Island. It was 46 metres (150 feet) deep and vessels sailing in from the south had to pass through this channel. The southwestern district of Aberdeen was shielded by Ap Lei Chau and was a suitable area for mooring south of the island.
3. The stretch of waters along the north coast of Hong Kong Island. This waters, later known as Victoria Harbour, only had a maximum depth of 18 metres (59 feet). Nevertheless, it was a convergence point for ships entering Hong Kong from the easterly and westerly directions and sea-going vessels were able to moor here.
The above list did not include the Ma Wan Channel, with a depth of up to 58 metres (190 feet)26, deep enough to accommodate the largest vessels. When port development works were carried out in the mid-nineteenth century, it could only centre around the waters of Hong Kong Island. Also, the harbour depths listed in the 1845 Collinson map differ from the 2000-2001 figures provided by the Marine Department. According to the Marine Department, the Lei Yue Mun Channel had a maximum depth of just 43 metres (141 feet)27, while the East Lamma Channel was up to 43 metres (141 feet) deep28. On the other hand, Victoria Harbour, the principal fairway in the past, along the coast of Central, maintained a depth of 17 metres (56 feet) through regular dredging 29. The harbour around the island has grown progressively shallower, due to sediment accumulations at the lower reaches of the Pearl River over the past 100-plus years. This partly explains the discrepancies between these two sets of figures; the other reason is the dissimilar measurement methods adopted in different eras.
It is indisputable, from a geographical point of view that Hong Kong Island
was desperately short of land. Every year, between May and September, typhoons threatened the island, and the most suitable dwelling regions were those flat areas that were protected from the typhoons. According to the 1841 population census, 2,000 and 1,200 Chinese lived in Aberdeen and Shau Kei Wan respectively equivalent to 43 per cent of the total population of 7,45030. The geographical locations of these two districts were partly responsible for the concentration of population.
During the nineteenth century, the trading vessels in operation were mainly
barges used by the Qing government to carry supplies, and junks. The ocean-going ships of that period were miniscule when compared with the mammoth vessels of today. With a depth of up to 18 metres (59 feet), the waters off the north shore of Hong Kong Island fully met the mooring requirements of the sea-going vessels. Victoria Harbour was ideal for temporary stays, and a natural typhoon shelter was formed by
Victoria Peak in the south and the Kowloon Peninsula in the north. Thus, when the British landed in Possession Point31, they did not make the fishing ports lying off the east or south coast of the island their main base. Their foremost purpose was to set up
a military stronghold on the northern shore of the island. With this goal in mind, the British forces first camped at East Point (the area now known as Causeway Bay) and then in the Shek Tong Tsui area, with Victoria Peak looming in the background. Both offered panoramic views of the Kowloon Peninsula. This coastal area, stretching from Jardine's Lookout in East Point to Sheung Wan, provided an ideal site for the development
of a political and economic zone. At the same time, the decision of the British forces had made the city's construction far more difficult.
17
Challenges for an Evolving City
1.4
Development Blueprint
In 1843, the government established the post of Surveyor General to assume responsibility for the development of the city and the port. The Surveyor General's Office was the earliest department in charge of civil engineering works, and was the predecessor of the present-day Works branch of the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau. On 9 May 1844, A. T. Gordon was officially appointed to this position. On 6 July 1843, while still serving as the Land Officer, A. T. Gordon drafted a development
plan for the City of Victoria. This was the first blueprint formulated by the colonial government32. He set sights on the vast Wong Nei Chung Valley and recommended
that it be made the core district of the city, and that the tract of land that covered what is now known as Admiralty, Mid-Levels and Central be developed into Government Hill. Construction and repair works were required for the seawall along the coast that stretched from Morrison Hill in Wan Chai to Central. The above measures were proposed to facilitate governance and economic development. The area that stretched from Government Hill to the coast could be developed by foreign traders into a business district, with the benefit of convenient transportation. The land south of Queen's Road was to be developed as a residential district for both Chinese and expatriates.
A. T. Gordon's urban plan offered development space for political, economic and civilian uses, as well as balancing the interests of various parties. It managed to incorporate the major works such as seawall construction and road repair and maintenance into the agenda. The blueprint basically spelled out the growth plan for the second half of the nineteenth century, with development focused on the northern waterfront of Hong Kong Island, the areas north of Government Hill and the Wong Nei Chung Valley. The western and southern parts of the island were not included in the blueprint. This explained why these areas were developed much later. The administration readily accepted A. T. Gordon's blueprint. Only the development plan for Wong Nei Chung
18
Valley failed to materialise, due to its marshy terrain and health concerns raised over the presence of marsh miasma33.
