1961 Doug Brentlinger's photos

Doug took this photo from close to 24-24A Repulse Bay Road, looking across the DWB Golf Course to the southern end of Shouson Hill, the mound rising out of the water behind the tree. I couldn’t get the same angle due to tree growth, so took the one below from close-by. The Golf Club, Club House has been much extended over the years, but not the Victoria Rowing Club, on the waters edge to the left of the Club House in Doug's photo, mainly obscured by trees in the 2012 photo.

Superman Li paying $6.3M for No. 79 sounds like a misprint.  In 1960 No. 6 Black's Link (land only) cost $350,000 and No. 1 Repulse Bay sold in '66 for $700,000.

Not sure if he owned it in the '61 picture, but No. 80 is the S F Hui residence today and permission was granted for redevelopment.

The house above and slightly right of No. 71 (in between the leaves that got in the picture) was No. 66.  Although it was redeveloped into six-townhouses only in 1990, I see a 1979 Land Registry record for $11.5M. 

If the townhouses at No. 66 were occupied in Aug 1990, I think the demolition of the old house would not have been as early as 1985.  If I had to guess, the building on the site of the Submarine Cable Station was a house. 

Development permission for No. 80 was granted in 2014 or late 2013.  I don't know that work has started.

Yes, $650,000 for the Li house sounds inline with other properties from that era.