Hong Kong 1960s & 70s : Mike Cussans' photos

Submitted by David on Sun, 03/03/2013 - 12:00

Thanks to Mike Cussans for uploading over 100 of his photos of Hong Kong in the 1960s and 70s:

Central-HSBC

Over to Mike...


Growing up in Hong Kong

I was born in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong in 1949. My Dad was flying for Imperial Airways / BOAC on flying boats, and was based in Hong Kong. We lived in Stewart Terrace on the Peak.

We returned to England shortly after that, but my Dad was sent back to Hong Kong again in 1956 when Hong Kong Airways took delivery of 2 Viscount aircraft. We lived at La Salle road, a fantastic place with a huge garden, but sadly it is now a block of flats.

After HKG Airways folded into CPA 1959 my Dad took a position with Jardines Airways Dept. At the time I was at Kowloon Junior School, but was soon packed off to boarding school, probably not the best decision with hindsight! After LaSalle we moved to Cambridge Rd where we had a flat, but by the time my Dad was Manger of HATS (Hong Kong Air Terminal Services) and eventually Jardines Air cargo, we had been moved to St. George's Court... very nice too.

Kadoorie Ave...View down from St.George's Court

My Mother worked at the old Sea Terminal and eventually was PA to Eric Wood, CEO of the Ocean Terminal, a wonderful place to shop and wander round. Mum knew all the shop owners and retail outlets, and as a former ATS Captain, she had day to day control it seemed. So getting a table a Maxim's for lunch was no problem, or announcing that her son wanted to buy a Rolex in a jewellery shop - 43 years later its still on my wrist ...it cost me a month's salary £65, not bad!

By that time I had left school and was working at Kai Tak as a Traffic clerk, before becoming a Load Controller / Flight Dispatcher....a wonderful time but as a local employee it couldn't last when my parents retired in 1971.

My time was spent playing cricket and football, for both Jardines and KCC and popping into the USRC for a swim. Great memories of playing in the Hong trophy matches at Chater Rd and Jock's Pot Boxing Day football v Swire's, and all the wonderful characters & players I met at the KCC.

I grew up in Hong Kong during the 60s and will always have marvellous memories of the place... the food, buying my records in Diamond Music, learning to drive on Shatin Airstrip, and Lowenbrau at King's Lodge!

I returned to UK and worked for BOAC/British Airways as an aircraft Dispatcher for 37 years before retiring 2009.

The photos

Most of the photos in the early 60s were taken by Dad, as I was still young. The later ones in 60s & 70s I took as I was wandering around. The photos in the early 70s I took as I knew I was leaving Hong Kong soon and I wanted a few memories. Subsequent photos taken 1978 were done when I returned to Hong Kong leading a British Airways cricket club team to play various matches.

Views

A drive up Fei Ngo Shan was a popular viewing place to look towards Sha Tin & Kai Tak, and Sai Kung & Tai Mo Shan were the preferred picnic / bbq locations.

FeiNgoShan view 1964

Kowloon Tong in those days was a lovely peaceful area to live in just wish I had taken more photos!

The views towards Kowloon Tong, DBS school, and Ho Man Tin were all taken from St. George's Court, Kadoorie Ave. My bedroom looked out across to DBS, whilst the balcony gave views towards the harbour one way and Ma Tau Kok, Kai Tak the other, Ho Man Tin in front.

HoManTin-Before

HoManTin-After

More to come?

My skills with a computer / scanner are getting better but it's a steep learning curve. So far I've just done slides now I want to see if I can dig out old photographs and upload them....so there may be more to come.

Thanks for all the help and feedback that I have had from the Gwulo folks.

Best wishes, Mike


(You can click any of the photos below to see other readers' comments, and / or leave your own.)