In the 1840s, the development of Hong Kong Island could be divided into several major parts. The northern part of the island, that is, around present-day Admiralty and Central, was the military and administration centre. Many of the newly established principal government departments had their building erected there, including Murray Barracks, a magazine, a military hospital, a police station, the Harbour Master's Office, Victoria Gaol and a post office. The area came to be called Government Hill. The foreign trading houses established footholds along the island's northern waterfront to
1.5
1.4
1.5
Bowrington in the 1870s, with Morrison Hill to the left. Numerous warehouses and godowns were established along the coast.
City of Victoria in the 1870s. The clock tower and the Roman Catholic church could be vaguely seen in this photograph.
Challenges for an Evolving City
1.6
1.6
1.7
1.8
Panoramic view of Victoria Harbour from Victoria Peak in the late nineteenth century. Victoria Barracks is in the lower left corner of the photograph, with Praya East (now Wan Chai) in the right corner. Wharves and warehouses lined the shore.
Causeway Bay in the late nineteenth century, with Kellet Island in the middle and the typhoon shelter (bulit in 1883) in the right of the photograph. Warehouses and dockyards spread along the waterfront.
Built in 1869, the City Hall was the cultural centre of the late nine- teenth century. It was demolished in 1933 and the site was later occupied by The Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, and the Bank of China (1947).
20
ན
1.7
Part Birth of the City of Victoria (1843 1883)
1.8
21
Challenges for an Evolving City
1.9
22
:
kw
1.9
The Praya, Central, in the latter half of the nine- teenth century. Piers built by foreign compa- nies and local enterprises lined the waterfront.
1.10 The Praya, Central, in the 1880s. Modes of
conveyance used along the water front in- cluded rickshaws, palanquins and sedan chairs.
1.10
Part Birth of the City of Victoria (1843 1883)
23
Challenges for an Evolving City
24
11
Table 1.1 Lots sold by public sale on 14 June 1841
Lot Type
and No of
Lot Number
Area
Annual Rent (£/1,000 sq ft)
Lots
Marine
(39 lots)
2-5, 10-13, 15, 20-22, 36, 40-43,
46-47, 51-65, 67-69, 72-73
Varied
0.9-12.5
Town
10-11, 18, 20, 22-23, 45
5,512.5 sq ft
1.81
(75 lots)
1-9, 12, 15-17, 19, 21, 24-41,
43-44, 46-49, 53-72, 75, 80, 87
11,025 sq ft
1.81
13-14
11,865 sq ft
1.77
42
14,175 sq ft
5
1.83
50-52
Unknown
Unknown
Suburban
1-18
(22 lots)
19-21, 23
Upper Bazaar
(118 lots)
1-118
5 acres
0.045
Unknown
Unknown
504 sq ft
1.98
Lower Bazaar
(150 lots)
1-150
Source:
800 sq ft
1.25
CO 129/2, "Mr Gordon, the Land Officer's Report on the Northern Face of Hong Kong”, 6 July 1843,
pp. 152-176.
Part Birth of the City of Victoria (1843 1883)
1.11 Located in Central's Pedder Street, the clock tower was built in 1863. The first Harbour Master's
Office could be vaguely seen behind the clock tower, on the hill slope.
The island's northern coast was rapidly turned into the nucleus of the City of Victoria due to keen interest shown by the private sector. To lessen the burden on the administration and to speed up the pace of development, the colonial government conducted the first public land auction in June 1841, not long after the British troops went ashore. It hoped to raise revenues and develop the island with the help of foreign money. The development potential evaluations of the various districts made by the foreign merchants during this auction pointed to the advantages of the north shore.
conduct commercial activity. In this area, these private enterprises actively constructed piers, docks and warehouses. The areas around present-day Wan Chai and Happy Valley were largely occupied by cemeteries, religious bodies and schools 34. By the end of the 1840s, building structures modelled on those of the British cities included Murray Building which was built in 1846 and used as government headquarters; the residence of the commander of the British Forces in Hong Kong; the Hong Kong Club; St John's Cathedral, with its foundation stone laid in 1847 and completed in 1849. These buildings made Hong Kong Island look just like a British provincial city.
