A look at the most popular pages that appeared on Gwulo in 2012.
#10 - Duncan George MACPHERSON [1912-1989] (11,896 views)
Duncan began life in a crofters cottage in the Highlands of Scotland, but we meet him much later when he was a policeman in Hong Kong. He spent the Japanese occupation interned in Stanley Camp, where this photo of his wedding was taken:
His page on Gwulo was created in 2012. If you read through the comments you'll see a steady stream of friends and relatives from around the world getting in touch over the years that followed, sharing their memories of Duncan.
Read about Duncan George MACPHERSON [1912-1989]
#9 - Artillery Batteries in Hong Kong (12,130 views)
2012 was the year that Rob Weir started sharing his extensive records of military buildings around Hong Kong with Gwulo's readers. This first page looked at Hong Kong's artillery batteries, mapping out their locations.
The markers on the maps are colour-coded: a red marker means the battery has been demolished, while a yellow marker shows that there are still ruins to be seen. If you check the maps you'll see plenty of yellow markers, so if you enjoy scrambling around old military sites this page is a great excuse to get out and explore the Hong Kong countryside.
Read about Artillery Batteries in Hong Kong
#8 - St. Paul's Hospital, Causeway Bay (aka The French Hospital) [1918- ] (12,355 views)
The page starts with a brief outline of the hospital's history, then the comments dig deeper into its role during the wartime years. Several readers also wrote in to note they were born there!
Read more about the St. Paul's Hospital, Causeway Bay (aka The French Hospital) [1918- ]
#7 - Can I take photos from Gwulo.com and use them in my book / website / etc? (13,692 views)
Each week people write to ask if they can use photos from Gwulo in their various projects. Most of the photos on this website don't belong to me, so this page explains how to contact the photo's owner and ask for their permission.
Read the answer to: Can I take photos from Gwulo.com and use them in my book / website / etc?
#6 - Portuguese Community Life in Hong Kong: 1841 - 1941 by Roy Eric Xavier (14,313 views)
The Portuguese / Macanese community was an important part of Hong Kong's colonial history. Roy writes: "In this short essay, I‘ve created a summary that hopefully will provide a glimpse of what it was like to live in Hong Kong before World War II."
Read about Portuguese Community Life in Hong Kong: 1841 - 1941 by Roy Eric Xavier
#5 - Stanley Civilian Internment Camp [1942-1945] (19,096 views)
This page provides a list of resources describing the camp where the Japanese interned the men, women, and children they considered to be enemy civilians.
Read about the Stanley Civilian Internment Camp [1942-1945]
#4 - Mystery rock on Cheung Chau (19,666 views)
One of the internees at Stanley Camp was a young girl named Laura Ziegler (now Laura Darnell). Laura posted this photo of her brothers and sisters on a rock in Cheung Chau in 1940, and asked if anyone recognised the location.
The comments follow the discussions that identified the rock's location, and also looked into other aspects of Cheung Chau's history.
Read about the Mystery rock on Cheung Chau
#3 - Cheung Chau's European Reservation (23,275 views)
If you've read Volume 3 of the Gwulo books, you'll already know that southern Cheung Chau was once off-limits to Chinese residents. This page takes a more detailed look at how that came about, some of the people who lived there (including the Ziegler family shown above), and when it ended.
Read about Cheung Chau's European Reservation
#2 - Dragon Lodge, 32 Lugard Road [????- ] (24,125 views)
This building has sat empty for as long as I can remember -you'll have seen it If you've ever done the circular walk around the Peak.
This page has photos and stories from different families who've lived there over the years, including a story that it is haunted!
Read about Dragon Lodge, 32 Lugard Road [????- ]
#1 - George Stacey KENNEDY SKIPTON [c.1898-c.1982] (33,348 views)
Here's how the page begins:
"I came across some references to a George S. Kennedy Skipton, who was a colonial office cadet in pre-WW2 Hong Kong.
It appears that when Hong Kong surrendered he produced an Irish Passport and avoided internment. He subsequently was dismissed for disloyalty.
Does any Gwulo reader know anything about this story?"
The comments on this page span several years, following the progress as the facts were carefully pinned down, and eventually the answer was found.
Read about George Stacey KENNEDY SKIPTON [c.1898-c.1982]
BONUS
Just outside the top ten is one of my favourites:
#11 - Nancy, get your gun! (11,697 views)
2012 was the year I first met Bill Griffiths, initially by email, then later in person when he visited Hong Kong. In this article, Bill introduces us to his late wife Nancy, and how she became the champion women's sharpshooter here in Hong Kong.
Read Nancy, get your gun!
If you'd like to see more of the top pages from 2012, here's the full list.