Tymon Mellor: In 1955 mineral prices were on the rise and there was a large influx of new population into Hong Kong, mineral extraction and mine development was a growth industry. Sensational mining stories and corruption were not uncommon. In April, 1955 an amateur geologist, Corporal William Bruce Harries, of the Royal Army Educational Corps discovered a deposit of Beryl […]
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HF: On 4th November 2024 Tony Whitehorn sent the following message. ”I lived in Shatin in 1966 and clearly remember the large Kuhn Mine sign on the hillside near the shore off Ma On Shan. I also took note of it when I saw the film ”Sand Pebbles in Manila in 1967. Tolo Harbour was used to film the Yangtze […]
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York Lo: Moving Mountains: the Life and Mines of Ko Ming-fan (高銘勳,1906-2012), proprietor of Flat Hill Quarry (平山石礦) and HK Clays & Kaolin Co Ko Ming-fan visiting mainland China in the 1980s (Courtesy: Bonnie Sellars) The post war construction boom created significant demand for construction materials and unprecedented opportunities for the HK mining industry. One of the handful of tenacious […]
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HF: Further information about Hong Kong’s largest mine. ”The Ma On Shan Iron Mine is a mine in the hills of Ma On Shan, Shatin District, Hong Kong, that was operated from 1906 to 1976. The nearby Ma On Shan Village accommodated the miners and their families. The Ma On Shan Mine was opened in 1906 as an open cast […]
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Tymon Mellor: In the early 1930s, a small mining operation was underway near Lok Ma Chau for wolframe, antimony, silver, gold and tin. The mine was unsuccessful in the commercial exploitation of minerals and the owners consequently lost their investments. The location of the mine has never been identified but the parties involved are well documented. This article describes the […]
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HJF: IDJ has sent in the following newspaper article. I have indicated in square brackets where the script was unclear or I was not sure what the newspaper print means. The tunnel was never completed, and I have inserted photos of The Peak and Aberdeen in the 1930s for those unfamiliar with the mountain and town. Thanks to SCT for […]
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HF: Dr Patrick H Hase has sent a copy of his unpublished paper, Study on Old Trails in Hong Kong: Historical Background, 2011-12, which he has kindly said I can extract parts of and incorporate into articles of interest to the Group. I thought I would start with the section subtitled, Footpaths on Hong Kong Island, which describes the importance of […]
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IDJ has sent in more information about the Lam Tei Quarry and its connection to the proposed Ping Shan Airport. This time a Technical Bulletin from the Airfield Construction Service (RAF) from May 1946. Click the images to enlarge. RECORD BLASTING AT PING SHAN A.C.S Technical Magazine Vol. 2. No. 2 May 1946 Several times a week the echoes […]
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Tymon Mellor: Mining is always a high risk enterprise, but in the case of the Lam Tsuen lead mines, it was compounded by remote terrain, objecting villagers and corrupt officials. This is the story of the lead mines on the Lam Tsuen river at Ng Tung Chai, near Tai Po. After the Second World War, interest in mining picked up […]
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York Lo: Tracing Roots: Joseph Yen (嚴錫榮), post-war chairman of Marsman HK China and the father in Falling Leaves Left: Joseph Yen (right) with his second wife Jeanne (left) and father C.L. Yen (center); Right: View of the Morrison Hill Quarry operated by Marsman (工商晚報, 1958-08-07) Earlier on the Group’s website there were several articles about the Dutch American mining magnate […]
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