1940s Boats Alongside Praya Central | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

1940s Boats Alongside Praya Central

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1940s Boats Alongside Praya Central
Submitted by moddsey. View the original image on Flickr.
Authors: 
emmyeustace
Tags: 
Navy
kowloon
Hong Kong
double decker bus
governor
praya central
hong kong club
swire building
Butterfield
electra house
mercury house

Boats alongside Praya Central, The Hong Kong Club and Butterfield and Swire Building can be seen.

Date picture taken (may be approximate): 
Saturday, January 1, 1949
Gallery: 
1940s Hong Kong
Connections: 
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Comments

Submitted by marlowe on Sat, 2014-01-11 12:37.

It's not 1934, the  cars in the background are 1940s.
from right to left; the Hong Kong Club,
a gap where a building has been demolished (is that the extension to the Hong Kong club?), another building, both of which were demolished for Mercury House (1950)
and the Butterfield and Swire Building,
Queen's Building isn't visible 

Submitted by moddsey on Sat, 2014-01-11 13:02.
You are right. Well spotted! Isn't the 3 storey building the B & S Building?

Submitted by marlowe on Sat, 2014-01-11 16:11.

Yes, the 3 story building on the end is the B&S building,
I haven't found a name for the building next to it, but it wasn't demolished until years later. (got that one wrong).
The gap is for Mercury House, which opened in 1950, and the extension for the Hong Kong club is behind it on Chater Road.
Alun

Submitted by moddsey on Sat, 2014-01-11 19:04.
I remember looking at the Harrison Forman photos and the name of the building may be the New Oriental Building. What you reckon?

Submitted by HO Lim-peng on Mon, 2014-01-13 07:13.

Agree, from the vehicles, much  more likely 1940s.

An intersting vignette. The boat seems to be an RN whaler, rowed entirely by naval officers in formal rig. This sort of thing is done when Admirals hand over command and are rowed ashore, and possibly at service weddings . I am puzzled by what looks like a large English flag (St. George's) at the bow, and the lack of White Ensign at the stern (mandatory for a naval boat underway in  foreign port)

Submitted by David on Mon, 2014-01-13 21:40.

Hi, the gap where Electra House / Mercury House will stand helps narrow it down. If you check the page for Electra House / Mercury House (http://gwulo.com/node/4200), we have a completion date of 1950. And if you look at the "Previously at this location" there, the previous building on the site was demolished in 1948.

Regards, David