First Land Auction
On 7 June 1841, the colonial government gazetted the four lot types of available for public auction: Marine, Town, Suburban and Bazaar. Due to technical problems, the auction had to be postponed by one week; hence the official land transaction date
was 14 June 1841. The auction details are provided in Table 1.1.
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including Magistracy
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and
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Challenges for an Evolving City
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Figures concerning the number of lots offered at the first auction and the lot numbers are error-strewn. Most of the current publications state that a total of 50 Marine lots were offered at the June 1841 auction35. According to the 1886-1887 report of the Hong Kong Land Commission36, and the 1842 Henry Pottinger's map37, now kept by the Lands Department, the colonial government earmarked and numbered 100 lots for auction, with No 73 as the highest lot number. Some of the lot numbers were not used, while in some instances a number was applied repeatedly to several lots. With regard to the Marine lots scheduled for auction on 7 June 1841, John Robert Morrison, Acting Secretary and Treasurer to the Superintendents of Trade, had commented that of the 100 lots, only 50 of them were qualified. This was probably the cause of the subsequent erroneous reporting that only 50 lots were sold at the first land auction.
The actual number of lots sold at the auction held on 14 June 1841 was 404: 39 Marine
lots, 75 Town lots, 22 Suburban lots and 268 Bazaar lots38. John Robert Morrison
stated that the annual rent for these lots was set at a flat rate of £10 per lot, but in fact it varied. Such data have to be clarified before embarking on a study of land development in the early years. (Refer to Table 1.1 for details)
The importance of the north shore is revealed by the auction results. The 39 Marine lots, with a combined area of 547,031 square feet (excluding those lots that
did not have the land area disclosed), yielded a total annual rent of £3,232. Of the 75
Town lots that were offered, the average size was about 11,025 square feet and was
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Military Hospital
Rowder Magazine
Barrack for 200 men
Mr. Holliday
Burial Ground
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Cotholic
Burn's Pier
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Larkin Pier
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Rice fields
Bridle Road to Chek Chu
and dog
1.12 The 1842 Pottinger's Map kept at the Land Office recorded the lots offered at the first land auction. One hundred lots were earmarked for auction but some of them failed to sell. The highest lot number used in this map was No 73 as some of the
numbers were used several times, while other numbers were skipped.
changed an annual rent of £20. Lots that were 5,512.5 square feet in size were liable to a rent of £10 per year. The government derived a total annual land rent of about £1,340 from the 75 Town lots. Twenty-two Suburban lots were sold, 18 of these lots each had an area of 5 acres and were charged approximately £10 in annual rent. For
lots 19 to 21 and 23 the government rent was waived. Thus the administration only generated £180 per year in annual rent from the Suburban lots. The Bazaar lots were
subdivided into Upper Bazaar and Lower Bazaar. The 118 Upper Bazaar lots each measured 504 square feet, giving a total area of 59,472 square feet. The annual rent for each of these lots was 18s 3p. For the Lower Bazaar lots, the 150 lots of 800 square feet each represented a total area of 120,000 square feet; each lot yielded an annual rent of £1 2s 6p. It is estimated that Upper and Lower bazaars brought annual rent totalling £276 to government coffers. The above figures fully demonstrate the
fact that the administration collected far more annual rent from the Marine lots than
from the other lot types.
