Cattle Depot of Ta Hing Trading Company Ltd [1958-????]

A scheme was set up for the importation of cattle from Northern Territories, Australia to Lantau Island in 1958 by the Ta Hing Trading Company Ltd to meet Hong Kong's demand for fresh meat at a time when importation of beef from China was severely curtailed. Between the villages of I Pak and Tai Pak in Discovery Bay a pier was built to off-load the cattle. There was a nearby cattle shed with an abattoir on site to prevent the Australian ships from becoming contaminated through contact with diseases from livestock from China and South East Asia. 

Timeline:

24th December 1958 - First import of 612 head of Australian cattle and 53 buffaloes by the Dutch motor vessel Waiwerang

1961 - Edward ('Eddie') Wong Wing-cheung (founder of Ta Hing Trading Co. Ltd) joined up with business partner Sir William Gunn (1914-2003), a major cattle grazier and chairman of the Australian Wool Board and acquired Elsey Downs Station cattle ranch in Northern Territory, Australia to supply further cattle to the abattoir in Lantau Island.

1962 - 1000-2000 head of buffalo were being imported from the Northern Territory to Hong Kong.

196? - Business scheme failed to take off

1970 - Same facilities already converted to Ta Hing Poultry Farm 

1979 - Construction began into what will become the resort of Discovery Bay 

1982 - Debut of Discovery Bay resort 

Further discussion here