Tymon Mellor: The development of the Hong Kong road network has allowed the territory to expand and develop into the sophisticated city it now is. From the arrival of the British in Hong Kong in 1841, construction of new roads commenced almost immediately and continues to this day. The first road to be built was Queens Road, starting in May, […]
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HF: Our recently posted article, Wong Kwong-tin, manager of the Kai Tak Company, Managing Director of the Kai Tak Motor Bus Company, linked below, says “he is also pioneer Managing Director of the Kai Tak Motor Bus Company, which has been a most important factor in, and largely responsible for, the development of the Kowloon Peninsula.” Here are a few […]
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IDJ has sent the following: The merit of the scheme lay in the provision of a service to the Mid-Levels at Robinson Road. The scheme was opposed by residents near to the line of the proposed tramway, in particular by the Vicar Apostolic of Hong Kong, the Right Reverend Bishop Pozzoni, who objected on the grounds that a tresstle bridge […]
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The Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department’s brief history of Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong. The script and images all come from the article. The Name: Kai Tak is named after two businessmen, Sir Ho Kai and Mr. Au Tak, who were involved in a company formed to reclaim land in Kowloon Bay for a residential housing scheme. The Company, unfortunately, […]
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Tymon Mellor has sent this photograph of the railway line and station at Fanling. This shows proper passenger carriages unlike the flat, open waggons shown in the image below. HF I had heard about this almost forgotten branch of the Kowloon Canton Railway but knew almost nothing about it. The line operated for exactly 16 years from 1 Apr 1912 […]
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Fung Chi Ming: The type of man-powered transport known in English as “sedan chair” has different regional names, including jiao (轎) in China and kago (駕籠) in Japan. In Hong Kong, where it is no longer used as a means of passenger transport, it is known in local Cantonese dialect as san-dau (山兜, “mountain cabin”), kin–yue (肩舆, “shoulder carriage”) and […]
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Hugh Farmer: Philip Edward Kenny has added a comment to the article Tai Po Kau Railway Station – dramatic film! You may not be aware of his excellent website (see below). One article on this covers in some detail the now defunct and demolished KCR station and has recently been updated. It also contains photos both historic and contemporary. Phil […]
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IDJ: This article comes from Flight magazine 8th Feb 1952 Hugh Farmer: The article states that HAEC was formed by the “pooling of British shipping and air interests”. The HAECO group website says that the company was established in 1950 following a merger between Swire’s Pacific Air Maintenance Services (established in 1947) and Jardine Air Maintenance Company. I wonder what […]
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IDJ has sent the following newspaper article which was published in the Hong Kong Sunday Herald in a 1930s long series entitled Hong Kong Personalities. HF: I have retyped the original article to aid clarity and searches. Hong Kong Personalities MR. R.D. WALKER This is the fifty-eighth of the exclusive series of sketches of leading Colony residents by Mr A.S. […]
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HF: This Pathé film shows the opening of the new one million pound Kai Tak terminal building on the 2nd November 1962. The film includes an aerial view of the new runway extending out into Kowloon bay. A Comet Four aircraft coming in across the Bay to land on the runway. The plane as it is taxiing along the runway and […]
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