During the decade between 1844 and 1854, the colony's development relied largely on financial support from Great Britain. The year with the least subsidy was 1854 when the colony received £5,966, representing 18 per cent of the territory's expenditure. The highest assistance amount was recorded in 1844 when £54,234 was given by the British government. This was equivalent to 85 per cent of Hong Kong's total public spending. Thus land auction proceeds and annual rent became the major income sources
26
Part Birth of the City of Victoria (1843 1883)
27
1
Challenges for an Evolving City
Table 1.2 Results of the First Auction of Marine Lots
32 cancelled,
18,060
140
7.75
Holliday Wise & Co
replaced by 65
36
4,600
25
5.43
Framjee Jamsetjee
Small house
Lot Number
Area (sq ft)
Annual Rent Annual Rent
Purchaser
Purpose
(£)
(£/1,000 sq ft)
38 cancelled,
replaced by 64
7,616
57
7.48
Dale
2
7,000
80
11.43
Lindsay Co
Warehouse
40
6,000
75
12.5
MacVicar & Co
Warehouse
3
7,800
64
8.21
Dent & Co
Warehouse
41
9,700
95
9.79
MacVicar & Co
Warehouse
+
6,900
65
9.42
Dent & Co
Warehouse
14
42
11,500
100
8.7
Fox Rawson & Co
Warehouse
5
5,400
7 cancelled,
6,321
49
7.75
59
50
9.26
Dadabhoy Rustomjee
Workshop
43
16,500
115
6.97
Turner & Co
Warehouse
Bates and Kent
46
30,600
265
8.66
Captain Larkins
Warehouse
replaced by 61
47
35,000
250
7.14
8 cancelled,
replaced by 67
7,740
60
7.75
Pestonjee Cowasjee
Dwelling house
P. Robertson Albany
Godowns
Warehouse
51, 52
Unknown
205
Unknown
Jardine, Matheson & Co
Warehouse
9 cancelled,
replaced by 62
6,966
54
7.75
Markwick
28
10
9,600
32
52
11
11,200
122
5.42
Heerjeebhoy Rustomjee
Warehouse
55
12,096
93
7.69
Edwards
56
56
5,418
42
7.75
Scott
Warehouse
52
4.64
Heerjeebhoy Rustomjee
Warehouse
57
17,544
136
7.75
Murrow
Warehouse
12
10,600
38
3.58
Holliday & Co
Dwelling house
58
17,544
136
7.75
Pybus
Warehouse
& warehouse
59
2,322
18
7.75
Gemmell & Co
13
10,800
32
2.96
Pedder
15
15,900
20
20
1.26
Webster
60
780
7
8.97
Framjee Jamsetjee
Chinese house
63
2,322
18
7.75
White
Chinese house
Warehouse
68
10,062
78
7.75
Gibb, Livingston & Co
Dwelling house &
69
10,062
78
7.75
Pybus
warehouse
72
Unknown
Unknown Unknown
Jardine, Matheson & Co
18 cancelled,
11,610
90
7.75
Christopher Fearon
Dwelling house
replaced by 53
19 cancelled,
24,768
192
7.75
Oswald
replaced by 54
20
16,200
6.85
Dadabhoy Rustomjee
21
14,400
150
10.42
Innes Fletcher & Co
Warehouse
22
156,100
140
0.9
Gemmell & Co
Dwelling house &
warehouse
73
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Jardine, Matheson & Co
Total
Approximately Approximately
547,031
3,232
CO 129/2, "Mr Gordon, the Land Officer's Report on the Northern Face of Hong Kong", 6 July 1843.
Source:
Part Birth of the City of Victoria (1843 1883)
29
1.13
1.14
1.15
1.13 The desolate-looking West Point before reclamation. (photograph taken in 1869)
1.14 West Point in the late 1860s to the early 1870s. It was developed into Kennedy
Town after reclamation.
1.15 Bowrington and East Point in the 1870s. The middle are properties owned by
Jardine, Matheson & Co. Kellet Island could be seen in the left of the photo.
1.16 Jardine, Matheson & Co's sugar refinery at East Point (now Causeway Bay).
for the early administration. From the middle to the end of the nineteenth century, government rent made up a significant portion of public revenue. In 1855, its contribution of £30,203 represented 63 per cent of the fiscal revenue for the year. During the 9- year period of 1853-1862, such source of income averaged between 41 and 63 per
cent of government revenue.
The results of the land auction conducted in June 1841 and the annual rent
amount reflected the high value of the Marine lots stretching from Wan Chai to Central,
as compared with the eastern Suburban lots and the Bazaar lots in Sheung Wan. Hence, most of the major port facilities and infrastructure were located on the island's north
1.16
Part Birth of the City of Victoria (1843 1883) ·
ג
Size Anmol.
Rent
At 6966 154
at th
bring
Chaimonds
Mr Markunich
.2372.18.
851118
Mr White
Mr Gale
18,060.160.
Hoth day
8774060.
Marin Sots
granted by A Johnston heef
میرمه
169
rate of
ple... 14th June.
1841
par
annum der 129 square feet.
Mamers
Part of memord. Lot No 9 of Captem Ethot's sale and afterward! granted. & Mr Markwich - not built upon
China house have been built repon that tot
Forfeited Set N°38 of Captain Ellect's sall, afterwards grantì.
to Mr sale.
Surrounded-
by.
