The Fire Station on Salisbury Rd, TST was completed at the end of 1920 and was known as Kowloon Fire Station. In 1937 it was renamed Terminus Fire Station after the building of a new Kowloon Fire Station in Mong Kok at 745-747 Nathan Rd.
My father worked at both fire stations. 11 Apr 1949 - 30 Jun 1949 ~ Terminus and 1 Jul 1949 - February 1952 ~ Kowloon. Both my mother and I lived at KFS while I was born until we all moved over to Central Fire Station on Des Voeux Rd Central (which has since been demolished to make room for the MTR) Feb 1952 - 28 Mar 1954 when my younger brother was born. We were ex-pats who came out from the UK in 1949 and lived in HK until 1965 and I loved living there all that time!
Source: Information Displays outside the Former Station.
The former Kowloon Fire Station (KFS) was built in 1920 and was known as the 'Terminus' Fire Station because of its proximity to the then Kowloon-Canton Railway Terminus in TST. At that time, the Hong Kong Fire Brigade (HKFB) had a total of 174 regular members and the KFS had an establishment of 1 foreman and 30 firefighters. As the HKFB was still part of the Police Force at the time, the fire alarm system and telephone line of KFS was connected to the TST Police Station.
The two-storey fire station was mainly constructed with red bricks and was known as the "Red House". The ground floor was used as a duty room and as a garage for fire engines. Located on the first floor were the living quarters of the family of a senior officer. It consisted of a living room, a bedroom and two suites. The KFS was decommissioned in 1971. The building and Acommodation Block behind was later used as a storehouse by several government departments. From 1986 to 2002, it was leased to an arts and cultural organization.
The Accommodation Block was built in 1922, with the foreman's quarters, kitchen, toilet and laundry facilities on the ground floor and the firefighters' stand-by quarters on the first floor. Originally, there were two fireman's poles, however, only one remians today.
Fireman's pole with ceiling sealed off.
View of KFS and Accommodation Block from former Marine Police HQ
We also lived in Kowloon Fire Station (Now called Mong Kok Fire Station). Corner of Tong Mi Road & Prince Edward Road Shum Shui Po. We arrived in 1954 and we lived in Flat 6. My Dad Harry Wood was a Stion officer at the time. Mr Brand was Mr Gorman was Chief Officer and Mr Brand Deputy, We later moved to Flat 5 at Central Fire Station. Dad later became Director and retired until 1977. Unfortunately hr died in 1987. Des Wood Perth Western Australia
Comments
Re: Old TST Fire Station
The Fire Station on Salisbury Rd, TST was completed at the end of 1920 and was known as Kowloon Fire Station. In 1937 it was renamed Terminus Fire Station after the building of a new Kowloon Fire Station in Mong Kok at 745-747 Nathan Rd.
Kowloon and Terminus Fire Stations
My father worked at both fire stations. 11 Apr 1949 - 30 Jun 1949 ~ Terminus and 1 Jul 1949 - February 1952 ~ Kowloon. Both my mother and I lived at KFS while I was born until we all moved over to Central Fire Station on Des Voeux Rd Central (which has since been demolished to make room for the MTR) Feb 1952 - 28 Mar 1954 when my younger brother was born. We were ex-pats who came out from the UK in 1949 and lived in HK until 1965 and I loved living there all that time!
Leslie
re: Kowloon and Terminus Fire Stations
[Update: It looks as though Leslie already has her photos online here. Thanks to Leslie for sharing them, and to Moddsey for finding the link.]
Thanks Leslie. You can also see some photos of the Central Fire Station here. If you have any photos from that time you can add, we'd love to see them!
Regards, David
More notes about the Kowloon and Terminus Fire Station
Source: Information Displays outside the Former Station.
The former Kowloon Fire Station (KFS) was built in 1920 and was known as the 'Terminus' Fire Station because of its proximity to the then Kowloon-Canton Railway Terminus in TST. At that time, the Hong Kong Fire Brigade (HKFB) had a total of 174 regular members and the KFS had an establishment of 1 foreman and 30 firefighters. As the HKFB was still part of the Police Force at the time, the fire alarm system and telephone line of KFS was connected to the TST Police Station.
The two-storey fire station was mainly constructed with red bricks and was known as the "Red House". The ground floor was used as a duty room and as a garage for fire engines. Located on the first floor were the living quarters of the family of a senior officer. It consisted of a living room, a bedroom and two suites. The KFS was decommissioned in 1971. The building and Acommodation Block behind was later used as a storehouse by several government departments. From 1986 to 2002, it was leased to an arts and cultural organization.
The Accommodation Block was built in 1922, with the foreman's quarters, kitchen, toilet and laundry facilities on the ground floor and the firefighters' stand-by quarters on the first floor. Originally, there were two fireman's poles, however, only one remians today.
Fireman's pole with ceiling sealed off.
View of KFS and Accommodation Block from former Marine Police HQ
Kowloon Fire Station
We also lived in Kowloon Fire Station (Now called Mong Kok Fire Station). Corner of Tong Mi Road & Prince Edward Road Shum Shui Po. We arrived in 1954 and we lived in Flat 6. My Dad Harry Wood was a Stion officer at the time. Mr Brand was Mr Gorman was Chief Officer and Mr Brand Deputy, We later moved to Flat 5 at Central Fire Station. Dad later became Director and retired until 1977. Unfortunately hr died in 1987. Des Wood Perth Western Australia