The Fanling Babies’ Home really had its origins in 1936 when young missionary Miss Mildred Dibden returned to Hong Kong from England and took in her first abandoned baby in Tsimshatsui. She had first gone out to Hong Kong in 1931 with the BCMS, but had been repatriated due to a severe attack of malaria, which nearly took her life.
While in Hong Kong the hundreds of babies being abandoned had really caught her attention and back in the UK she had used her time to seek backing from missionary societies to start up a rescue mission for them. When backing was not forthcoming, she was encouraged to start up on her own by seasoned HK missionaries Dr and Mrs Lechmere Clift, with the support of the Emmanuel Church in Nathan Road.
From the beginning, numbers of babies grew to the point where in 1940 Miss Dibden and her helpers and 49 babies moved into Lai Yue Hing Tong (Hall) on Sha Tau Kok Road in Fanling. The owner had intended the property to be occupied by his extended family, but those plans fell through, and he put the property up for rental.
The property was a two-storey Western-style villa, with a fountain/pool in front of the house and two Chinese-style bungalows in its grounds. Each bungalow had 8 rooms and kitchen facilities, and housed the staff of the home (Assistants and amahs).
The main building had 5 large rooms and 3 smaller ones on the ground floor; upstairs it had 7 bedrooms and verandas, with adjoining dressing rooms. These served as a kitchen, dining room, a nursery school, bedrooms and dispensary. Surrounding the house were decorative and well-stocked gardens including lychee trees, which later on the children loved.
Numbers continued to grow, and war with Japan was looming, but Miss Dibden was set to stay and look after her family. In 1941 she was joined by an equally determined Australian nurse, Ruth Little, and along with another missionary colleague, Iris Critchell, who came after the start of the war, the three women together saw the home through the war, enduring illness and some very tough conditions. As well as that, starvation was an ever present threat, and all the youngest babies died in the first few months of the war. Of the original 98 children, some 52 survived the war years.
Towards the end of the war the property’s owner died and when peace came the property was put up for sale. At this point the US charity China’s Children Fund purchased the property and enabled the home to continue. Ruth Little was called home by family needs, and she was replaced in 1948 by missionary nurse Lucy Clay.
In 1950 Mildred Dibden was again obliged to return home for health reasons and with great sadness tendered her resignation as superintendent. Lucy Clay and China’s Children Fund took over the running of the home and from 1955 Miss Clay was assisted by the very capable Miss Tsen.
In 1951 China’s Children Fund became the Christian Children’s Fund and their policy was to offer children for adoption into Christian family homes in New Zealand, Canada, England, Hong Kong and the USA. This policy operated through the 1950s and 60s, and numbers in the home reduced.
The Prayer Letter for 1963 announced 41 babies had been admitted that year and all had been found homes. Many were suffering from neglect and malnutrition, but they were soon restored to health. The largest group to leave the home had gone to England in December 1962.
In the early 1960s the Fanling home was deteriorating. A new home was planned and built in Taipo and in 1966 the staff and remaining children moved from Fanling to the Pinehill Babies’ Home, managed by Lucy Clay until her retirement in 1977.
It is thought that in its time, several hundred babies, mostly girls, were rescued by the public, the police and hospitals and brought to the Fanling Babies' Home.
On her recovery Mildred Dibden started a second home for abandoned babies in 1952, which became the Shatin Babies' Home.
For history of the site, see here.
For more information, please see the Fanling Babies’ Home website.
The Yip Family of Amah Rock by Jill Doggett.
Photos of this organisation:
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Fanling Babies Home Christmas Party 1940
The armed forces personnel in Hong Kong gave valuable support to the Babies' Home. This snippet from the Fanling booklet gives a snapshot of the services in action. By this time there were about 50 babies/toddlers, the oldest aged four.
"December 25th. The party given by St. Andrew's Young People was just great. They have indeed sacrificed themselves for these little ones, and we did have such a good time. The Christmas tree was laden with toys and at the foot there was a wee pair of coloured shoes for each baby. After the tree came the tea party, where the Young People waited on the babies! It was most amusing to watch. Here a young Air Force lad was feeding a two year old with a sugar cake, and over there a "Government Servant" was supervising the serious business of eating a banana! Just near to me, where I sat watching these proceedings, was a table of four toddlers with a young Naval man in charge. His time was fully occupied, for jelly is slippery stuff for even the experienced to handle, and when we are only three years old, and it is our first attempt with jelly, it is rather difficult to keep it on a spoon! Down with the spoon, fingers are better! But no, the jelly squashes into bits, such a mess! To lick it up with the tongue is best! But now the young Naval man has something to say! "Here, you must use a spoon, what - come on, I'll help you."
Such sleepy little ones they were who at last climbed into the little blue cots, clasping their new toys. So sleepy! So full! So happy! Thank you God for the generous friends who love little children."
Fanling Home in 1964 Facebook Pics
Peter Brindley was an art teacher at St George's School HK, and he took these pictures of Fanling Babies' Home in 1964 showing students from the school visiting the Home as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme. I think the buildings are the bungalows and not the main building. The last two show the front of the house and the buildings over the road. Superintendent Lucy Clay is shown in 2 of the pics.