1945 Map of Hong Kong & Kowloon

The newest map on Gwulo shows Hong Kong and Kowloon in 1945. (Click to view the map as an overlay).

I noticed three curiosities on the map:

#1 Which year exactly?

Ideally, a map shows a snapshot of how an area looked on a certain date. But with this map, the date changes according to where you look:

• 1929: Morrison Hill has the text "in course of demolition 1929" (show me). The remains of the hill were still being quarried away in 1945, but it's a sign that some parts of the map were much older than 1945.
• 1945: On the other hand, the oil tanks at the junction of Canton Road and Jordan Road are labeled "Destroyed Oil Tanks" (show me). That's right up to date, as the oil tanks were destroyed during the Second World War.
• But not all 1945: Not all the wartime damage is shown. eg the key has an entry, "VIII. Queen's College, Aberdeen Street", and the corresponding label on the map (show me). But in 1945 the building was just a ruin, as it was also one of the buildings destroyed during the war.

The text at the bottom-left corner of the map explains the differences. It notes the map is the "3rd. Edition 1945" (show me), but that it was originally published by the War Office in 1930, and revised by the Survey Office of the Public Works Department in 1931.

So the bulk of the map reflects Hong Kong around 1930, but with ongoing updates to reflect how Hong Kong looked when the British administration returned in 1945.

#2 Map contours

Hong Kong's buildings are so tall and so densely packed it is difficult to get a feel for the shape of the land beneath them. This map can help, as it shows the land's contours, even in the built-up areas.

For example, there's a series of U-shaped contours across the hillside between High Street and First Street (show me), telling us this was originally a shallow valley running downhill between two ridges. If you go back a further 100 years to the 1845 map you can follow the streams all the way down to the shore (show me). By 1945, the streams in that High Street / First Street area have disappeared (show me), running in pipes underground. There's still a sign of them further uphill though. Three blue lines are shown running downhill to Park Road, which must be where they go into the pipes.

#3 Map Key

The map has a key, listing all the numbered buildings shown on the map (show me). I wonder if this was also shown on the earlier copies of the map, or if it was a 1945 addition? I'm guessing it was a 1945 addition, to help the large influx of armed forces and civil servants who had recently arrived in Hong Kong.

Most of the pre-war British administration had spent the previous 3 years and 8 months either as Prisoners or War, or interned in Stanley Camp. Those who survived til the liberation in August 1945 were in poor health, and were sent overseas to recuperate. As their replacements were new to Hong Kong, the key would have been a good addition to help them find their way around.

Here is the full key, with each building linked to its page on Gwulo. Click a building's link to see any photos / additional information we have for it.

