Walking down a hillside path with my Mum and older sister

It may have changed since the 50s but this reminds me of the zigzag path that links Ship Street area with Kennedy Road close to Nam Koo Terrace and the old Chitose Hotel building.

I think this is towards the bottom of Battery Path leading to Queen's Road Central, approached by passing St Johns Cathedral and walking down. 

Dibsey - I used to walk down there so frequently, it was lovely to see it as it was in my youth again! 

Well well! My Mum ran the kindergarten at St John's Cathedral! Thelma Miller. So did your Mother help out my mother I wonder? 
x 

Would like to think it is/was Battery Path but can't figure out for now the building behind.

When my family first emigrated to Hong Kong in 1956 my Dad worked in a small two room office just a little up Battery Path. It was the Quantity Surveying office and it contained one senior QS, one clerk, one dog and then included my Dad. People were fleeing China at that point and the government recognised the need to build resettlement apartments to house them, hence my Dad's appointment. I believe this small office, with its ceiling fans is or was the building in the picture! 

Just behind the former Knightsbridge Court off Barker Road - the path from the tennis courts down to May Road.

This is not battery path as there is nowhere there with a switchback shown in the picture.The only possibility I could find is the path down from Upper Albert Road to Glenealy pre flyover construction which would make the white building Alford House, however I am not convinced that this is the correct location. Chris you said you had other similar shots it would bw helpful if you could post them to give more clues.  The white building behind the trees looks to be five or six stories. There is also what looks to be a lot marker in the wall between tree and lamppost, I am not sure how much details the picture has but if could be scanned at a higher resolution to read the number on the lot marker it would tell us exactly where the photo was taken.  

Some of the photos posted by Chris were horizontally flipped. So not sure about this one. May be Glenealy below Caine Road e.g. here but not able to confirm.

The photo is interesting as there are not many six storey buildings next to a steep path.

Hi There,

I do not believe that is Battery Path as there is no such turns there.  That doesn't look like Chatham Path either.  But foot paths like this ought to be on the Island somewhere, probably on the Northern slope.  Just the image could not provide sufficient visual clues for us.

T

Actually I do find the steep snaking path between Upper Albert Road and Glenealy Road to be the most credible location. It is on the way to St John's Cathedral. The topography and orientation of the path fits. The building behind would be 6 stories high (as is Alford House). 

I have included a cropped image from the Hong Kong and Kowloon Survey sheets from 1955. This is unfortunately the maximum resolution:

The red dot is the location of Dibsy and Mum. The green dot would be the location of the photographer. Interestingly there is an 'X' exactly where the lot marker is in the photo (please see the original link!). There are other 'X's at multiple places in the Survey Sheets and I wonder if they are location of lot markers. 

Alford House was built in 1955 and was and still is 6 stories high. Just a shame there is too much foliage in the original photo to give a definite ID to the building. 

The path seems a bit too curvy on the map to match the one on the photo. There is a more acutely angled path that leads from MacDonnell Road down onto Kennedy Road that used to pass "The Hermitage". It's still visible on the 1965.1 mapand includes intermittant steps that appear to be shown on the image.

Alford House has an entrance at the hairpin bend on the path connecting Glenealy and Upper Albert Road. The bend is at the ground floor of the building, which still can be seen today (photo below) . So it's not easy to match that location with what's shown in Chris' photo.

I think this actually may be Battery Path, but the part between Upper and Lower Albert Road rather than the lower part leading to Queens Road Central. It is a plausible route leading to St Johns from MacDonnell Road and the little dead end path leading to a wall still exists today. The building behind would the US consulate, completed in 1957 so right around this photo date. The lamp post is also in the correct place. The path has been extensively rebuilt for a substation and does not exactly match the photo but generally its a pretty good fit for the location

The closest available maps on hkmaps appear to be 1957.1 and 1960. Both of which show a curved path that doesn't match this more angular turn/switchback.

Also, on both maps there is an obvious dead end to the path at the apex of the turn - perhaps where a branch to the path was blocked off when the consulate was built (or whatever preceded it). It's still there today marked by 3 bollards. There is also a set of stone steps on both maps that are still there today and which I would expect to see in the image but none of these elements seem to be present, so I don't think it is that particular section either.

Noted the former Central Hospital on Lower Albert Road appears on the 1957.1 map. 

Horizontally flipped the original slide. Would the photo show the "V end" of Albert Path nearest to Central Hospital when looking at the 1960 map (before the construction of steps) on hkmaps?

Approaching the "V end" on Google Street View

I think thats right. I flipped the photo and the stonework layout/colour  on the end of the wall matches the current layout on google street view. 

nice find Moddsey - yes, there is a dark coloured stone in the wall that can still be seen in the current Streetview.

Hi There,

I still think it is a bit off.  The present day Albert Path are steps at the lower end.  Might need some other older photos from Lower Albert Road for reference.

T

The section of the path in the original image is now a dead end. The higher part of the path on the left (in herostratus' flipped version) is no longer there/used.

There is an exact match to the brickwork in the remaining wall to that in the original which pretty much confirms the location in my opinion.

Hi Phil,

Maybe that is a good reason to have a look on-site when I am in the area next time.  I could not recall if I had ever walked along the path before.

T

Yes, unfortunately the Street view imagery only captures the area from a distance so you have to zoom in to see the dark stone mentioned above. It would definitely be helpful if someone could take a close up.

The changes made to Albert Path can be seen in the 1970 map. There were no steps as far as I note at mid-path in the 1960 map.

A recent photo of Albert Path taken by Tngan. Thanks for taking the time.

Coincidence or not but zooming-in, the dark-coloured stone appears in the stonework of the remaining wall.

Today's Government Gazette defines Albert Path as the stepped footpath commencing at its junction with Lower Albert Road east of the Central Hospital running generally in a southerly direction, crossing Upper Albert Road between the Church Guest House and Government House and terminating at its junction with Albany Road. 

Source: China Mail 27 September 1957