L.
sea. Wall
Wise of: Farfurted. Lot 1° 32 of faftem Albert's sole afterwards granted to
Moh's Holliday Were the surrounded by
Gestorges Cowarzees
*
14062.78. 16062.78
Gett Livingston H
Captain Pybus
i
I to such Lot
e. Sea. Well-
Pat of forfeited. Lot 18 of Explore Went's Sale afterwards granted in Postinget. forrasjer, who has built a dwelling house
to
Remains unimproved
Thot. Kuilt upon
fuilt
(Jame (ophy)
- Michan
(Signed) A.J. Gordon,
Land Officer.
Much and Wrotham
1.17 Land sale record for the first land auction held on 14 June 1841. The lot numbers, lot areas,
annual rent and owners' names could be clearly identified in the record.
shore. On the other hand, noting that foreign merchants were vying with each other for land on the north coast to build piers, godowns and private dwellings, the government drew on their economic power to develop the port. The evolution of the northern shore into the core zone of the city had much to do with the efforts of the merchants, and was not purely due to the policies of the colonial government. However, this turned out to be a double-edged sword, since the government's dependence on foreign traders impeded the progress of the city's development in the second half of the nineteenth century. Those who had acquired land rights along the coast at the first auction were to become the fiercest opponents in the 1860s of the Central reclamation works proposed, as the government had failed to determine precisely the ownership issue of the coastal lots. With inadequate manpower and economic resources at its disposal, the government was unable to dictate the pace of development.
Victoria Harbour - Early Port Facilities
Once the government decided to develop the north shore, it had to assemble
a project team for the city's construction. In 1843, the position of Surveyor General was established, carrying an annual salary of £1,000. On 9 May 1844, A. T. Gordon
was appointed to the post. From 1844, the Surveyor General's Office was responsible for the city's infrastructural development, as well as for repair and maintenance work. Its areas of responsibilities included port construction, site formation and reclamation, as well as land lease and sale matters. In 1867, the Surveyor General supervised six major subordinates/subdepartments: First Clerk of Surveyor General, Clerk of Works, Public Gardens Branch, Waterworks Branch, Chinese Overseer and Assistant Engineer.
The Assistant Engineer was in charge of reclamation and port works. Such an administrative structure shows that in the early days of development on Hong Kong Island, emphasis was placed on waterworks, gardening, reclamation and harbour works. The practice of allocating responsibilities to individual officers instead of work units reflected the plenary powers of the Surveyor General, who had absolute authority over the planning, construction and maintenance of all public works. Thus, it is necessary to analyse the individual work projects in order to understand the development of Victoria Harbour
in the early colonial days. When the city was still in its infancy, it was reasonable to have a small number of principal administrators to exercise control over all the engineering works in Hong Kong. But as the city began to grow, the organisation structure of the Surveyor General's Office had to move with the times and be adjusted accordingly.
In 1870, the Surveyor General's Office was renamed the Survey Department, and was later reorganised into the Public Works Department in 1883. In 1891, a Praya Reclamation Office was established within the Public Works Department; it was the first works department in charge of port development. In 1982, with its principal subordinate departments gaining independence, the Public Works Department was dissolved, with its headquarters functions assumed by the Lands and Works Branch. The Lands
and Works Branch was reorganised into the Works Branch in 1989 and was renamed
Challenges for an Evolving City
32
33
Challenges for an Evolving City
..
1.18 Coolies busily carrying water buck- ets to the junks moored at Liangrong Pier in the nineteenth century. The shore was lined with many small
hotels.
Year
Table 1.3 Pier Construction and Repair (1841-1882)
Work Item
Expenditure (£)
1841-1845
Construction and maintenance - Harbour Master's seawall and pier
*559
1846
Construction - three landing piers, Victoria
502
1848-1849 Extension - Harbour Master's Pier
354
the Works Bureau on 1 July 1997. On 1 July 2002, the Works Bureau became part of the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau, following the merger with the Environment and Food Bureau, and the Transport Bureau.