VICTORIA

• 1. Tai Ping Theatre, Queen’s Road West.
• 2. Sai Ying Poon, Government Vernacular School, Pokfulam Road.
• 2A. Hong Kong University Hostels.
• 3. Arthur Woo Nursing Home, 23-25 Babington Path.
• 4. Ellis Kadoorie School, Hospital Road.
• 5. Tung Wah Hospital, Po Yan Street.
• 6. Alice Memorial and Affiliated Hospitals, Bonham Road.
• 7. Western Market, Morrison Street.
• 8. Central Cinema, 334 Queen’s Road Central. (possibly the same building as the one we have listed as Central Theatre / 中央戲院 [1930-1971])
• 9. Chinese Y.M.C.A., 50-71 Bridges Street.
• 10. Belilios Public School for Girls, Hollywood Road.
• 11. Italian Convent, 38 Caine Road.
• 12. Mosque, Mosque Street.
• 13. P. & O. Building, 13 Connaught Road Central.
• 14. Queen’s Theatre (cinema), Queen’s Road Central.
• 15. China Building, 31 Queen’s Road Central.
• 16. Gloucester Building, Des Voeux Road Central. / Hong Kong Hotel, Pedder Street.
• 17. St. Francis Hotel, 13A Queen’s Road Central.
• 18. Marina House, 15 Queen’s Road Central. / Exchange Building, 16 Des Voeux Road Central.
• 19. King’s Theatre (cinema), 34 Queen’s Road Central.
• 20. Shell House, 28 Queen’s Road Central.
• 21. Bank of China, 4 Queen’s Road Central.
• 22. National City Bank of New York, 2 Queen’s Road Central.
• 23. Holland House, 9 Queen’s Road Central. / Mercantile Bank of India, 7 Queen’s Road Central. / Banque de I’lndo Chine (French Bank), 5 Queen’s Road Central.
• 24. Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, 3 Queen’s Road Central. / Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, 1, Queen’s Road Central.
• 25. Union Building, Pedder Street. / King’s Building, 11 Connaught Road Central. / York Building, Chater Road. / St. George’s Building, Ice House Street.
• 26. Alexandra Building, junction of Chater Road and Des Voeux Road Central.
• 27. Queen’s Building, 4-5 Connaught Road Central.
• 28. Prince’s Building, 1-3 Des Voeux Road Central.
• 29. Hong Kong Club, 4 Connaught Road Central.
• 30. Telegraph Offices, 3 Connaught Road Central.
• 31. Butterfield & Swire, 1 Connaught Road Central.
• 32. Helena May Institute, Garden Road,
• 33. St. Joseph’s College, Kennedy Road.
• 34. St. Paul’s College (Girls), Macdonnell Road.
• 35. Headquarters House, Queen’s Road (opposite Royal NavalYard).
• 36. China Fleet Club, Gloucester Road.
• 37. Waterworks Office, Lockhart Road (in Public Works Department).
• 38. Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Home, 22 Hennessy Road, Wanchai. ((The red marker on the linked page shows the correct location of the Home, at 22 Hennessy Road. The label '38' on the 1945 map is mis-located, as it shows the location of the Chinese Methodist Church building.))
• 38A. St. Francis Hospital, 18 St. Francis Street.
• 39. Luk Kwok Hotel, Gloucester Road.
• 39A. Grand Theatre (cinema), Queen’s Road East.
• 40. Oriental Theatre (cinema), Flemming Road (sic.), Wanchai.
• 41. Wanchai Market, junction of Queen’s Road East and Wanchai Road.
• 42. Wanchai Government School, Queen’s Road East.
• 43. Hong Kong Jockey Club, Exchange Building, 16 Des Voeux Road Central. ((Ignore the text "Exchange Building, 16 Des Voeux Road Central." Whoever prepared the key mistakenly duplicated this text from item 18 above.))
• 44. Hong Kong Sanitorium and Hospital.
• 45. Hong Kong Tramways, junction of Canal Road East and Russell Street, Bowrington.
• 46. French Convent, Wong Nei Chong Road.
• 47. Hong Kong Dairy Farm Ice Plant, Great George Street, Causeway Bay.
• 48. French Hospital (St. Paul’s), Eastern Hospital Road, Soo Kun Poo.
• 49. Belilios Reformatory, Eastern Hospital Road, Soo Kun Poo.
• 50. Ellis Kadoorie Indian School, Eastern Hospital Road, Soo Kun Poo.
• 51. Tung Wah Eastern Hospital, Eastern Hospital Road, Soo Kun Poo.
• 52. China Motor Bus Co. Ltd., 137-9 Electric Road, Causeway Bay.
• 53. Hong Kong Electric Co. Ltd. (works), North Point.
• I. Cattle Market, North Street, Belcher Bay.
• II. Hong Kong University, Pokfulam and Bonham Roads.
• III. Sai Ying Poon Police Station, Queen’s Road West.
• IV. King’s College, Bonham Road.
• V. Old Civil Hospital, Hospital Road.
• VI. Lunatic Asylum, Eastern Street.
• VII. Harbour Office, Connaught Road Central.
• VIII. Queen’s College, Aberdeen Street.
• IX. Central Fire Station, Connaught Road Central.
• X. Central Market, Des Voeux Road Central.
• XI. Central Police Station, 3 Hollywood Road.
• XII. General Post Office, Pedder Street.
• XIII. Government House, Albert Road.
• XIV. Supreme Court, Des Voeux Road.
• XV. Government Offices, between Queen’s Road Central and Albert Road.
• XVI. Murray Barracks, Queen’s Road and Garden Road.
• XVII. Wellington Barracks, Royal Naval Yard.
• XVIII. Victoria Barracks, Queen’s Road (near Royal Naval Yard).
• XIX. Military Hospital, Bowen Road.
• XX. Wanchai Police and Fire Station, Gloucester Road.
• XXI. Royal Naval Hospital, Queen’s Road East.

