Location of North Point Bty | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Location of North Point Bty

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Location of North Point Bty
Submitted by Rob
Authors: 
The National Archives UK: WO 78/3984
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map
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Submitted by David on Mon, 2017-06-19 12:53.

Hi Rob, any chance this map is a bit later than 1879? I thought the other buildings shown weren't as old as that, but we can adjust their dates if the map is definitely from 1879.

Submitted by Rob on Mon, 2017-06-26 13:24.

The details I have on the North Point Bty come from three separate files in the National Archives at Kew. These involve duplications and varying dates, so I can't specifically say that map itself is of 1879 vintage, as it was undated. I used it to show the position of the guns and battery in 1879, in relation to North Point, as other plans only cover the battery itself, with no surrounding features.

In an unrelated file, with a map dated 1911, North Point Bty has no guns noted, and the only other common feature to both is the Bay View Hotel. The Royal Dutch Petroleum site, Oil Tanks, and Metropole Hotel do not appear. Does that confirm or confuse?

Submitted by David on Tue, 2017-06-27 12:52.

Thanks for the extra info. The Royal Dutch site was built in the late 1890s, so the map must be from then or later. Though the configuration of the battery shown on the map (1x7" RML, 2x9"RML, 1 howitzer) matches the earliest days of the battery, so I don't have an explanation for that!

As the original map is undated I'll clear its date here too.

Submitted by philk on Tue, 2017-06-27 15:12.
Would the Joss House be Lin Fa Kung? Position seems about right.

Submitted by Herostratus on Tue, 2017-06-27 15:16.

It's the Tin Hau Temple

Submitted by philk on Tue, 2017-06-27 16:49.

any chance of getting it added to the list of places associated with this map?

Submitted by moddsey on Tue, 2017-06-27 20:28.

China Mail dated 21 January 1882

"The permanent battery erected at North Point has now been completed, and it is in contemplation to mount there, during the course of next week, 5 wrough-iron M. L. R. 7 inch 6 1/2 ton guns."

Between 1920 and 1922, the Government acquired the North Point Battery site from the War Department. During the construction of Fort Street, 2 cannons that had been left behind by the Army were found and now displayed in the HK Museum of Coastal Defence.

Submitted by Admin on Wed, 2017-06-28 16:13.

"any chance of getting it added to the list of places associated with this map?"

Hi Phil, you have the power!

Users who've logged in can add a Place to any photo, regardless of whether they uploaded the photo or not. See the second video at https://gwulo.com/node/37329 for a quick how-to.

Submitted by philk on Wed, 2017-06-28 16:31.

well, colour me impressed. Just shows how much attention I pay sometimes.

Tin Hau Temple added.

Many thanks Herostratus and David