Tymon Mellor: The construction of Tai Lam Chung Reservoir in the 1950s was at that time, the largest and most expensive construction project yet in Hong Kong, but when a half page article[i] about the construction of the 12km of tunnels was published in 1956 the photo they used focused on the ever-running supply of water at the site. The […]
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Tymon Mellor: With the completion of the Shing Mun Reservoir in 1937 and the new cross harbour pipe line in 1939, Hong Kong should have had an ample water supply, but low rainfall in 1938 and an influx of refugees from Southern China put a strain on supply. Things would only get worse. With war raging in Mainland China, the […]
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Tymon Mellor: The Shing Mun Valley Scheme was implemented in two stages. The First Section established a new water supply and distribution system including the first cross harbour pipeline. The Second Section provided for the construction of the Jubilee Reservoir with a capacity greater than the total existing storage and possibly “the highest in the British Empire” [i] along with […]
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Tymon Mellor: While researching mines in Hong Kong, I came across this newspaper article from the Hong Kong Daily Press, dated the 12th October, 1889, on the discovery of a new mineral find by Mr J Grant Smith. The mineral ore was exposed following a storm the previous May and considered to be “a payable mine”. The location is described as […]
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Before the British took over the New Territories in July, 1898 there were no roads but an extensive network of footpaths paths or Chinese Roads across the territory. These paths provided connections between the villages and to the sea shore for marine transport. The first topographical map of the New Territories, published in 1904 describes the paths as “Chinese roads about 4′-0″ […]
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Tymon Mellor: In the late 1960’s the HK Government commissioned a comprehensive geological survey of Hong Kong, to establish and document the territories geology. The Geological Survey of Hong Kong, was undertaken between 1967-1969, and published in 1971. The report was prepared by the Overseas Division of the Institute of Geological Science, working for the Ministry of Overseas Development (London) […]
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With the ceding of Kowloon to the British in 1860, under the Convention of Peaking, development of the barren headland begin. What had been an area for boat building and small villages became a city with roads and services. Naming of the roads was a problem. The initial development on Kowloon was a military camp and by 1864 this became […]
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Fanling was once the home of Hong Kong’s second race course, Kwanti just off the Sha Tau Kok Road. The site was managed by the Fanling Hunt and Race Club on grounds leased by the Jockey Club for grazing. An inaugural steeple chase meeting was held on the 30 October, 1926 and the course and adjacent stables operated until the […]
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Following the signing of the agreement with China on the 9th June, 1898 to extend the Colony of Hong Kong, a survey was undertaken of the “mainland and islands adjacent to Hongkong” that had been leased to Great Britain. Over the summer of 1898, Mr Stewart Lockhart, assisted by the naval authorities with H.M.S. Plover led a Commission to survey […]
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Tymon Mellor: The defense of HK has always been a sensitive issue, a report in The Engineer in January 1889 entitled “Defense of our Coaling Stations. No 1 Hong Kong”, gives an overview of the situation. The report notes that Hong Kong has a trade of GBP20 million per annum, with hundreds of steam ships and sailing vessels in the […]
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