North Point Ferry Pier (East) [1963- ]

The Public Works Report for 1963 refers:

At North Point a new passenger ferry pier was completed and brought into use for services to Kowloon City and Hung Hom.

The east pier started operation in 1963 at the same time the Hunghom to north point pier moved from Gilles road to whampoa street. It had the Hunghom and Kowloon city lines. In 1979, after the west pier started operation, the lines were transferred to the west pier. It ran a Kwun Tong line instead. Quite likely it was a second generation pier. On 1999-4-1, YMT ferry stopped the service, On 1999-9-2, fortune ferry took over.

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On the roof of the North Point Ferry Pier (East), there was a non-descript structure of about 30 to 40 high at the end of the pier. This structure was occupied by the Marine Department (Harbour Office) and the staff there dealt with shipping at the eastern part of Victoria Harbour. My father worked at this location for several years from the time it started operations when construction of the pier was completed. 

Dear Eddie:

  I am also wondering what was that round building in front of the pier in the 1966 and 1971 pictures. It looked like a public restroom which kind of blocking the entrance to the pier. In case you know.

I remember that the round structure between the buses and the entrance of the pier was a hall used by bus drivers and other staff to rest and to have their meals. I don't remember if there was a public restroom inside this structure. There could well be because drivers had to answer the Call of Nature just like all of us!! There were restrooms inside the pier itself.     

I think it was a CMB staff canteen for the bus terminus and bus depot a few blocks south from here.

CMB's main bus depot was on King's Road about a 5-10 minute walk away, probably with its own canteen and rest area. The roundish structure outside the ferry pier was only a couple of 100 sq. ft at the most. It was more like a kiosk.  

Absolutely correct about the CMB staff quarters which were east of Kam Hong Street between Marble Road and Jave Road. To the east of the CMB bus depot, there were the Tramway Staff Quarters bounded by Tin Chiu Street, King's Road, Healthy Street West and Tsat Tze Mui Road. I must say that the staff of both public transport companies were pretty well cared for even back in those days. 

I remember queuing up for a while and waiting to board a No, 23 bus from North Point Ferry Pier to Pokfield Road. I saw CMB staff in bus uniforms leave the canteen and thought they would be our bus driver and conductor for the trip. Unfortunately, not to be. They appeared to be leaving the ferry pier and walking back to the depot.

The North Point Bus Terminal was really convenient as it had so many routes serving various parts of Hong Kong Island -- #s 8, 10, 23 and later #38. The ferries were also convenient, bringing us to Hung Hom, Kowloon City and Kwun Tong. After the cross harbour tunnel was opened, things changed a lot, but I still enjoyed the peaceful and leisurely ferry rides across Hong Kong's beautiful harbour.