Plover Cove Reservoir – photographs of official opening 1969

HF: On 9th March 2015 the SCMP published an article, A Reservoir of Memories. This included a brief description of Plover Cove Reservoir plus a number of photographs including two of HK Governor David Tench officially opening the reservoir on 20th January 1969. This article was first published on 10th March 2015. See: Task Force on Land Supply says no to reclaiming part […]

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The Shing Mun (Jubilee) Reservoir

HF: This initial article about the Shing Mun Reservoir relies heavily on information found on the Water Supplies Department website linked below. Shing Mun was known for a time as the Jubilee Reservoir to celebrate the silver jubilee of King George V in 1935. The Shing Mun valley in which the reservoir is located has an interesting history in part connected […]

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Lok On Pai “desalting” plant, 1975-1981

HF: Desalination (or “Desalting” as it appeared to be called at that time)  was a source of water in Hong Kong between 1975 and 1981. A large desalination plant was commissioned at Lok On Pai, near Tuen Mun, in 1975, but was decommissioned  in 1981 because its operation was more expensive than importing water from Dongjiang in China. A Water Supplies […]

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Tai Shing Paper Mill – builders of the Aberdeen Lower reservoir, 1890

James Chan: I was out walking during Christmas time around the Aberdeen reservoirs on Hong Kong island. I saw an AFC Department sign which said, “Aberdeen Lower reservoir was built in 1890 by Tai Shing Paper Mill. It was taken over and reconstructed by the government because of the Aberdeen Valley Water Scheme. It was re-opened in 1932.” I had […]

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Town Gas gasometer, Aberdeen – made and erected in 1981 through the collaboration of HUD and S Cutler & Sons, Telford, UK

IMG 4892

Stephen Davies: An interesting question to which I don’t know the answer, is what the provenance is of the gasometer that still stands (and I believe is in use for stand-by storage) back from the Tin Wan Praya waterfront just outside the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter West entrance (on the north shore). I’m fairly sure it’s been there as long as I […]

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Pokfulam Reservoir – structures and declared monuments

Gauge Basin, Pokfulam Reservoir Courtesy Nicholas Kitto

HF: I have slightly adapted the script below from the original booklet. Thanks to SCT for proofreading the script. Pokfulam reservoir was the first reservoir in Hong Kong, and was completed in 1863 to provide a stable water supply to the City of Victoria. It was one of the first large scale infrastructure projects in the early days of colonisation. […]

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Water Supply in the early days of the Colony

Pok Fu Lam

HF: I have slightly adapted the wording in the following script. Before British rule most locals used to rely on water from streams and wells nearby. With drastic increase in population especially in the City of Victoria a stable water supply became a pressing problem in the colony. But the colonial government was reluctant to claim responsibility for water supply. […]

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