Hong Kong Red Cross released a fact sheet on its new headquarters:
The HKRC Headquarters in Admiralty had been in use since 1965. With the rapid expansion of HKRC services in recent years in response to society changes and rising diverse needs, and to match Government’s land use planning for the Admiralty headquarters site, the HKRC Headquarters confirmed to be relocated to Hoi Ting Road, West Kowloon in 2010.[Completion Date: September 2015]
The 3-storey HKRC Headquarters, located in 33 Harcourt Road, Admiralty, commenced operation in 1965, which was the tallest building in the district at that time. In early years, the headquarters of blood donation and the blood bank were on the ground floor, they were relocated to King’s Park Rise, Kowloon later on.
So this building was torn down the make way for new ones. The HQ officially closed an September 11th, 2015. My guess for demolition date is end of 2015.
Photos that show this Place
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History
From a Hong Kong Red Cross press release.
Its available in Chinese only
紅十字會金鐘總部完成50年歷史任務
(香港‧2015年9月11日) 多年來，交通報告經常說「紅隧塞車塞到紅十字會」，此一說法可能很快便要改，因為香港紅十字會(紅十字會)位於金鐘總部的運作將於今天(9月11日)正式結束，順利完成50年的歷史任務。
早期總部服務為主
紅十字會位於金鐘夏慤道33號的總部自1965年開始運作，當年附近沒有現在的高樓大廈、政府總部，反而旁邊是政府的直昇機停機坪及後方為英軍天馬艦海軍基地，樓高三層的紅十字會是當時區內最高的大廈。由於位置獨特，早年附近沒有太多其他建築物，附近亦沒有斑馬線，令紅十字會義工及公眾人士前來總部都不太便利，往往都要危險地跑過馬路。
早年，紅十字會總部地下曾是捐血總部及血庫，大樓外牆掛上「捐血救人」的橫額，因為附近為英軍船隊的碼頭，所以當時捐血人士很多是外國軍人及水兵。後來，雖然輸血服務中心總部遷往九龍京士柏，但地下有一段時間還維持是本會其中一個捐血服務中心，方便義工及公眾人士前來總部活動時亦可以捐血。
及後紅十字會服務增多與部門擴充，總部的捐血服務中心、禮堂、訓練課室等都逐漸改裝為辦公室，而不同的活動、比賽、急救訓練班、制服團隊的宣誓典禮等都需改往其他地方舉行。由於總部當年是以英式設計，二樓對街的一房間設有一個小型露台，有傳當年英女皇誕辰及紀念日，英國皇室人員亦曾經在此露台觀看巡遊。
A video can be watched here.
And here's Google's (poor) translation:
"Red tunnel traffic jam to the Red Cross" will not be reproduced
Red Cross's Admiralty headquarters completes 50 years of historical mission
(Hong Kong, September 11, 2015) Over the years, traffic reports have often said that "the red tunnel is jammed to the Red Cross." This statement may soon be changed because the Hong Kong Red Cross (Red Cross) is located in Klm. The operation of the clock headquarters will officially end today (September 11) and successfully complete the 50-year historical mission.
Early headquarters service
The Red Cross’s headquarters at 33 Harcourt Road, Admiralty, has been in operation since 1965. There were no high-rise buildings and government headquarters nearby. Instead, it was next to the government’s helipad and the rear was the British Army’s Tianma Naval Base. The Red Cross was the tallest building in the area at the time. Due to its unique location, there were not many other buildings in the early years and there were no zebra crossings nearby. It was not convenient for Red Cross volunteers and members of the public to come to the headquarters. They often ran across the road in danger.
In the early years, the headquarters of the Red Cross was once a blood donation headquarters and a blood bank. The wall of the building was affixed with a banner of "donating blood and saving people". Because the nearby is the dock of the British fleet, many blood donors were foreign soldiers and sailors. Later, although the headquarters of the Blood Transfusion Service Center was moved to King's Park in Kowloon, it was maintained as one of the blood donation service centres for a period of time. It is also convenient for volunteers and members of the public to donate blood when they come to the headquarters.
