Wanchai Police Station Compound Fire Brigade Drill Tower [1932-????] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Wanchai Police Station Compound Fire Brigade Drill Tower [1932-????]

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Submitted by moddsey on Sat, 2011-12-03 09:53
Current condition: 
Demolished / No longer exists
Date Place completed: 
1932-12-01
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Photos that show this place

1935
1935
1935
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Comments

Submitted by David on Sat, 2011-12-03 18:49.

Hi Moddsey,

The area where the marker is wouldn't have been reclaimed yet in 1921. Any idea where the 'cinema shed' mentioned in the legco record below was?

Regards, David

Notes from Moddsey:

A temporary Fire Station was opened at Wanchai with accommodation for 20 firemen on 8 December 1921. A 50 foot hose drying and drill tower has been erected at this station. (Source: 1921 Fire Brigade Annual Report)

80skid:

Fire Brigade Sub-Station The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of $10,700 on account of Public Works, Extraordinary, Hongkong, Buildings, Conversion of the old Cinema shed at Wanchai into a fire Brigade Sub-station. THE CHAIRMAN said this matter had been before the Finance Committee who had approved the expenditure. (Source: Legco records 1/9/21)

Submitted by tngan on Sun, 2011-12-04 00:57.

Hi there,

There is another thread here about the No 2. Police Station saying the one located at Gloucestor Road was in operation in the 1930's. After studying the photos I tend to believe he street by the right is Lockhart Road. The location of the tower is the parking lot of the Police quarters now in disuse. The street on the left hand side is Jaffe Road.

Thanks & Best Regards,

T

Submitted by moddsey on Sat, 2015-09-19 12:48.

The 1921 Fire Brigade Report also states that a temporary Sub-Station to house additional firemen and apparatus was built on the newly reclaimed land in Wanchai in the eastern part of Victoria.

The location of the old cinema shed was on the reclamation near the old No. 2 Police Station on what is today's O'Brien Road as seen below:

1920s Temporary Wanchai Fire Station (Old Cinema Shed)

 

1932 Wanchai

1932 Wanchai
1932 Wanchai , by Eternal1966

The laying out of the road system in Wanchai showing the old temporary fire station (formerly a cinema shed) fronting O'Brien Road. The hose tower can be seen in the compound at the rear. See http://gwulo.com/atom/22478 for enlargement of the photo.

Hong Kong Telegraph 13 July 1932

The newspaper gives information of the new temporary fire station to be built in Wanchai.  The new structure 60 ft long by 35 ft wide will take on the appearance of the Central Fire Station on Des Voeux Rd and will have 5 main doorways. It will be built of timber and bricks and will face Johnston Rd.  

There will be no accommodation of the firemen on the premises but they will continue to be housed in the old No. 2 Police Station nearby whilst the hose tower which is in the compond of the new No.2 Police Station will be temporarily erected there.

The 1932 Fire Brigade Report states that a new temporary fire station was erected in Wanchai to replace the the old temporary fire station which as a result of road developments (O'Brien Road) had to be removed. The 1932 PWD Report states that the work consisted of taking down the old buidling and reconstructing it in a modified form on a site adjacent to the old No. 2 Police Station. Material from the old buidling was used where practicable with the whole work being completed in September 1932. The hose drying and drill tower was transferred to another site.

In 1932 and in subsequent years, the Annual Display of the Fire Brigade and Competition Drills took place in the compound of the new No. 2 Police Station. 

 

1929 Wanchai Reclamation -Fire Brigade Hose and Drill Tower

Location of the Temporary Wanchai Fire Station 1921-1932. Hose Tower in red rectangle.

1929 Wanchai Reclamation - Fire Brigade Hose and Drill Tower

 

1921 Wanchai Praya - Fire Brigade Hose and Drill Tower 

1921 Wanchai Praya - Fire Brigade Hose and Drill Tower

 

Submitted by tngan on Sun, 2011-12-25 23:44.

Hi there,

While going through Morrison's photos last week I think I saw one of it showed the site.  I will try to locate the photo and update.

Best Regards,

T

Submitted by WRX20K on Tue, 2012-10-23 23:43.

There was a fire station on
There was a fire station on
There was a fire station on end of Thomson Road. The location is now the Hennessy Road Goverment Primary School. I can find only the photo of the the building top and can not find the photo of the front. On the back there was a school named Hennessy Road Goverment (Hon Man) Primary School.

 

Submitted by moddsey on Sat, 2015-09-19 11:02.

Considering the location of the building in your photos was close to the old No. 2 Police Station at Wanchai and Johnston Roads in which the firemen were housed, it is possible that it was the site of the temporary Eastern (Wanchai) Fire Station from 1932 till 1941.  

That said, the new temporary fire station was a single storey structure and was relocated to a site adjacent to the old No.2 Police Station and faced Johnston Road. Building material from the old temporary fire station straddling O'Brien Road was used.

In 1939, there were plans after the new Eastern Fire Station was built (August/September 1941) at Hennessy Road and Canal Road East to retain the new temporary fire station for the Auxiliary Fire Service.

Submitted by moddsey on Wed, 2020-07-22 22:17.

The temporarary fire station at the eastern junction of Thomson and Johnston Roads can be viewed below:

Chung Wan, Wan Chai
chungwanwanchai.jpg, by Charlie Leung Chung-Yee