in the photograph is still there today. I think it is this one, a Norfolk Island Pine that is over 100 years old. It did well to pass through the second world war unscathed, as that was a time of severe deforestation for Hong Kong.
I've been sent several photos of the Botanical Gardens in the 1890s, 1890s again, 1910s, 1930s, and 1950s. There are pines in each of the photos, and even in the 1890s photos some are already very tall.
Bruce Daldrack's article suggests the Norfolk Island Pine arrived after the second world war, but it looks as though it was well established in Hong Kong for many years before that.
We've been sent a couple of old photos of the Botanical Gardens. They don't have a date, but I guess they were taken in the 1950s.
The surprise to me is how open the scenery is. Today it's a lot more closed in, with trees and aviaries covering the hillside. Were you allowed on the grass when it had this open appearance?
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Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Garden
This picture was taken from the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Garden.The Government House can be seen in this picture.
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That spindly tree
in the photograph is still there today. I think it is this one, a Norfolk Island Pine that is over 100 years old. It did well to pass through the second world war unscathed, as that was a time of severe deforestation for Hong Kong.
MrB
Norfolk Island Pines galore
I've been sent several photos of the Botanical Gardens in the 1890s, 1890s again, 1910s, 1930s, and 1950s. There are pines in each of the photos, and even in the 1890s photos some are already very tall.
Bruce Daldrack's article suggests the Norfolk Island Pine arrived after the second world war, but it looks as though it was well established in Hong Kong for many years before that.
MrB
Botanical Gardens in the 1950s
We've been sent a couple of old photos of the Botanical Gardens. They don't have a date, but I guess they were taken in the 1950s.
The surprise to me is how open the scenery is. Today it's a lot more closed in, with trees and aviaries covering the hillside. Were you allowed on the grass when it had this open appearance?