Tymon Mellor: Mining for Wolframite at Sha Lo Wan started in late 1951 and by March, 1952 around 700 miners, growing to 1500 were working the hillsides on North Lantau. After an initial find in a gully on a weathered outcrop, the miners started digging tunnels to extract the minerals from the veins. Mining continued throughout the 50’s and into […]
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Introduction Tymon Mellor: One hundred years ago this year, according to records, mining for Wolframite (or Wolfram as it used to be called), commenced at Needle Hill, possibly one of the oldest and most extensive industrial historical sites in Hong Kong. The mine workings now lie abandoned and overgrown on the hillsides above the Lower Shing Mun Reservoir. If you […]
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Tymon Mellor: Those who walk the Maclehose or Wilson Trails, or who enjoy walking in the country parks will be familiar with Lead Mine Pass; the high pass linking Kowloon with the New Territories. But why is it called Lead Mine Pass, where is the mine it is named after? Ever since the New Territories has been part of Hong […]
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Hugh Farmer: It is worth looking at the Hong Kong Naturalist – “a quarterly illustrated journal principally for Hong Kong and South China” which was published from Jan 1930 until Feb 1941. The journal contain articles on a variety of subjects of interest to us including, tea production, oysters, Kowloon waterworks, agriculture in the New Territory [sic] and a couple of mountains […]
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HF: This article is the result of several people’s research into Ma On Shan Iron Mine. If you can provide further information about this or any other mine, quarry or dredging activity please email me at: indhhk at gmail dot com Information provided by Hugh Farmer, IDJ, Tymon Mellor and Elizabeth Ride Ma On Shan Mine operated for 70 years […]
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York Lo: From Metals Trading to Real Estate: the Lau Family of Pak Hing Loong (百興隆) The Lau family has been a major player in the metals trading business in Hong Kong for over seven decades through Pak Hing Loong Ltd which was formed in the 1940s and incorporated in 1957 and like many others augmented their fortunes as pioneers […]
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Tymon Mellor: The former mine at, and which was to give its name to, Mui Wo or Silvermine Bay, was arguably one of the most important mines in Southern China at the end of the nineteenth century. It was developed using private money and was a showcase of modern technology. It was hoped this would be the start of a […]
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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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Hugh Farmer and “Tide Swell”: New information in red. These are introductory notes about Jan Hendrik Marsman, b1892 Netherlands, d1956 [exact dates needed], known as Hank to his friends. He started his working life as an engineer. He developed extensive business interests in the Philippines. As elaborated on below he became involved through his company Marsman Hong Kong China Ltd, in […]
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Tymon Mellor has sent this article which was first published in Economic Geology, 1st November 1961. The article has several photos of the mine, processes and workers. More can be found in the linked article. Not all of them have titles. Source: Needle Hill Mine -Mineralogy and Genesis of Wolframite Deposits 1964 SG Davis Economic Geology, 1st November 1961, Vol 56 No.7 […]
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