Mid-Levels 1945

Klaus
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 23:11
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Mid-Levels 1945

Uploaded from "University of Bristol - Historical Photographs of China",  reference number: RB-t0871 Uploaded with kind permission by the University of Bristol.

Notes

Photograph by Air Vice-Marshal A.L. Fiddament, taken during a round the world fact finding trip.  Caption in Fiddament's notebook: "Hong Kong - Bay (from W.A.D. Brook's Air House) 26/11/45".  Air Commodore W.A.D. Brook, AOC, RAF Hong Kong.  NB sunk ship.

Most likely, the photo was taken from the house built on IL1874 at the bottom of Hatton Road (see map). Henry Ching suggested this house was at 1, Po Shan Road.

The photo shows Kotewall Road near the junction with Conduit Road.

 

Date picture taken
26 Nov 1945
Tags
mid levels
shipwreck
Kotewall Road
Conduit Road
Author(s)
Arthur Fiddament
Gallery
1940s Hong Kong
Shows place(s)
Mount Richmond / Dethick [c.1895-????]
Westley/Largo [c.1895-????]
Arthur Woo Nursing Home / Babington Hospital and Sanatorium [????-????]

Comments

I think one may be looking at the western end of Conduit Road with Kotewall Road below. I guess the University Halls are below. Hop Yat Church in the centre.

The 1911 PWD Report states that a hostel for students attending the University on I. L. 1874 under the control of the London Missionary Society was in progress.  Further information here on Morrison Hall.

HKGRO gives the Inland Lot No. 2422 for Hatton House.

Greetings, my Chinese is rusty especially with the third word, the  four words in Cantonese sound like ma-lai-suin tong (hall), good enough to fit Morrison.  Regards,  Peter

Henry Ching spent several years in Morrison Hall as a student, and says the photographer was in the building next door, which we have a page for as 1, Po Shan Road. Henry writes:

There is a photo on Gwulo submitted by IDJ and titled “Kotewall Road – 1961”:

Kotewall Road-1961

In the centre of the photo is Morrison Hall, identified by the tower over the main entrance.  Immediately left in the photo is the Hall’s sports field, backed at the further end by a very high retaining wall.  I think #1, Po Shan Road is the large house atop the retaining wall.  There is no space for another building before you get to 55 Conduit Road. 
 
The AOC (Air Officer Commanding) I think occupied the house in the early 1950s, before moving to Repulse Bay Road to the Spanish style house opposite the Ridge. From there I think he moved to Deep Water Bay Road.  

Hi There,

I remember in the last days of the Hall, it would be devided into time slots and rented out to 3rd party organizations or individuals during summer vacation.  I was in a few of these events while the Scouts Association rented slots for training\extra-curricular activities.  That was in the Mid 1970's.

I wonder when did the Hall turn the playground into a swimming pool.

T

This picture brings many fond memories. The 2-story mansion in the center of this photo was rented out in 1946 as a boarding school named “Chung Wah Middle School” (中華中學) until it was demolished in the late sixties. Since the main entrance to this mansion was from Robinson Road, it has the address #123 Robinson Road. After the boarding school was closed, the estate was sold to a real estate developer and 4 high rises (only 12 stories) were erected, 2 were named Belmont Court with the new address #10 Kotewall Road and 2 were named Alpine Court with the new address # 12 Kotewall Road.  The change in the address from Robinson Road to Kotewall Road is because the main entrance to these new high rises is from Kotewall Road now. After almost 50 years, Belmont Court and Alpine Court are still there.  In the mid-sixties, my family lived in 96 Robinson Road which is right across the street from this mansion, and in the late sixties, my family moved to Belmont Court. How time flies, that was 50 years ago……