Parkside / Kowloon Junior School / Portuguese Community School / Escola Camoes, Cox's Road [????- ]

Submitted by David on Mon, 10/03/2016 - 13:40
Current condition
In use

Timeline, incorporating details from comments below:

  • ????: The house is built, and at some point is named "Parkside". (No building is shown on the 1896 map, but one is shown here on the 1903 map.)
  • 1913: Indication of the (KCR) Railway Manager's residence being at "Parkside" in item 143 in the Report of Public Works for 1913. The Railway Manager's house appears on the 1924 Kowloon map at https://www.hkmaps.hk/viewer.html
  • 1929: In January, Kowloon Junior School moved into the house,"Parkside", from Gun Club Hill. "Parkside" was adapted for use as a school. Sources: KJS History Timeline and KJS Prize Day - China Mail 19 December 1929
  • 1945: The building is a "looted shell" at the end of WW2: Hong Kong and Far East builder, vol.10 no.6, p.36
  • ????: The old building is rehabilitated and a new building is added, to create the new Escola Camoes. The architect is Mr A V Alvares:  Hong Kong and Far East builder, vol.10 no.6, pp.35-7
  • c.1955: "An Escola Camoes with kindergarten and primary sections, and 300 pupils in all, was opened about 1955, ..." Golden Guide to Hong Kong and Macau
  • 1996: The Po Leung Kuk take over running the school. SCMP
  • 1999: The pupils and teachers move to a new building at 6 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, under the new name to "Po Leung Kuk Camões Tan Siu Lin Primary School.". SCMP and school website.
  • 2000: 7, Cox's Road is named the "Po Leung Kuk Portuguese Community School" and acts as an initiation school for new arrivals to Hong Kong. PLK Madam Chan Wai Chow Memorial Primary School website.
  • 2012: Again the pupils and teachers move out, this time to 22 Sheung Heung Road, To Kwa Wan, and under the new name "Po Leung Kuk Madam Chan Wai Chow Memorial School". PLK Madam Chan Wai Chow Memorial Primary School website.
  • 2012 - present. As of October 2016, the government map shows the site as the "Former Po Leung Kuk Madam Chan Wai Chow Memorial Primary School", so I believe the building is currently empty,

Any further information, photos & memories gratefully received.

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Photos that show this Place

1905 "To Let" - Parkside, Cox's Road
1905
Cox's Path 1976
1976
Portuguese Community School
2016
See more photos of this place

Comments

I walked past here on Tuesday, and took the chance to have a quick look.

Here's the entrance from across the road:

Portuguese Community School

At the top of the steps. Sorry for the blurry photo, but you can still just about see the sign on the left, "Portuguese Community Schools Inc":

Portuguese Community School

The gates are locked. They have a notice about the removal in 2012:

Portuguese Community School

The view of the school & playground through the gate's bars:

Portuguese Community School

 

Portuguese Community School

 

Mention is made in the Far East Builder that the old building was formerly the Kowloon Junior School (KJS) in Cox's Path. The old building was rehabilitated and became the Escola Camoes.

Tracing back, KJS moved into the premises,"Parkside" in January 1929 from Gun Club Hill. The house,"Parkside" was adapted for use as a school.

Sources:

(1) KJS History Timeline

(2) KJS Prize Day - China Mail 19 December 1929

(3) Indication of the (KCR) Railway Manager's residence being at "Parkside" in item 143 in the Report of Public Works for 1913. The Railway Manager's house appears on the 1924 Kowloon map at https://www.hkmaps.hk/viewer.html