Sutherland House, Chater Road [1967-????]

Submitted by David on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 15:27
Current condition
Demolished / No longer exists
Date completed

Later on this site: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel

80sKid notes:

There's great photo in the toilets of the FCC showing someone looking out the window of Sutherland House at the harbour while they use the urinal. If you get a chance you should take a look.  The FCC was based in the building during the 70s.

There's a little more history on the FCC website.

And though Sutherland House was demolished long ago, it appears no-one at the Post Office noticed. Sutherland House, the Furama Hotel, and several other buildings from the past are still listed as served by the GPO in Connaught Rd.

Please can anyone help with the dates for the opening / demolition of this building?

  • Update: 80sKid found a photo dated 1967 showing the building under construction, so I've tentatively set the opening date to then.
Previous place(s) at this location
Later place(s) at this location

Photos that show this Place

Comments

Submitted by
IDJ (not verified)
on
Sun, 08/09/2009 - 00:30

There used to be a very good Jazz Club with a restaurant in the basement of this building accessed from the lane between the buildings.

this photo from the usual govt sources show sutherland house under construction. It's dated 1967. An earlier one from 1964 shows the original colonial building still extant.

it's quite a whacky angle, very sixties, and also shows the how the military base disconnected east from west victoria

http://hkclweb.hkpl.gov.hk/hkclr2/object?svc=objrtv&src=CM&itemid=AJ9N0…

 

here's a great shot of sutherland house in all its 60s glory, plus a great perspective of a familiar scene with a few changes from the present day!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24511045@N04/3078448599/sizes/l/

Sorry not sure how to embed photos here.  mtfrazier has some other good shots of HK from 1973, including an interesting one of the nearby air raid shelters covered with chinese characters. he's also got some from the 1980s

 

the place in question was called the godown.  jazz on wednesday nights, bistrot restaurant rest of the week.  it also had a back bar, popular with the youth of hk on friday and saturday nights and  where all emergency exits were very unconveniently blocked with barrels of san miguel on a 3x4 stack!  tiger, the bouncer, was a colourful figure who had a weak spot for us under-age wannabees and always waved us through.  also when digging the mtr underground, rats the size of big fat cats could be seen here both dead and alive - never fazed us!

I had listed the New Oriental Building as standing on this site. Looking at this photo:

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Sutherland would have been built where the second building from the left is. It's marked on a 1911 Map (3-4, mapping HK) as 'Jockey Club Office. Hongkong Club Annex'.

The New Oriental Building is the third building along, so now I think part of the Furama was built on that site.

The covered walkway bridge between the two building may have been the first of its kind in Hong Kong. The Telegraph Office referred to in the postcard would be the buidling behind the Annex facing the Praya.

1910s Hong Kong Club Annex