Vaudine England has kindly sent a link to what she describes as a typically 1900-era directory of the European empires in the east. Of great interest to us is a rather neat summary of the industries and shipyards in Hong Kong at that time. The author was D Warren Smith.(1) I thought I would divide these summaries into several parts. […]
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Elizabeth Ride has sent part of BAAG Report KWIZ #1, dated 31st May 1943. If you haven’t come across the British Army Aid Group before I have linked a gwulo.com summary of its activities below. Elizabeth explains KWIZ was short for Kweillin Weekly Intelligence Summary, with a ‘Z’ substituted for an ‘S’. She has sent extracts from the Report, namely […]
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HF: Stephen Kentwell recently left a comment on our article, BAAG records of shipping in HK during 1944-45 – the Shin Kensei, ex Indo-China Steam Navigation Co. As Stephen thinks this refers to the ICSNC’s Hinsang I am posting his comment and an image of the ship in this new article. Stephen: I believe this [BAAG record] refers to Indo-China S.N. […]
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HF: Some brief details about the first ship to be launched in Hong Kong and its maiden voyage to Bombay. From the newspaper Friend of China 9th February 1843 “Last Tuesday we assembled at the East Point premises of J M & Co to see the first ship launched in Hong Kong from Jardines’ slip. She is called the Celestial. The […]
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Jens Øster-Mortensen, a Danish journalist, recently left a comment attached to our article, Bullivant & Co, Millwall, London, supplier of Taikoo Sugar Refinery’s aerial ropeway cables. Jens said he had found an object, I presume a marine winch, next to Ballen harbour on the Danish island of Samso which had on it Bullivant No. 2 – Mark Lane 72, London. He thinks […]
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Swire’s story begins with a young man setting off to seek his fortune as a result of family bankruptcy. While this is not a classic rags-to-riches tale, resilience in the face of adversity was a characteristic that was to stand the firm he founded in good stead on more than one occasion over the following 200 years. The founder of […]
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HF: Tam Kon Shan Road runs for a couple of kilometres along the north coast of Tsing Yi island. The western kilometre is home to about twenty shipyards – the largest number of this industry, I believe, remaining in Hong Kong. Repairing and maintenance not shipbuilding. On 13th December 2014 I visited Kwong Tat Loong Shipyard (Brothers) Ltd. and took […]
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HF: THe Audit Commission’s Report 41, published in October 2003 includes chapter 8 titled, The acquisition and clearance of shipyard sites. This appears to have been undertaken on behalf of the Lands Department and Civil Engineering Departments. The report is dated 18th October 2003. The report begins with a summary which states: The Government may acquire land for public purposes […]
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Our article, Hall, Russell & Company, Shipbuilders, Aberdeen, Scotland, briefly mentioned a connection between the shipyard and Hong Kong. Namely, “The Hall Russell Yard was nationalised in July 1977, becoming part of British Shipbuilders Corporation, and then was dedicated to naval work. This was undertaken for British, and Hong Kong governments.” Intrigued, I asked Stephen Davies if he could offer some further […]
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Hall, Russell and Co, and Alexander Hall and Co were two famous Aberdeen shipbuilders with yards next to each other. The Hall Russell Yard was nationalised in July 1977, becoming part of British Shipbuilders Corporation, and then was dedicated to naval work. This was undertaken for British, and Hong Kong governments. A company biography, courtesy of the Grace’s Guides website: Alexander Hall and […]
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