Current condition
Unknown
The index to the 1938 Map shows 18A was occupied by "Dr Cleft", believed to be a typo for Dr H L Clift.
Later place(s) at this location
Photos that show this Place
1924
1924
1924
Comments
House #18A overview
[Updated 26/Apr/2026]
Added in the wake of the building surge around 1910, this house was clearly in place by the 1920s, between houses 18 and 19. Like other European houses, it will have been built of granite with sturdy 18 inch walls, a pitched double-tiled roof (because of typhoons), with a cabin for domestics at the rear. All on a raised platform. It appears the original building was added to and extended, and a verandah put on the front.
The UK Medical Registers from 1928-31 have the Clifts living at Ayteenay, (18A) Cheung Chow Island (sic), Hong Kong. Dr Clift and his wife Winifred, like other European missionaries, owned/ rented a bungalow on Cheung Chau which they used as a holiday home.
House 18A was built after 1919 so the Clifts must have used another property from c1913 to 1919.
In 1938, 'Dr Cleft' was recorded as the owner (see post above), so we assume ownership continued from 1931.
In the aerial shot of 1963 the house is still to be seen and still in use.
Today the house is gone and the site is occupied by the Jockey Club Cheung Chau Don Bosco Youth Centre. The Salesians of Don Bosco are a Catholic religious congregation of priests and brothers founded by Saint John Bosco in 1859 to serve young people, especially the poor and marginalized, through education and youth ministry, among other things. They also own the nearby Salesian Retreat Centre, originally European Houses #21 and #19.
Leasing of European House 18A
Noticed a "To Let" advertisement : Furnished bungalow to let, No. 18A. Three rooms and two bathrooms, garden facing south, close to Morning Beach.
Source: Hong Kong Telegraph 29 December 1928. See: https://archive.org/details/NPTG19281229/page/n3/mode/2up?q=cheung+chau On the same page, another bungalow is advertised for rent. Appears that the two advertisements were placed around the same time.
18A Rented not owned
Thanks Moddsey, useful find. I see I shall have to change my post above to 'rented' rather than 'owned'. That would make transfer to another rental bungalow (eg #27) a lot more plausible.
I don't seem to be having a lot of success with your links though.
Re: 18A Rented not Owned
It is also possible that the Clifts owned 18A but rented it out when they returned to the Mainland or went overseas?
An alternative link to the newspaper advertisement: https://sls.hkpl.gov.hk/digital-collection/en/contentcoverpage.html?currentPosition=2&searchId=db4b8d944fa14ab2b4646915df439519&catalogueId=1782ea2a9cb711ef9c2&mainKeyword=1928-12-28&isHKMP= (Scroll to Page 4)
#27 bigger than #18a?
Thank you! Success with that link. The thought occurred to me that 18a might not have been big enough for Mildred Dibden and her menage in 1939. She had over 30 babies by this time, plus amahs.
Perhaps #27 was bigger?