Year Title
1957 Halloween party..KJS 1957.jpg
Halloween party..KJS 1957.jpg

1957 KJS 1957 Nov ..Lady Grantham visit.jpg
KJS 1957 Nov ..Lady Grantham visit.jpg

1957 Lady grantham at KJS 1957.jpg
Lady grantham at KJS 1957.jpg

1959 Land's end.jpg
Land's end.jpg

1959 Prince Philip at Kai Tak
Prince Philip at Kai Tak

1959 Prince Philip visits HK
Prince Philip visits HK

1960 Landslide..Kowloon Tong
Landslide..Kowloon Tong

1960 Typhoon Damage
Typhoon Damage

1960 Typhoon Mary damage
Typhoon Mary damage

1960 Typhoon Damage
Typhoon Damage

1960 Local Cowboy
Local Cowboy

1960 Governor's House..Macau
Governor's House..Macau

1960 Lovely Macau
Lovely Macau

1960 HKSB Advert
HKSB Advert

1960 Water Front...Macau
Water Front...Macau

1960 Church...Macau
Church...Macau

1960 Sun Yat Sen Statue...Macau
Sun Yat Sen Statue...Macau

1960 Esplanade...Macau
Esplanade...Macau

1960 National Chinese Flags - Tiger Balm Gardens
National Chinese Flags - Tiger Balm Gardens

1960 Approaching Macau
Approaching Macau

1961 Cape Collinson Lighthouse
Cape Collinson Lighthouse

1961 Hakka Woman...LokMaChau
Hakka Woman...LokMaChau

1961 Clearwater Bay Road
Clearwater Bay Road

1961 Stanley beach
Stanley beach

1961 KiaTak
KiaTak

1961 Waterloo road
Waterloo road

1961 Village Life
Village Life

1961 4th Kowloon Cub Pack
4th Kowloon Cub Pack

1961 North Point
North Point

1961 Beach
Beach

1961 Repulse Bay 1960s
Repulse Bay 1960s

1961 Junk in the Harbour
Junk in the Harbour

1961 MongKok Lights
MongKok Lights

1961 Causeway Bay 1960s
Causeway Bay 1960s

1961 Ride on Star Ferry
Ride on Star Ferry

1961 Luk Yuen Hotel...NT
Luk Yuen Hotel...NT

1961 Clearwater Bay Area?
Clearwater Bay Area?

1961 Dragon Inn....NT
Dragon Inn....NT

1961 Stanley
Stanley

1961 Clearwater Bay Area?
Clearwater Bay Area?

1961 La Salle Road
La Salle Road

1961 Funeral ..Kowloon Tong
Funeral ..Kowloon Tong

1961 Paddy Fields
Paddy Fields

1961 Clearwater Bay View
Clearwater Bay View

1961 The Garden at La Salle Road
The Garden at La Salle Road

1961 Small Pagoda...Peak Area
Small Pagoda...Peak Area

1961 Jubilee Resevoir
Jubilee Resevoir

1961 Miramar Restaurant Kai Tak
Miramar Restaurant Kai Tak

1961 Peak Living
Peak Living

1961 Onboard CPA DC6
Onboard CPA DC6

1961 Kai Tak Departure
Kai Tak Departure

1961 Enroute to Japan
Enroute to Japan

1961 Family Swim
Family Swim

1961 Taipan leaves HK
Taipan leaves HK

1961 Castle Peak Way
Castle Peak Way

1961 Pottinger Street
Pottinger Street

1961 Sharp Island
Sharp Island

1961 The Border Road
The Border Road

1961 Taikoo Dockyard
Taikoo Dockyard

1961 Old Cannons..TungChunFort Lantau
Old Cannons..TungChunFort Lantau

1961 Kowloon Tong..Waiting for the Bus
Kowloon Tong..Waiting for the Bus

1961 KaiTak...Towards Lion Rock
KaiTak...Towards Lion Rock

1961 Junk Building
Junk Building

1961 NT..Tree in Colour
NT..Tree in Colour

1961 Boy Scout
Boy Scout

1961 Pokfulam Reservoir
Pokfulam Reservoir

1961 Sharp Island?
Sharp Island?

1961 KamTin
KamTin

1961 Tai Pak Restaurant...Aberdeen
Tai Pak Restaurant...Aberdeen

1961 Countryside....NT
Countryside....NT

1961 Castle Peak Hotel
Castle Peak Hotel

1961 Temple 10,000 Buddhas
Temple 10,000 Buddhas

1961 Boat Painting
Boat Painting

1961 The Border 1961
The Border 1961

1961 Junk off the Coast
Junk off the Coast

1961 Park
Park

1961 Looking into China-The Border
Looking into China-The Border

1961 South China Sea
South China Sea

1961 Lok Ma Chau