Pier Works
Over a period of 42 years, starting from 1841, when there was no specific department charged with infrastructural works, until 1883, when the Surveyor General's Office became known as the Public Works Department, the port works undertaken by the government were largely confined to the construction and maintenance of piers, seawall and the Praya. The first pier built inside Victoria Harbour was situated near the present-day Chater Garden. Construction works for the Harbour Master's landing place began in 1841. The whole project, including a temporary residence for the Harbour Master, was completed in 1845, at a cost of $2,460 (£559). Although the outlay represented only 1.2 per cent of the total government spending of HK$198,882 during the 1841- 1844 period3, it marked the beginning of governmental involvement in the construction and repair of piers. After its completion, the Harbour Master's Pier continued to undergo significant extension and repair; a total of £1,358 was spent between 1844 and 1882. Between 1841 and 1882, government expenditure on construction and repair amounted to £16,060, of which £11,38940 was invested in the building of piers (71 per cent), with the balance spent on pier reconstruction and repair. During that period, approximately 30 piers came on stream, with the majority located within the boundaries of the City of Victoria. This illustrates the importance of the north shore as a goods loading and unloading area and a passenger-handling place. The piers built within the Chinese community were very small in scale, as evidenced by the £16 outlaid on piers in Tai Pin Shan. (For expenditure details on pier construction and repair refer to Table 1.3)
Besides government efforts, private enterprises were also actively involved in
1849-1850
Repair - Tai Ping Shan No 3 pier
5
1849-1850
Repair - Tai Ping Shan piers
11
1852
Repair - Harbour Master's Pier
1855
Construction - two landing piers, Victoria West
335
1855-1858
Construction - two landing piers, Victoria East
380
1860-1864
Construction - landing piers, Victoria
4,661
1867
Construction - Kowloon praya and landing pier
521
1869
Construction - landing pier near police station
1,039
1876
Construction - powder magazine and jetty at Stonecutters Island
2,187
1876
Construction - timber jetty at Tsim Sha Tsui
83
1877-1882
Maintenance - piers
§ 643
1879
Construction - timber jetty at Yau Ma Tei
$562
1880
Construction -
- new timber jetty at the foot of Bonham Strand
#§ 560
1881
Reconstruction - piers
#8
$ 3,656
Total
16,060
** The original records were in dollars. To facilitate analysis, the British pound sterling is adopted, using
the 1841 exchange rate of £1 = $4.4
§ 1881 rate £1 HK$5.334
# 1880 budgeted expenditure Sources:
"Return of All Public Works, Civil Roads, Canals, Bridges, Buildings, &c., Not of a Military Nature, Which Have Been Undertaken During the Year", Hong Kong Blue Book, H 2, Public Works, Hong Kong, Noronha & Co, 1844-1882.
CO 129/5, "Detailed Account Disbursement of the Land Department From June 1841 to January 1844",
10 February 1844, pp. 143-148.
34
Part Birth of the City of Victoria (1843 1883)
35
Expenditure (£)
Table 1.4 Construction and Repair - The Praya and Seawalls (1844-1882)
Year
Work Item
Part Birth of the City of Victoria (1843 - 1883)
1859-1860
Construction - The Praya, Victoria East
548
1859-1861
Construction - The Praya, along Central Market
1,465
1860-1864
Construction - The Praya, Victoria
6,026
1.19 Coolies crowding around the
pier, looking for employment.
1865-1867
Extension - The Praya
3,043
1865-1876
Repair - The Praya
8,022
1867
Construction - seawall in front of Kowloon lots 4 and 12
392
1868
Repair - The Praya and seawall in front of Pedder Street Wharf
5,135
1880
Reconstruction - The Praya
*45,792
1882
Maintenance - The Praya
*197
Total
70,620
the building and restoration of piers. According to H. Pottinger's map of 1842, there were a large number of private piers installed in the northern part of the island. They included those built by Dent & Co, Burn Larkins, and Jardine, Matheson & Co in East Point and Chong Wan (Central)41. The piers constructed by the government for public use were both fewer and smaller than the private ones.
Construction and Maintenance - The Praya
As the trading hub in Asia Pacific, the government had to build and maintain the Praya and the seawall to facilitate the embarking and disembarking of passengers and the handling of cargo. Works on the Praya involved small-scale reclamations along the coastline. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the Praya was a thoroughfare along the shore used by horse carriages and pedestrians, with a width of 50 to 100 feet. Between 1844 and 1882, a total of £70,620 was spent on the Praya and seawall, with Praya construction and extension costing £11,082. The repair, maintenance and reconstruction cost of the Praya came to £54,011, equivalent to 76 per cent of the total expenditure. The bulk of construction and extension works on the Praya were undertaken between 1859 and 1867. From 1867 onwards, the work nature was mainly repair and maintenance. Thus, the Praya began to take shape in the 1860s and no significant changes were made until 1882. As for the seawalls, most of the works were carried out in 1867 and 1868 and involved less than £5,527. Taken together, expenditure on the Praya and seawalls was £54,560 higher than that spent on piers(£16,060), that is, 340
per cent more.