Later, the Red Cross service increased and the department expanded. The blood donation service center, auditorium and training room at the headquarters were gradually converted into offices. Different activities, competitions, first-aid training classes, and the swearing ceremony of the uniform team were required to be changed to other The place is held. Since the headquarters was designed in English in the same year, there is a small terrace in the room on the second floor. There is a birthday and anniversary of the Queen of England. The British royal staff also watched the parade on this terrace.
HK Red Cross Anne Black Head Quarters
A few bits of info :
First Manager Blood Collection Centre - Ruth Fraser Sept 1965 - Sept 1989
Reporting to the Red Cross Blood Collection Management Comittee. Some members I know of - RunRun Shaw, Mrs Castles ( wife of Managing Director of Tykoo Dockyard ).
My mother was a blood donor diary nurse at the Nethersole Hospital before 1965. Her role was to arrange donors from a diary for the week ahead. Taking blood, storing and liaising with the Nethersole Hospital Surgical Team.
After a small period of time a decision was made to centralise blood collection. She was asked to attend an interview where RunRun Shaw,Mrs Castles, and a number of others interviewed her. She started at the Anne Black Head Quarters where a blood donation centre was already set up primarily for the military. Blood Collection was primarily from Service personnel for Service Peronnel. There was a active mobile unit going out to Naval Vessels at moorings in the harbour. My mother told me in the beginning the nurses would take a sampan put to a Ship and knock on the hull to alert some response. Since the men saw a friendly female medical nurse their accepted, they were invited on board. And collected in glass bottles. Bags and other " modern " paraphernalia was introduced in the following years.
My mother spearheaded donor recruitment with a team of bilingual women such as Valery Hoffer who's husband was GM of the Mandarin International Hotels, Pat Arculli whose father was an old China Hand living in a house in Stanley Village . There was a host of others, more and more from the Chinese Community. But typically I don't remember them, but know my mother regarded them as intrigal . It was RunRun Shaw's imagination that the growth would come from the Chinese Community.
In the beginning my mother told me there was a tree across the road from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital were labourers would wait to get selected. They were given a sum for their troubles.
This tree was known as the blood tree.
From small beginnings and direction from RunRun Shaw my mother employed countless numbers of permanent and part time staff. A large number of them came from the nurses passing through HK.
My mother went to various conferences, in Jakarta, Manila, ..where other heads of Blood Collection would pass on their information . After one such conference she sent an enquiry to an Ambulance manufacturer in Germany.
Mrs. Ruth Fraser
Hi Alasdair,
I kept reading your various posts and can confidently assume that you should be the son of Mrs. Ruth Fraser, who was once the officer-in-charge for Blood Collection Service.
I am currently working on a project that talks about a Catholic priest in Hong Kong (from Italy), named Father Enea Tapella, who unfortunately suffered from a traffic accident while he was trying to locate a summer camp site for disabled kid on 29th Mar 1977. Since he suffered from a massive blood loss, there was a blood donation campaign trying to save this Father's life. Unfortunately a week later Father passed away; however his spirit on serving to the poor has been continued by other volunteers, and established "Fu Hong Society", currently one of the biggest organisations in Hong Kong looking after mentally handicapped persons.
During my research, I was delighted to have found a thank-you letter sent by Mrs. Fraser, to the Principal of Good Hope School, thanking their students to donate blood to Father Tapella on a Mobile Donation Vehicle dispatched to the school. I tried reaching out Hong Kong Red Cross to check if there were any historical documents let behind, but it seems no one has any clue about this event. Father Tapella was a regular donor, and was awarded with some pins when he was certified as a "2 gallon donor".
May I ask if you recall any sharing by your mother about this person, or if she is still alive, would there any opportunity I can either interview or send some questions to her, to ask about memories related to this incident?
I would love to attach that letter to you for a reference, but don't know how to do this in Gwulo. I would be more than happy to receive any e-mails from you (kuievita@gmail.com), and thus can share with you that letter.
Here's the URL for more information about this Father (only a few articles are in English): https://archives.catholic.org.hk/In%20Memoriam/Clergy-Brother/E-Tapella….
Best Regards,
Anthony