Lok Ma Chau

1962 Ambassador Hotel
Ambassador Hotel

1962 Swimming pool !
Swimming pool !

1962 Lufthansa 707
Lufthansa 707

1962 Ambassador Hotel Advert
Ambassador Hotel Advert

1962 Aerial View Kai Tak
Aerial View Kai Tak

1962 Royal Air Laos DC6
Royal Air Laos DC6

1962 Waterloo Road
Waterloo Road

1962 Swimming at Castle Peak
Swimming at Castle Peak

1962 Beach
Beach

1962 TaoFungShan...Shatin
TaoFungShan...Shatin

1962 TaoFungShan
TaoFungShan

1962 The Monastry at Shatin
The Monastry at Shatin

1962 Shop Opening...Waterloo Road
Shop Opening...Waterloo Road

1963 CostPlus Advert 1963.jpg
CostPlus Advert 1963.jpg

1963 Stanley Village
Stanley Village

1963 Macau...SunYat Sen House
Macau...SunYat Sen House

1963 Junk At Sunset
Junk At Sunset

1963 Macau
Macau

1963 Tiger Balm Gardens
Tiger Balm Gardens

1963 Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour

1963 View Over Victoria
View Over Victoria

1963 Pagoda
Pagoda

1963 The Peninsula Hotel
The Peninsula Hotel

1963 Red Pagoda
Red Pagoda

1963 Sampans
Sampans

1963 City Hall
City Hall

1963 Hilton By Night
Hilton By Night

1963 Street Scene
Street Scene

1963 Shatin Floating Restaurant
Shatin Floating Restaurant

1963 HSBC Xmas Lights
HSBC Xmas Lights

1963 Eastern Hong Kong
Eastern Hong Kong

1963 Village Life
Village Life

1963 Mandarin Hotel Advert 1963.jpg
Mandarin Hotel Advert 1963.jpg

1963 Happy Valley
Happy Valley

1963 Watson's Advert 1963.jpg
Watson's Advert 1963.jpg

1963 KCR Clock Tower
KCR Clock Tower

1963 Whiteaway's Advert 1963.jpg
Whiteaway's Advert 1963.jpg

1964 Hong Kong Harbour 1964
Hong Kong Harbour 1964

1964 KaiTak Apron 1964
KaiTak Apron 1964

1964 CityHall & Mandarin Hotel
CityHall & Mandarin Hotel

1964 KaiTak Apron
KaiTak Apron

1964 FeiNgoShan view 1964
FeiNgoShan view 1964

1964 The Governor at Kai Tak
The Governor at Kai Tak

1964 US Carrier
US Carrier

1964 KaiTak from Kowloon Peak 1964
KaiTak from Kowloon Peak 1964

1965 View Towards KaiTak
View Towards KaiTak

1965 WongTaiSin
WongTaiSin

1965 New Territories-Amah Rock
New Territories-Amah Rock

1965 WongTaiSin
WongTaiSin

1965 KaiTak Runway
KaiTak Runway

1965 Looking over HK Air Copter KaiTak
Looking over HK Air Copter KaiTak

1965 Central
Central

1966 HKG departure
HKG departure

1966 HoManTin Hill-View From Kadoorie Avenue
HoManTin Hill-View From Kadoorie Avenue

1966 HoManTin-After
HoManTin-After

1966 HK WaterTours
HK WaterTours

1966 Lok Ma Chau
Lok Ma Chau

1966 View Towards Argyle Street
View Towards Argyle Street

1966 End of Clearwater Bay Road
End of Clearwater Bay Road

1966 Walking at Clearwater Bay
Walking at Clearwater Bay

1966 Sunset
Sunset

1966 Fountain at Night
Fountain at Night

1966 Star Ferry - USN Carrier 1966
Star Ferry - USN Carrier 1966

1966 Jordan Road Lights
Jordan Road Lights

1967 Wiltshire Road, Kowloon Tong 1967
Wiltshire Road, Kowloon Tong 1967

1967 Wiltshire Road, Kowloon Tong 1967
Kowloon Tong 1965

1967 NKIL 4103 & 4104
NKIL 4103 & 4104

1968 Nathan Road 1968
Nathan Road 1968

1968 Tsim-Sha-Tsui Peking Road
Tsim-Sha-Tsui  Peking Road

1968 Star Ferry-Kowloon
Star Ferry-Kowloon

1968 Cathay Convair880 KaiTak
Cathay Convair880 KaiTak

1968 KCR Clock Tower-Star Ferry
KCR Clock Tower-Star Ferry

1968 Sampan-Victoria harbour
Sampan-Victoria harbour

1968 Shek Kong Airstrip
Shek Kong Airstrip

1968 Overlooking Kowloon
Overlooking Kowloon

1968 "Model Village" in Kowloon Tong (模範村)
"Model Village" in Kowloon Tong (模範村)