*
The original records were in Hong Kong dollars. To facilitate analysis, the British pound sterling is
adopted, using the 1881 exchange rate of £1 = HK$5.334.
Source:
"Return of All Public Works, Civil Roads, Canals, Bridges, Buildings, &c., Not of a Military Nature, Which Have Been Undertaken During the Year", Hong Kong Blue Book, H 2, Public Works, Hong Kong, Noronha & Co, 1844-1882.
Lighthouse Construction
To cope with burgeoning economic activity in the Asia Pacific region, better navigational and port facilities were required. In 1857, the Office of Committee of Privy Council for Trade asked the colonial government to erect on the Pratas Shoal in the South China Sea a lighthouse to provide guidance to the mariners. The proposed lighthouse was to be 35 feet above the highest level of the island or 75 feet above sea
level. It was to be a cylindrical structure made either of iron or stone material, capable of protecting the lighthouse keepers against attacks from pirates who roamed the Pratas Shoal. The two major considerations in planning this lighthouse were manpower and funding42. The cost of construction was estimated to be $6,400 (£750). It was projected
that two European officers and six Manila sailors would be required to man the lighthouse, which would involve considerable recurrent outlays. To save cost, suggestions were made to build a sturdy lightvessel in Britain and station it at a spot where there was a high incidence of shipwrecks. It was to light up the navigational channel to aid the seafarers. It was suggested that the use of shift work could reduce manpower requirements
Challenges for an Evolving City
36
37
1.20
མམ་
แก
1.21
by one-third. Due to financial constraints, the lighthouse proposal was shelved. More than 10 years elapsed before an improved Hong Kong economy enabled the lighthouse plan to be put back on the agenda.
Besides dealing with the issue of vessel safety around the waters of Hong Kong, the 1870 lighthouse plan also determined the limits of Hong Kong's territorial waters. On 13 February 1873, after lengthy considerations, the government proposed to build lighthouses at Waglan Island, on a site northeast of Lamma Island, and at Gap Rock, located 26 miles southwest of Hong Kong Island43. Despite numerous contacts with China, consent was not given. In the end the proposal had to be shelved as the territorial waters issue could not be resolved44. The government had to look for alternative sites and eventually settled for Cape d'Aguilar (Hok Tsui), Green Island and Cape Collinson to build the lighthouses. On 9 December 1873, the Legislative Council passed Ordinance No 17, prescribing the regulations governing lighthouses, buoys and beacons +5. On 11 March 1874, the Legislative Council formally approved the allocations of HK$15,000
1.20 View of the Praya west of Pedder Street. Measuring about thirty feet wide, the Praya could comfortably accommo- date rickshaws and pedestrians. The Jardine, Matheson & Co building is in the left of the photograph and the third building on the left (shortes than the others)is the Lane & Crawford's emporium.
1.21 In the 1870s, the seawall of the Praya in Central was equipped with mooring facilities for small boats. The building on the right is Jardine & Matheson Co; in the middle was the clock tower, Wardley House is on the left. The site was occupied by The HongKong and Shanghai Bank from 1865 to 1882.
1.22
རྟོག་པརཤག
1.23
ོབ་ཏུ
1.22 View of Hong Kong Island's waterfront in the 1870s. Slightly to the right of
the centre is Pedder's Wharf, with Jardine, Matheson & Co on the right and the Hong Kong Hotel on the left. One of the twin domes of the Roman Catholic church, in Wellington Street, could be vaguely seen in the background.
1.23 Corner of Pedder Street and the Praya with a landing place in the foreground.
The Dent & Co building is in the centre of the photograph. The clock tower could be seen in the right at the top of Pedder Street. (photograph taken at the end of 1860)
1.24 The first lighthouse, erected at Cape d'Aguilar was commissioned on 16 April 1875.
1.25 Gap Rock Lighthouse,
built in 1892.
Part Birth of the City of Victoria (1843 1883)
and HK$2,500 for the construction of lighthouses at Cape d'Aguilar and Green Island respectively. No information on construction cost is available for the lighthouse at Cape Collinson, but it is clear that it was a small lighthouse. According to cost estimates prepared by the Surveyor General in 1873, a mere £35 (HK$168) was budgeted for a dioptric lamp for this lighthouse, versus the £3,300 (HK$15,840) sum set aside for the purchase of lights for the Cape d'Aguilar Lighthouse.
