"Yaumati Wells Road" (or simply "Wells Road") was the informal name given to the road built in 1899 to connect the western and eastern parts of the Kowloon peninsula, between Yau Ma Tei and the Ma Tau Wei/Kowloon City area. Parts of the road eventually became Argyle St (see eg the 1920 Kowloon map) although it was straightened out considerably from its original winding route.
Timeline:
- 1897?: road first laid out
- 1899: construction of road underway, from Yau Ma Tei to Ma Tau Wei/Kowloon City
- before 1957: parts of road merged with Argyle St and straightened
Other points of interest:
Sung Wong Toi
Yau Ma Tei wells
The 1897 Public Works Report states: (under the heading 'Future public works') "The roads in Kowloon are being pushed on, and should be liberally provided for annually until the Yaumati Road on the West, and the Hung Hom Road on the East respectively reach the boundary; while the cross road from Yaumati by the wells is carried on to the road on the East."
The 1899 Public Works Report mentions the construction of the road twice:
"29. A sum of $1,300 from this vote was expended in forming a very useful ten-foot wide road connecting the road through the Fo-pang Valley, generally known as the Yaumati Wells Road with the New Kowloon City Road. This road has immensely improved the communication between the East and West sides of British Kowloon Peninsula, has opened up and given access to the large village of Matau-Wei, and has proved a great boon to the numerous cyclists of the Colony."
"43. A much needed connection, referred to also in para. 29 above, has been made at the trifling cost of $1,300 between the East and West sides of the peninsula by extending the “Wells” road from Yaumati to join the Kowloon City road near the C.M.S. Mission Church and the historical Hill of the Sung."