1968 Ambassador Hotel 1968
Ambassador Hotel 1968

1968 Nairn House-China Light&Power
Nairn House-China Light&Power

1968 Tsim-Sha-Tsui Bristol Avenue
Tsim-Sha-Tsui  Bristol Avenue

1968 Argyle Street-CLP building
Argyle Street-CLP building

1968 Mandarin Hotel
Mandarin Hotel

1969 Kadoorie Ave...View down from St.George's Court
Kadoorie Ave...View down from St.George's Court

1969 View towards Kowloon Tong
View towards Kowloon Tong

1969 HK at Night
HK at Night

1969 Sai Kung
Sai Kung

1969 View towards Hebe Haven
View towards Hebe Haven

1969 Rickshaw-Kowloon
Rickshaw-Kowloon

1969 Island View from Kadoorie Avenue
Island View from Kadoorie Avenue

1969 Night View
Night View

1969 Lau Fau Shan Police Station
Lau Fau Shan Police Station

1969 Kowloon Tong-View to Boundary Street
Kowloon Tong-View to Boundary Street

1969 Night View towards Kaitak
Night View towards Kaitak

1969 Nathan road Lights
Nathan road Lights

1969 Star Ferry-Hong Kong Hotel
Star Ferry-Hong Kong Hotel

1969 Kowloon Canton Railway Terminal 1969
Kowloon Canton Railway Terminal 1969

1969 Night View towards Harbour
Night View towards Harbour

1969 View across Kowloon to Island
View across Kowloon to Island

1969 HKG DRIVING LICENCE.jpg
HKG DRIVING LICENCE.jpg

1960s Kowloon Tong....Waterloo road
Kowloon Tong....Waterloo road

1960s Cheung Chau-Festival
Cheung Chau-Festival

1960s Large Grave in the Kowloon Hillside
Large Grave in the Kowloon Hillside

1960s Waterloo road..Kowloon Tong
Waterloo road..Kowloon Tong

1960s Xmas Lights-HSBC
Xmas Lights-HSBC

1960s Junk...Full Sail
Junk...Full Sail

1960s Bun Festival
Bun Festival

1960s Kowloon Tsai swimming pool
Kowloon Tsai swimming pool

1960s Sunset At The Border
Sunset At The Border

1960s Nathan road Xmas Lights
Nathan road Xmas Lights

1960s Sea Terminal
Sea Terminal

1960s Argyle Street
Argyle Street

1960s TaiMoShan
TaiMoShan

1960s Lion Rock from the Sea
Lion Rock from the Sea

1960s Cemetary-Kowloon
Cemetary-Kowloon

1960s View Beyond DBS School
View Beyond DBS School

1960s Kwun Tong Resettlement
Kwun Tong Resettlement

1960s USS Coral Sea in Hong Kong
USS Coral Sea in Hong Kong

1960s Jubilee Reservoir
Jubilee Reservoir

1960s Typhoon Shelter
Typhoon Shelter

1960s Sunset across the rice fields
Sunset across the rice fields

1960s Taikoo Docks
Taikoo Docks

1960s Tiger Balm Gardens
Tiger Balm Gardens

1960s SCAA stadium
SCAA stadium

1960s Fishing Junk
Fishing Junk

1960s On Lan Street Central-Looking towards Zetland Street
On Lan Street Central-Looking towards Zetland Street

1960s Hotel In Macau
Hotel In Macau

1960s Taikoo Dock
Taikoo Dock

1960s Police Station
Police Station

1960s Sai Kung Peninsular
Sai Kung Peninsular

1960s Sek Kong
Sek Kong

1960s Inside La Salle Road Flat
Inside La Salle Road Flat

1960s Local Biker
Local Biker

1960s Ocean Terminal
Ocean Terminal

1960s Harbour
Harbour

1960s Macau..Portuguese Style Hotel
Macau..Portuguese Style Hotel

1960s Boat People-Medical centre
Boat People-Medical centre

1960s New Territories
New Territories

1960s Castle Walls KamTin
Castle Walls KamTin

1960s Lion Rock
Lion Rock

1960s Macau Hydrofoil
Macau Hydrofoil

1960s Sai Kung
Sai Kung

1960s Fishing Fleet
Fishing Fleet

1960s Aberdeen
Aberdeen

1960s Shatin Valley
Shatin Valley

1960s Tiger Balm Gardens
Tiger Balm Gardens

1960s RAF KaiTak
RAF KaiTak

1960s Royal Boat at KaiTak
Royal Boat at KaiTak

1960s Bank of China
Bank of China

1960s Cheung Chau-Festival
Cheung Chau-Festival

1960s Sunset
Sunset

1960s Fishing Boat
Fishing Boat

1960s Kowloon Tong 1965 (flipped)
Kowloon Tong 1965 (flipped)

1960s Shatin
Shatin

1960s Junk-Causeway Bay Shelter
Junk-Causeway Bay Shelter

1960s Shatin Pagoda
Shatin Pagoda

1960s KaiTak Viewing balcony
KaiTak Viewing balcony

1960s Central-HSBC
Central-HSBC

1960s Harbour
Harbour

1960s View to the Harbour
View to the Harbour

1960s Tao Fung Shan Christian Centre
Tao Fung Shan Christian Centre

1960s SanPoKong
SanPoKong

1960s ShingMunRedoubt
ShingMunRedoubt

1960s Resettlement Block
Resettlement Block

1960s View of Kowloon City
View of Kowloon City

1960s Coral Sea
Coral Sea

1960s Water stream ...NT
Water stream ...NT

1960s LaSalle Road
LaSalle Road

1960s Sai Kung?
Sai Kung?

1960s Hillside Grave
Hillside Grave

1960s Old Man....Lok ma chau
Old Man....Lok ma chau

1960s Family gathering-LokMaChau
Family gathering-LokMaChau

1960s Resettlement Block 60's
Resettlement Block 60's

1960s View Across Kowloon from Kadoorie Ave
View Across Kowloon from Kadoorie Ave

1960s Onboard USS Constellation
Onboard Coral Sea

1960s Market Place
Market Place

1960s Waterfall
Waterfall

1960s Flat at La Salle Road
Flat at La Salle Road

1960s TaiLamChung
TaiLamChung

1960s Law Courts?
Law Courts?