• 1-17. Not shown.
• 18. King’s Park hutments, Gascoigne Road.
• 19. Alhambra Theatre (cinema), Nathan Road.
• 20. Po Hing Theatre (cinema), junction of Nathan Road and Gascoigne Road.
• 21. Magistracy, Gascoigne Road, King’s Park.
• 22. Majestic Theatre (cinema), and Palace Hotel, Nathan Road.
• 23. Diocesan Girls’ School, junction of Gascoigne Road and Jordan Road.
• 24. Railway repair shops, Chatham Road.
• 25. ZBW Broadcasting Station, junction of Chatham Road and Gascoigne Road.
• 26. Wallace Harper Garage, 223 Nathan Road.
• 27. Gun Club Hill Barracks, Chatham Road (between Austin and Gascoigne Roads).
• 28. Whitfield Barracks, Nathan Road (between Austin and Haiphong Roads).
• 30. Maryknoll Convent School, junction of Austin Road and Kimberley Road. / St. Mary’s School, 162 Austin Road.
• 31. Star Theatre (cinema), 17 Hankow Road.
• 32. Kowloon Hotel, Hankow Road.
• 33. Far East Motors Garage, 26 Nathan Road.
• 34. Water Police Station, Salisbury Road.
• 35. Peninsula Hotel, Salisbury Road.
• 36. European Y.M.C.A., Salisbury Road.
• 37. Fire Station, Salisbury Road.
• 38. Post Office, Salisbury Road.
• 39. Railway Station, Kowloon Point.

Getting the most out of the map

There's lots you can do with this map: eg zoom in to see more detail, hide the markers, make it transparent to see the modern map underneath it, and more. To learn how, please watch the short video tutorial.

Source of this map

The original copy of this map is held at the National Library of Australia (NLA). They provide details of the map (their ID: 3033521), an online viewer, the ability to download medium-resolution JPG or high-resolution TIFF copies, and confirmation that the map is out of copyright. It would be great to see Hong Kong government's map collections offer the same facilities.

Thanks to Howard Wilson for reminding me of the NLA's collection, and pointing me towards this map.

New on Gwulo this week... Gwulo book update I've paid my deposit, and handed over a USB memory stick with copies of all the text and images. The next step is to see what page layout & cover design the designer can conjure up. I'm not looking for anything very fancy, just something that is clear to read and attractive to look at. People: Remembering Mr Seed, teacher at DBS Can you identify anyone in this c.1949 SCMP staff photo? Gordon would like to hear any news of Cedric Salter, K. Bretling, Sandy Wigram,​ ​​Lew ​H.L. Mose,​ and Ian Robertson. They were all pilots in the HKAAF with Gordon in the 1950s. Dorothy WILSON (née PERKINS) [c.1913-????] was interned at Stanley Camp in WW2. Did she work at the Observatory pre-war? Places:​ Rikki's Restaurant [????-????], a Russian restaurant in TST Aberdeen Lower Reservoir [1890- ] built to supply water to a paper mill Do you remember the toy shops along Nathan Road between Kordan & Austin Roads: Eastern Model Airplane Co., National Toy Co., Union Toys Co., etc. Remembering Dills Corner Camp ​Readers' questions: There are ruins of housing on hillsides by WanChai Gap Rd./Green Trail. Who lived there and when were they cleared? Answers to previous questions: Remember the old rusty iron water tank at HKU? Moddsey has found a photo of a tank with the same design at the Peak in the late 1800s. Views inside the old GPO building on Connaught Road. If you can leave a comment with any more information about these, it will be gratefully received. Some of the new photos added this week:         Click to see all recently added photos.