1938 Street Index

Submitted by Admin on

The scanned copy of this document (see https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/1j92g755s) has been a great resource for tracking down the location of old buildings and lot numbers, but it can be tedious to find the page for the building you're looking for.

HKBU's Hong Kong Spatial History Project have solved the problem by OCR'ing the document to produce a text copy, and providing an online search to that text at https://hkhistaddress.hkspatialhist.com/ (NB note that the map markers in the results just show the location of the street the building is on, not the location of the building itself.)

Tried inserting an address in Repulse Bay, but I also got transferred to some other location.  

I inserted the correct lot number for the address, but again, got transferred to incorrect locations.

moddsey and aagg, when you say 'transferred to some other location', does it mean the text results are showing something wrong, or that the map marker is shown at the wrong location?

The notes about the system say:

An additional map is attached to the web app so that the location of the result (based on historical street names) is displayed. In the future, the exact locations of the lots can be shown on the map as the database of individual lot locations is built.

So at this point the map marker just shows the location of the street that the address is on, not the location of the building or lot. 

It'll be good to know if that describes what you are seeing, or if there is some other problem.

Street Number Modern Name Building Name Lot Number  
26(7) Kennedy Road 堅彌地道   Medway House I.L. 1378 "Medway House"  
Street Info:
Kennedy Road 堅彌地道
From Garden Road near St. Joseph's Church across Albany Nullah, to Wanchai
Source: 1938 street index page 66-67

Thanks David for the explanation. The above details are correct. 

I misread the note above and now comprehend that the red location marker only shows an approximate location on the street that the building address is on and does not indicate the exact location of the building or lot. 

One has to refer to the 1938 Street Index to search for its exact location.

As an initial search engine to locate a lot number, name of building or street address etc, I would say the system is useful in this regard.