Wan Chai Gap Police Station (Coombe Road) / Police Museum [1940- ]

Submitted by Iloveoldhk on
Current condition
In use
Date completed
(Day & Month are approximate.)

This police station was constructed in 1911 [It was built in 1939-40, see comments below]. It became the police museum in 1988.

It has a significant number of exhibits. Most notably the head of the 'Sheung Shui Tiger,' which was shot in Hong Kong after killing a policeman. It also details Hong Kong's crime history and has hundreds of rotating artifacts.

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Photos that show this Place

Police Museum Field Gun origins
1991
Police Museum Tai Po Field Gun at Coombe Road, Wanchai Gap
1995
2018 Tai Po Field Gun
2018

Comments

Thank you Iloveoldhk for the post of the Police Museum.

There is no doubt that the museum was originally Wan Chai Gap Sub-station.

I just wonder when this station was built. Any documentary proof that it was built in 1911?

I have found some information from the HKU library, stating the Department of Public Works invited tender on 1939-02-09; and the tender was awarded to Massrs Sang Lee & Co, gazetted on 1939-05-05 (Please leave me e-mail so that I can send you the 'proof').

Therefore the date of completion of this sub-station couldn't be earlier than these dates? Or the year 1911 was the 'prototype' of the station?

Please shed light on this, thank you!

I am not sure where I exactly got that information 4 plus years ago. Could be incorrect although it must have come from some source, I would think the government website at the time. It is definitely in the pre-WW2 period just by appearance although 1939 would not suprise me.

I've updated the completion date from 1910 to 1940, based on the following:

  • Looking through the maps at https://www.hkmaps.hk/, no building is shown at this location on any of the pre-WW2 maps.
  • Following wormkwok's information, we can see that the Public Works Department (PWD) invited "Tender for Police Sub-Station, Wanchai Gap" on 8 Feb 1939, published as item S.57 in the 1939 Gazette.
  • Item 11 in the PWD's Annual Report for 1939 says 'The contract was let to Messrs. Sang Lee & Co., on 9th May and by the end of the year good progress had been made with the work."
  • HKGRO doesn't have a copy of the PWD's Annual Report for 1940, but the section "Public Works, 1940-41" in the 1940 Blue Book records the "New Police Sub-Station, Wanchai Gap" as "Finished".