1960s The Family group
The Family group

1960s SaiKung
SaiKung

1960s View From Ocean Terminal
View From Ocean Terminal

1960s Resettlement Housing
Resettlement Housing

1960s More Buns
More Buns

1960s Bride's Pool...NT
Bride's Pool...NT

1960s Living in Kowloon Tong
Living in Kowloon Tong

1960s Tao Fung Shan Christian Centre
Tao Fung Shan Christian Centre

1960s View From Peak Station
View From Peak Station

1960s DBS Sports Field-Stonecutters Beyond
DBS Sports Field-Stonecutters Beyond

1960s Shatin Valley
Shatin Valley

1960s Shatin Pagoda
Shatin Pagoda

1960s Roof of Ocean Terminal
Roof of Ocean Terminal

1960s Jordan Road
Jordan Road

1960s View of 27LaSalle Road
View of 27LaSalle Road

1960s Peak Tram
Peak Tram

1960s DBS School
DBS School

1960s Resettlement Housing
Resettlement Housing

1960s Jordan Road Lights
Jordan Road Lights

1960s Kwun Tong?
Kwun Tong?

1960s P&O Chusan
P&O Chusan

1960s Lantau Island
Lantau Island

1960s Kowloon City&KaiTak
Kowloon City&KaiTak

1960s Shelter Island
Sharp Island

1960s Iron Gate...KamTin
Iron Gate...KamTin

1960s Nathan Road Lights
Nathan Road Lights

1960s View Towards Stonecutters
View Towards Stonecutters

1960s Murray Building near Peak Tram
Murray Building near Peak Tram

1960s Rickshaw Pullers
Rickshaw Pullers

1960s Central at Night
Central at Night

1960s View towards Hebe Haven
View towards Hebe Haven

1960s Tau Fung Shan...Shatin
Tau Fung Shan...Shatin

1960s Hennessy road Lights
Hennessy road Lights

1960s Dusk-Looking towards DBS school
Dusk-Looking towards DBS school

1960s HoManTin-Before
HoManTin-Before

1960s Repulse Bay Hotel
Repulse Bay Hotel

1960s Fountain Roundabout KCR
Fountain Roundabout KCR

1960s Bun Festival
Bun Festival

1971 Chinese NewYear 1971
Chinese NewYear 1971

1978 Sha Ha...Near SaiKung
Sha Ha...Near SaiKung

1970s New Year 1970
New Year 1970

1970s ShuiHing Store
ShuiHing Store

Thanks again to Mike for showing us his photos. If you have any photos of old Hong Kong you'd like to share on Gwulo.com, please click here for details of how to upload them: http://gwulo.com/node/2076

Comments

Great photos Mike - thanks for sharing.  They bring back lots of memories.  I lived there during the 50's and 60's and have lots of photos as well, but yours are in great condition.  Like you I went to KJS and then Peak school and finally was sent to boarding school in the UK - life was different then!

By the way, I think the last photo was in Tai Po area - I remember a house like that which had ghost stories galore!  I still have all the articles relating to the visits by various ghosts and I think a book was written about it.

Thanks for the great photos and memories,especially those of Kowloon Tong.  I grew up in Kowloon Tong in the 50's. We lived at 227 Prince Edward Road after the war, then moved to 5 La Salle Road.  the photos of the street taken fromKadoorie Ave is so familiar.  Our house on PE Road had a beautiful front and back garden.  The street was wide and many Macanese families lived in the neighborhood.  Went to Maryknoll Convent School, then worked for BOAC both in Hong Kong and London - guess we never met as your Hong Kong stay just missed mine,  Most British kids we knew went to KGV.  Thanks again.

 

An amazing collection of old photos of Hong Kong especially for the Ho Man Tin and Kowloon Tong areas.

More thanks from me too.  Wonderful photographs,  a bit after my husband's time in HK but so interesting nevertheless.  Sad to see how sky scrapers now obscure the lovely views though.

Regards,  Pauline.

Many thanks Mike for taking the time and trouble to upload these photos. Fantastic. I also lived in Kowloon Tong - La Salle Road - during that period, a lasting memory being the jets coming in to land so close overhead. We soon recognised the distant sounds and learned to stop talking about about 20 seconds before the plane actually arrived above !  A neighbour was a Cathay training captain and I mentioned to him the noise of Cathay Pacific's early morning  training flights - predictably at 7.00am when the overnight noise restrictions were lifted. He invited me aboard an early morning traing flight - 'Stalls and Bumps' he called it. The 'stall' was acheived by slowing until the plane stalled - dropped like a stone for a few thousand feet, it seemed - before powering into a steep climb. The 'bump' was by a controlled 'touch down' berfore powering into another steep climb.  Repeated, again and again. The secret, he told me, was not to actually touch down because the resulting puff of blue smoke would trigger a 'landing charge' ! All this in a Convair 880 with just my neighbour, the trainee and a qualified standby pilot fast asleep in First Class.  I didn't complain about the early morning noise ever again.

