Kowloon Institute for Seamen and Soldiers [1896-1925]

Submitted by David on Tue, 11/12/2013 - 21:28
Current condition
Demolished / No longer exists
Date completed
Date closed / demolished

Stephen Davies is looking for photos of this building:

The second is the Kowloon Institute, opened in 1896, extended in c.1900, but closed and the premises rented out to the Freemasons (Scotia Lodge) in 1911. The Freemasons had it until 1919. It was reopened as the Kowloon Seamen's Institute in 1923 but closed again in 1925 and demolished thereafter. It was on the corner of Canton Rd and Haiphong Rd (though Haiphong Rd was then the Kowloonside Elgin St) - any image would be a boon.

The "Ordinance to provide for the Incorporation of the Missions to Seamen in Hongkong", dated 30th May 1919, places the building at "Kowloon Inland Lot No. 632", see: http://hkgro.lib.hku.hk/archive/files/ec339f8014d8a4e10d082a00b8dfdef2.pdf

Comments

I have recently come across an image of a Seamen's Institute in Hong Kong - a postcard (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seamen's_Institute). The generally muddled and erroneous short article indicates:

a. that the image is of a building in Wanchai - which I doubt

b. that it is from a postcard published by Yee Wo Shang, 7, Canton Road, Kowloon in the early 20th century.

My hunch is that this is an image of the Kowloon Seamen's Institute that became the premises of Lodge Eastern Scotia No.923 from 1911 until 1922. The premises were on the corner of Canton Rd and Elgin St and the description I have of the two story building there tallies reasonably well. Has anyone seen this before or can confirm this is of the Kowloon Institute for Sailors and Soldiers?

Stephen D