Sham Shui Po Ferry Pier (1st generation) [c.1917-1931]

Submitted by Klaus on Thu, 06/01/2023 - 22:11
Current condition
Demolished / No longer exists
Date completed
(Day, Month, & Year are approximate.)
Date closed / demolished

The first Sham Shui Po Ferry Pier was located at Nam Cheong Street

The area was reclaimed during the mid-1910s, so the pier could have been built in 1917 (guessed only). It was made of wood. It could be the one shown on the 1920 map on Gwulo.

Sham refers: In January 1919, the Kau Lung Sze Yeuk Kai Fong Ferry Company Limited, the first licenced ferry company, started to operate three ferry routes, ..... West Point (Eastern Street) and Sham Shui Po (Nam Cheong Street).

From 1 January 1924, the ferry service was operated by HYF between Sham Shui Po and Central. 

The pier was replaced by a new one in July 1931. In July 1933, a tender was issued for the demolition of the pier.

Source: Sham, W. C. (2007). The history of Hong Kong and Yaumati Ferry Company limited, 1923 to the 1970s (Master's thesis, Lingnan University, Hong Kong.

 

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Photos that show this Place

1924
1924
c.1928

Comments

If you zoom closer enough at the 14 Nov 1924 aerial photograph (sortie PEGASUS/RN/H/0027, frame 0026), you can see there is a boat house like structure docked at the northern side of the Nam Cheong Street nullah. You can infer from the shadow that the structure is rather tall. Mention of a wooden pier can also be found at paragraph 253 in the Report of the Director of Public Works for the year 1931. I believe it is referring to the one shown in the aerial photograph. 

  

253. Shamshuipo Ferry Pier. -- This work was referred to in paragraph 207 of last year's Report. The roofing over of this pier was completed aat the end of June and the Ferry Co. transferred from the old wooden pier opposite Nan Chang Street and commenced a service from the new pier in July.

1931 Expenditure $21,158.63
Expenditure to 31st Dec., 1931 $134,024.04

[emphasis added]

PEGASUS/RN/H/0027 (0026)
PEGASUS/RN/H/0027 (0026), by qazwsxedcrfv000
PEGASUS/RN/H/0027 (0026) enlarged
PEGASUS/RN/H/0027 (0026) enlarged, by qazwsxedcrfv000

It looks as if there was a predecessor for the first generation pier at Sham Shui Po.

The Public Works Report for 1900 refers:

The timber pier at Sham Shui Po was washed away by the heavy gale which occurred during the Autumn ; it was in a decayed state. 

No idea where it was located and who built it. As it was in a decayed state it was probably older and built by the Chinese before the 1899 takeover.