Thanks again.

Harry.

Yes, Mike, I recognised No.27 having driven past it many times ! I have a feeling that a colleague moved into 27 probably some time after you left. Paid a nostalgic visit to HK and  La Salle Road in February this year over the CNY. Very few, if any, of the older buildings remain with the developers having taken  advantage of the relaxed height restrictions. By building over the garden, there are now three blocks shoe-horned into my old address at 51/53,  parking meters all along La Salle, recognised bus stops and  regular mini-bus route. Quieter in the air above, perhaps, but much busier than what we remember trafficwise. 

Best regards, Aye -

Harry.

Mike

Great photos and thanks for all the memories. Maybe we were at the Kowloon Junk Shop at the same time.

We moved to HK in 1958 from Perth in West Australia, travelling on the Blue Funnel Line "Gorgon" to Singapore and then on a Cathay DC4 to HK. Dad stayed in HK flying for Cathay until 1978 and during that time I went to KJS and KGV although I left in 2nd form to go to boarding school. Many wonderful times spent at the USRC (where I am still a member...although absent most of the time).

Worked in HK, Korea dn Japan for the past 35 years and now retired but never fail to feel a bit nostalgic when I see some old photos. There is one someone sent me of a start of the cross harbour swim...and there I am...my ears have never recovered!

My very best.

 

Geoff Walker

gkwaler1@me.com

Hi Geoff -

Your Dad would most likely know the Cathay captain I referred to in my previous post - he was flying with Cathay about the same time - Ray Daw ? And his children - Warwick, Rodney and Bromwyn were at Kowloon Junior and KGV about the same time as you.

Lifetime membership of the USRC was money well-spent smileyYou will no doubt remember club manager  Dion Matthews, with his pipe and carrying an ever-present half-pint of warm San Mig.

Harry.

Hello Mike ,

 I was more than a bit shocked to recognize the photos of 27 La Salle Road. I lived there from 67 to 69.  I was told it was built by a man with both a wife and a mistress. It was a split unit with an upstairs and down. We lived in the upstairs unit. I recall it as being very large. I used run along the top of the wall that went to the gate . I cannot tell you how errie and yet delightful it was to see the pictures of it. Should this find it's way to you, I would dearly love to speak with you about the place at some point.  Gary           calypso164@gmail.com

After hiking to Lion Rock from Kowloon Tong, I would tour Amah Rock (my 1950s days) before heading to Shatin station. The photo here taken from a Shatin farm reminds me of the moment I turned around, while in that general vicinity, to see Amah Rock one more time.  The memory of that hillside landscape is coming back.  Thank you Mr. Cussans.

Hi! Greetings from Hong Kong! I enjoy the pics you shared a lot! Espeically those taken in Kowloon Tong. I am a teaching staff in Urban Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Me and my students are now working on a public exhibition about Kowloon Tong Garden City, hoping to bring all the old memories back to community. Do you mind if we use some of the pics you posted here for public exhibition? Do you have more pictures? And do you mind if I contact you diectly (my email address is: kwhelenip@cuhk.edu.hk)? Many thanks! I am looking forward hearing from you!

Best regards,
Helen 

Hi, I read your comment re Mike photos of old HK. Since you wrote "Most British kids we knew went to KGV" I wonder if you know of Malcolm Foster and his family living in Stonecutter Island. He graduated from HKU in 1965.

Classmates of his would like to know where he is and how he is doing. I am posting this hoping someone knows him.

Thanks for the comments re the photos glad you enjoyed the memories.

I played as goalkeeper in the annual Cup game against Swire's...dont think we every lost during my time there!

Also played cricket for Jardine's in the Hung Trophy matches...HSBC/Dodwell's/Swire's.

My Chinese New Year bonus seemed to be directly linked to my sporting achievements not the job at Kai Tak!

Mike Cussans

Prior to moving to  Stewart Terrace in 1969, we lived a few months at 20 Mount Austin Road, up in the clouds.  Do you have any photos of that old building. I think soon after, it was demolished and replaced with a block of Apartments. 

The views from that building over the harbour were fantastic.

Pete Piriou. 

Harry

Yes indeed. I think Ray is still on deck and living in Sydney somewhere. His son Warwick was flying with Virgin I understand.

Dion Mathews...yes also. I think the San Mig may have got him in the end!

Geoff

 

Mike

I loved the photos. I lived in HK from 1962-1966. I was 12 to 16 years old. We lived at first at the old Gloucester Hotel, then at the Peninsula Hotel, then to a couple flats at St. George's Court and finally at Chan Gardens on Argyle Rd, right behind KGV where I attended from 1st through 4th forms. I LOVED HK and want to someday go back to visit...haven't been there since we moved to California in 1966. Thanks for the pics. They brought back some wonderful memories. 

