Tymon Mellor: The year of 1963 was an exceptionally difficult for water supply in Hong Kong. For the fourteen months between November, 1962 and December, 1963, the total rainfall was only 901mm, as compared with an average expectation of 2,220mm. Severe restrictions were imposed on water consumption with the house supplied service being cut to four hours every fourth day. […]
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Texaco began kerosene sales in Hong Kong and China in 1913 and Caltex began operating in Hong Kong in 1937 with a diesel terminal. This was situated in Tsuen Wan with the road leading to the terminal being named Texaco Road. The oil terminal was later moved to Tsing Yi island and the land plot in Tsuen Wan was developed into […]
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HF: On 9th March 2015 the SCMP published an article, A Reservoir of Memories. This included a brief description of Plover Cove Reservoir plus a number of photographs including two of HK Governor David Tench officially opening the reservoir on 20th January 1969. This article was first published on 10th March 2015. See: Task Force on Land Supply says no to reclaiming part […]
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Elizabeth Ride has sent a British Army Aid Group (BAAG) report from 1st March 1945, An Outline of Conditions in Occupied Hong Kong which was compiled in early 1945 for use by the Civil Affairs Committee which was to take on the rehabilitation of HK after the planned allied invasion. HF: The report is lengthy so I am going to divide it […]
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HF: This initial article about the Shing Mun Reservoir relies heavily on information found on the Water Supplies Department website linked below. Shing Mun was known for a time as the Jubilee Reservoir to celebrate the silver jubilee of King George V in 1935. The Shing Mun valley in which the reservoir is located has an interesting history in part connected […]
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HF: Desalination (or “Desalting” as it appeared to be called at that time) was a source of water in Hong Kong between 1975 and 1981. A large desalination plant was commissioned at Lok On Pai, near Tuen Mun, in 1975, but was decommissioned in 1981 because its operation was more expensive than importing water from Dongjiang in China. A Water Supplies […]
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James Chan: I was out walking during Christmas time around the Aberdeen reservoirs on Hong Kong island. I saw an AFC Department sign which said, “Aberdeen Lower reservoir was built in 1890 by Tai Shing Paper Mill. It was taken over and reconstructed by the government because of the Aberdeen Valley Water Scheme. It was re-opened in 1932.” I had […]
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Hugh Farmer: I have been unable online to find any images of the reservoir’s dams or of any other man made structures at the location and would be grateful to be sent any a reader might find. Lau Shui Heung reservoir, built in 1968 as part of the Plover Cove Reservoir engineering programme, is a reservoir located within the boundary […]
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Stephen Davies: An interesting question to which I don’t know the answer, is what the provenance is of the gasometer that still stands (and I believe is in use for stand-by storage) back from the Tin Wan Praya waterfront just outside the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter West entrance (on the north shore). I’m fairly sure it’s been there as long as I […]
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IDJ: To obtain an electricity supply in Hong Kong customers have to sign up with either China Light & Power Co Ltd or the Hong Kong Electric Co Ltd. However, in the years before 1984 the residents of Cheung Chau Island were supplied from their own independent power station operated by the Cheung Chau Electric Company Co Ltd which had […]
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