Some indications on the scale of these lighthouses can be gleaned from the construction cost figures, while the illumination distance range of the lighthouses reveals more information. The Cape d'Aguilar Lighthouse was situated at latitude 22° 12' 14” north and longitude 114° 15' 44" east. Standing 30 feet tall and with a focal plane of 200 feet above sea level, its light was visible in clear weather from a distance of 23
nautical miles. It would illuminate the islands of Nine Pins, Waglan Island, Lamma Island, Sung Kong Island and the waters near Lin Ding Island47. For the lighthouse on Green Island, its focal plane was 95 feet above sea level and a visibility distance of 14 miles48. The comparative figures for the Cape Collinson Lighthouse were 200 feet and 8 miles respectively49. Its beacon would provide illumination to vessels sailing east and north from Victoria Harbour and guide them clear of the reefs of the Tathong
Channel.
The Cape d'Aguilar Lighthouse was the first lighthouse erected by the government. It first exhibited its light on 16 April 187550. The Survey Department (formerly Surveyor General's Office) was responsible for the lighthouse construction projects, with the management placed in the hands of the Harbour Master's Office. The Green Island Lighthouse commenced operation on 1 July 187551. Due to a mistake in delivery, the construction materials required for the third lighthouse - Cape Collinson Lighthouse were sent to Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, instead. As a result, its commissioning was delayed until 1 March 18762. As for the originally planned Gap Rock Lighthouse,
Table 1.5 Lighthouse Construction Cost -
Cape d'Aguilar and Green Island
(unit: HK$)
Cape d'Aguilar Lighthouse
Green Island Lighthouse
Granite masonry tower
Timber wharf
3,300
Light Tower
1,500
Path
300
160
Keeper's dwelling including path and small landing place
1,000
Keeper's dwelling
Small breakwater
Total
10,240
1,000
15,000
Total
Source:
CO 129/167, "Governor to Earl of Kimberly, Principal Secretary of State", 11 March 1874.
the beacon beamed for the first time on 1 April 189253.
2,500
The British government declared Hong Kong a free trade port immediately after its occupation, as it sought to boost its status as an entrepôt. Restrained by a severe lack of resources, however, port development works could only progress at a slow pace. The lighthouse proposal was put forth towards the end of the 1850s, but it was not until March 1874 that it received the required government funding to proceed. The fact that it took more than 10 years before the first lighthouse went into operation in April 1875 vividly illustrates the difficulties facing port development. From this lighthouse saga, one also learns how harbour development was impeded by the sovereignty issue over the waters near Hong Kong Island.
Challenges for an Evolving City.
42
43
Chinese Community Demarcation
Challenges for an Evolving City
44
If port facility construction was a prerequisite for establishing an entrepôt, then the allocation and usage of land laid the foundations for the city's development.
In the mid-nineteenth century, to ensure sufficient land for the Europeans and business activity, the government restricted the areas used by Chinese residents on Hong Kong
Island.
Upper/Lower Bazaar and Tai Ping Shan
When the government formulated the land development policy in 1841, it deliberately used urban planning as a means of segregating Chinese from foreigners. Of the land parcels put up for auction on 14 June 1841, the government purposely designated the 268 Bazaar lots 118 Upper Bazaar lots of 504 square feet each (14 feet x 36 feet) and 150 Lower Bazaar lots each measuring 800 square feet (20 feet x 40 feet) - as Chinese residential areas. Chinese were allowed to erect matsheds or wooden huts as temporary
shelters. The government was in actual fact practising segregation of the Chinese from
the non-Chinese. Upper Bazaar referred to the area west of present-day Aberdeen Street and east of Hollywood Road, near Kau U Fong and Gough Street. Lower Bazaar was the stretch running from present-day Jervois Street to Bonham Strand.
The government's original plan did not envisage the large influx of Chinese spurred by increasing commercial activity and political turmoil in China. As Hong Kong consolidated its position as an entrepôt, most of the economic activity was concentrated in Central. Not surprisingly, land space in Central commanded a very high premium. The government departments located at Admiralty and Central, as well as the military barracks, already occupied a major part of the central district. The colonial government decided to alter the original plan and repossess Upper Bazaar, which had an area of approximately 1.5 acres and was situated right in the heart of the business district in Central. The space would then be turned into a European commercial zone, generating
BRA£42
院書望展
Part Birth of the City of Victoria (1843 1883)
校學園區
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