Rick Severn

My Dad's office was in Windsor House two doors down on Des Voeux Rd. (Dairy Lane on the ground floor) Then came Lane Crawford and then what I remember as the gloomy Gloucester Arcade. Where was the hotel entrance?  Do you remember the ground floor being gloomy ?

We moved from suburban Seattle straight to the Gloucester Hotel, completely out of our element. We walked past lepers huddled in doorways on the way to the hotel. Not something you see in suburban Seattle. Everything seemed gloomy at the time, hot and steamy and kind of smelly. But looking back our stay there was wonderful...I think it was only a couple months. Our room was indeed gloomy, but we as kids found a way to have fun. There was a real live elevator operator who became our friend and we joked around with him every day. Also, the Saddle and Sirloin was a great restaurant to dine at. I still remember regularly ordering Scottish smoked trout with a crab-meat cocktail as an appetizer. Not many 12 year old boys had that kind of privilege. I would love to see pictures of the entire hotel inside and out, but sadly, they probably don't exist, only in my memory.

Mike,

Thanks for sharing these great photos. I  was looking for photos of the old China Fleet Club and came accross the photo of an aircraft carrier, the first one from the top, entitled Coral Sea. Further down you do have a photo of the actual Coral Sea, however the first photo is probably U.S.S. Ranger a larger class carrier than the Coral Sea. I served for three years aboard Coral Sea (1967-1970) and was probably aboard when the photo's were taken. Hong Kong has changed so much in the past 49 years, it is hardly recognizable any more to those of us who were there in the 60's.

 

Thanks for the identification of the aircraft carrier.I recall the Navy had an open-day onboard the Coral Sea,and my

Dad took me along to visit the carrier.During the 60s we had so many US Navy ships in the harbour as the Vietnam war

was at it's worst,and HK was an R&R centre for the military.

I Mike, great photos-I moved to HK in September 1968 as my father took up a flight engineer job with Cathay Pacific-We lived in the Fortuna Hotel for the first six weeks we were there, before Cathay found us a flat in Kadoorie Ave, but in 1969 we moved to Tailoo villas (if you could call them villas they were just flats!} with a view directly across to Whisky beach-fantastic! In 1974 Mum and Dad bit the bullet and decided to build their own house which was kind of unheard of back then, especially amongst the cathay fraternity, but they went ahead and the house was completed in Tai Hang Hau, almost at the end of clearwater bay road in July 1975. I attended St Katherines kindergarten, not far from Kadoorie ave, and then Beacon Hill school in Kowloon Tong, until September 1976 when I too came back to Sydney for Boarding School, until my father retired from flying in 1983 and I finished school and we left Honkers-very very sad to leave as I had a wonderful childhood growing up there and miss it still today, although it is vastly different to era I was there-Wouldn't trade it for the world!! What a life experience. Will try to get some old photos on here

Enjoyed looking at your photographs Mike, they brought back many memories of places when I lived in Hong Kong.  I imagine that our paths must have crossed now and again as I was born in Hong Kong in 1948, went to Kowloon Junior School (before boarding the Lollipop Specials for the trips to school in England) and my father was Airport Commandant at Kai Tak until his retirement in 1962.  I will try and dig out some photographs in the not too distant future.

Clive....so glad you enjoyed looking at the photos,they were great days to be living there.

Hope you have some photos to bring to Gwulo,look forward to seeing them.

When your Dad left,Fred Lillywhite must have taken over from him,if I'm right.I worked with his son,

Tim Lillywhite in Jardines Airways Dept.

Regards Mike

Hello, I especially enjoyed the photo from St George's looking down Kadoorie Ave. We briefly lived in the first floor flat in 1964, moving up to the 3rd floor for the remaining 2 yrs we lived in Hong Kong. My brothers' shortcut to the parking garage underneath the flats was to drop off the edge of the ledge. I tried it once.

My brothers and I loved sitting in the Pan Am Clipper Club at the Kai Tak, and we were on one of Boeing's first fleet of 747's out of Hong Kong. We loved the Peninsula Hotel, the chicken curry at the Embassador, the Kowloon ferry, the Ocean Terminal, and Repulse Bay. We especially loved jumping off junks or friends' yachts into small bays when no jelly fish were present. We were guests on Mr Kadoorie's yacht once, and we appreciated that the Peninsula had catered the event. I bought my first Swiss watch at the Peninsula jewelry shop for US $12.

My dad took us for drives in the mountains in his black Jaguar with spoke wheels, which he kept immaculate despite having the contents of someone's lunch chucked out a window now and then. I was a Brownie at KJS, learned the violin there, went on a fieldtrip to Macau, and jumped rope longer than all my friends. The warm milk for snack was not as good as the huameis from the vendor after school. My memories of KJS are my fondest childhood memories of school.

Mike's photos brought a wealth of joyful memories back. Thank you for the experience of seeing Hong Kong once again as I knew it!

Small world, I too went aboard for the Coral sea open day in the 1960s. It partially led to a life in Aviation!

