Wyndham Street rickshaw rank [c.1931-c.1962]

Submitted by Klaus on Sat, 03/26/2022 - 02:39
Current condition
Demolished / No longer exists
Date completed
(Day, Month, & Year are approximate.)
Date closed / demolished
(Day, Month, & Year are approximate.)

Rickshaw rank on the western side of Wyndham Street near the junction with Queen's Road Central. The rank had space for 10 - 15 rickshaws. It appears on many photos from the 1940s and 1950s.

Until about 1930, Wyndham Street was "Flower Street" with displays of flowers on the street. Later, possibly with the opening of King's Theatre in 1931, the rickshaw rank opened. King's Theatre closed in 1962, this could be the time of closure for the rickshaw rank, too. This is supported by an article by Fung Chi Ming "The Hong Kong Rickshaw over Time"  

....the first of a type of rickshaw fitted with pneumatic tyres which continued in use until the 1960s when the traffic authorities decided not to issue any new licences and to renew existing ones until the man concerned no longer wished to continue his trade.  By then, the rickshaw was on the way out overtaken by more modern means of transport.

Addendum: Another rickshaw rank was close by at D'Aguilar Street.

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Photos that show this Place

King's Theatre
1940
King's Theatre
1940
King's Theatre
1940
See more photos of this place

Comments

Possibly before the rickshaw rank at Wyndham Street opened, there was a sedan chair rank on the eastern side of the street.

1933 Wyndham Street
1933 Wyndham Street, by Eternal1966

The date of the photo is given as 1933, but it could be taken earlier. 

This photo of the junction of Wellington Street and D'Aguilar Street in 1930 showed it has taken over Wyndham Street's 'flower street' role. The text stated the change over was in 1928. This information might be useful to narrow down the period when the rickshaw rank took over in Wyndham Street.

Source: https://mmis.hkpl.gov.hk/coverpage/-/coverpage/view?_coverpage_WAR_mmisportalportlet_hsf=Wyndham&p_r_p_-1078056564_c=QF757YsWv59JUcUoLpFJoQUDpQwYcVo9&_coverpage_WAR_mmisportalportlet_o=61&_coverpage_WAR_mmisportalportlet_actual_q=%28%20%28%20allTermsMandatory%3A%28true%29%20OR+all_dc.title%3A%28Wyndham%29%20OR+all_dc.creator%3A%28Wyndham%29%20OR+all_dc.contributor%3A%28Wyndham%29%20OR+all_dc.subject%3A%28Wyndham%29%20OR+fulltext%3A%28Wyndham%29%20OR+all_dc.description%3A%28Wyndham%29%20%29%20%29&_coverpage_WAR_mmisportalportlet_sort_field=dc.publicationdate_bsort&_coverpage_WAR_mmisportalportlet_sort_order=asc

 

As mentioned here, the flower sellers on Wyndham Street were relocated in 1930. Pre-1925 stands for jinrickshas and sedan chairs can be viewed at HKGRO here . For 1925 and thereafter, one will have to perform a manual trawl of amendments to the Vehicle and Trafffic Regulation Ordinance, 1912, pertaining to jinrickshas and/or sedan chairs. A rather time-consuming task, I am afraid.