Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock
Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock was a Hong Kong dockyard once among the largest dockyards in Asia. Founded in 1863 by Douglas Lapraik and Thomas Sutherland,[1] the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company (known as Hong Kong Kowloon and Whampoa Dock Company). In 1865, it was known as Kowloon Docks located on the west kowloon coast between Hung Hom and Tai Wan, facing Hung Hom Bay in the Victoria Harbour. It is also known as Whampoa Dock for short. The "Whampoa" part of the name comes from the Huangpu, formerly Whampoa, area of Guangzhou (formerly Canton), where the company owned another dockyard.
On the eve of Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the dockyard was heavily bombarded by Japanese aircraft with large casualties due to its importance.
The Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company was controlled by Douglas Clague through Hutchison International in the mid-1960s. Clague was forced to leave the company due to financial difficulty with Hutchison International. Hutchison International was acquired by Li Ka Shing's Cheung Kong Holdings and eventually merged with Whampoa to become Hutchison Whampoa In 1985, the dockyard land was transformed to a private housing estate, the Whampoa Garden, the second largest private housing estate in Hong Kong, after Mei Foo Sun Chuen. The only portion of the dockyard that exists is Bulkeley Street. The dockyard is now part of the Whampoa Garden site residential complex.
The dockyard operations merged with Swire's Taikoo Dockyard on the Island to become Hong Kong United Dockyard on the new territories western shore of Tsing Yi Island Wok Tai Wan.
Ships built at this yard include:
- USS Mariveles (1886)
- USC&GS Fathomer (1904)
- Kwai Sang (1917)
- SS Changte (1925) for Australian Oriental Line; later became Royal Navy Naval Stores Issuing Ship RFA Y1-9.[2]
- Sang Wo (1926)
- SS Taiping (1926) for Australian Oriental Line[2]
- Li Wo (1938); 1,000 ton passenger ship later converted as a patrol vessel for the Royal Navy; sank near Singapore in 1942 as HMS Li Wo.[3]
- HMAS Matafele (1938)
- SS Empire Almond (1941)
- SS Gyōkū Maru (1942)
- and many of the Hong Kong Star Ferry vessels in service today.
Other facilities:
- Hope Dry Dock in Aberdeen, opened 1867.
Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock helped converted Hong Kong Tramways second and third generation tram cars built by United Electric and English Electric. These cars were eventually retired from 1924 to 1930 as the fourth Generation cars were being introduced.
See also
References
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