Hello M Johnson

I lived at Saint George's Court also in 1964. We lived in a couple different flats there. I had a friend down the hill on Kadoorie Avenue, named John Shoemaker. We went to see the Beatles together at the old Princess Theater. My friend Eric Mache and I used to go to movies at all the different theaters in town too. And my mom also used to take us to the Princess regularly. We'd have lunch at the Golden Phoenix. I remember we could select the seats we wanted at the theater and that the popcorn was sweet, not like it is here in the States. Those really were magical times snd I don't think anyone except people who lived in HK at that time could appreciate what a great time it was to live there. 

I went to KGV and absolutely loved it there. We ended up renting a flat after we left St. George's at a place called Chan Gardens right behind KGV. When we first moved to HK we lived at the old Gloucester Hotel. I was a kid but I really wish I had taken a lot of pictures there. Who thought about those things as a kid? Not me anyway. So thanks, Mike, for the pictures you've posted. Pictures of a time and place never to be duplicated.

Rick Severn

Mike-

So you knew Tim? - We were at KGV together. Do you know his whereabouts now?? - Would love to send him a G'day message. I was in HKG from 1946- 63- Did the Old Peak School / New Peak School / KGV trek and then came to Australia,, where I've been eve since.

 

Regards

 

Joe Meredith (lived in Magazine Gap, whilst in HKG)

 

Joe.....hope you enjoyed the photos of old HK when you lived there.

I'm afraid I can't really help regarding Tim,I believe he lives in the UK,I think it would be near Gatwick airport.

Thanks for the great photos!  I lived in HK from 1959 to 1962.  My family spent Christmas of 1959 at the Gloucester Hotel where we lived until moving to Burnside Estates in Repulse Bay.  I went to the Peak School while my older brother went to KGV.  I have many happy memories of the Repulse Bay Hotel, the "Castle", going to the beach on Sundays at Stanley Prison, shopping at Lane Crawford, definitely some of the most exciting and happy days of my childhood!

Curious where that ghost house was? The most famous one be a storm drain. A bunch of young children brought by their teacher went there on a wknd picnic. When it rained these kids thought to hide under the storm drain under a bridge. Sadly the rain was very heavy washed all the kids down to sea. Sadly none had survived. That was circa 54? A few yrs before I was born. There after the section of taipo hwy became very haunted. Bus and mini bus will get people waiting for them or flagging them. Only stopped for empty air! And if u are into ghost stories hk has no shortage of them. God bless and Cheers.

I went on several of those training flights as I was stationed at RAF Kai Tak in the early sixties.I was there in 1962 when Typhoon Wanda struck HK.An oil tanker was thrown on top of the runway.Five of my RAF friends were killed on High Island and I was a pall bearer for an australian friend.I worked at a radar station on Mount Taimoshan.

Hi Mike,

I've just joined the site. Thank you so much for the photos. When we got the internet i looked up HongKong but nothing looked like i remembered it. Lived in Kowloon from 1954 (i was 9 months old)-57 and then HongKong 57-63. I am amazed how many people remember street names etc. perhaps that depends on time spent there and age. We moved to Australia before the riots and after the 'fabulosity' of HongKong Oz was a severe disappointment. Perhaps if we'd lived in Sydney but my father wanted us to be safe so it was a small suburb in the Blue Mountains. Boring. We children had a lot of freedom in HongKong to explore by ourselves and then, my mother was an adventurous woman who took us pretty much everywhere.

Hi Mike,

I lived right behind you at 14 Oxford Road in 1964 as a 13 year old, we would have shared the alley!  I wished we had met, it was a little lonely there.  We could have yelled across our rooftops.  Thank you for all the wonderful pictures, it certainly summed up my time and memories there.  We also lived in Clearwater Bay for a while and I enjoyed your pictuires of that isolated area.  I had to take the jitney from Kowloon City to get to and from KGV.  I went back last May for a long visit and stayed at the Salisbury Y.  All changed of course but enough the same to evoke the nostalgia I feel for my time there 1964 - 70.

Your fellow Hong Konger,

Scott Glenn

Scott....glad you enjoyed the pictures of that era,just wish I had more to upload!

Kowloon Tong was a lovely residential area in those days...you must have good memories.

Mike

Thanks for the great photos, Mike.  I lived in Hong Kong in the 70s, so after the time of most photos but was delighted to see a lot of familiar places, especially Repluse Bay Hotel and Tiger Balm Gardens.  I lived in an actual house with a balcony in Broadwood Road, Hong Kong side, and then in Tantallon Terrace in Hung Hom Docks (sadly neither there now).  Best wishes, Margaret

Kudos to Mike Cussans for sharing such a marvelous collection of pictures. Prince Edward Rd, Kadoorie Ave, La Salle Rd...all sound so familiar. I lived on Waterloo Rd and attended La Salle. Do you happen to know Marilyn, a Portuguese who used to live on Ho Man Tin St attended Maryknoll?

regards,

David