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19-472: In the early 1840s when Hong Kong was colonized, the present-day Admiralty was planned to be of military use, the navy situated at the seafront and the army back on the hillside. That leaves in-between a rather large, elongated piece of land. In the 1870s, the Admiralty Dock was built on that stretch of land. Prior to its construction, the then governor, Sir Arthur Kennedy discussed the possibility of running

38-557: A 183-metre graving dock, was completed by 1908. At the end of World War II, the Royal Navy re-established their naval base at Wellington Barracks , vacated by the British Army . On 28 November 1957, the Navy announced that the dockyard would be closed down over a 2-year period. However, in 1959, the Navy, which had retained some land on the waterfront, began planning a compact naval base on

57-594: A narrow public road through this land with the military officials but was rejected to protect military secrecy. Kennedy Road in the Mid-Levels was built as a replacement. Then for decades numerous attempts by different governors negotiating on this matter failed. After World War II, the navy strength of the British Empire in the far east diminished, hence this piece of land containing the Admiralty Dock amongst others

76-568: A new road built called Kapok Drive (now Cotton Tree Drive). These flyovers and slip roads opened in the late 1960s. From 28 September 2014 to 11 December 2014, the Umbrella Revolution took place. Harcourt Road, near to the Admiralty station , Government and Legislative Council Complex , transformed into Umbrella Square , was occupied for 79 days by pro-democracy protesters. On 12 June 2019, protesters took place on Harcourt Road to oppose

95-519: A point of land on Hong Kong Island , Hong Kong , south of Sulphur Channel . Its location is the shore off Pok Fu Lam Road and Queen's Road West in 1845, approximately the junction of Western Street and Des Voeux Road West near Western Police Station . This was the northernmost point on the western half of Hong Kong Island. The Hong Kong Government divided Victoria City into four wan (環), or districts. While West Point falls into Sai Wan , or Western District, major government structures like

114-451: Is a list of naval squadrons and fleets that called Tamar home: A list of facilities used or built by the Royal Navy in Hong Kong: A list of facilities used or built by the Royal Navy in Hong Kong: 22°16′51″N 114°9′56″E  /  22.28083°N 114.16556°E  / 22.28083; 114.16556 West Point, Hong Kong West Point ( Chinese : 西點 or 西角 ) was

133-661: The First Opium War to protect the opium traders. Sir Edward Belcher , aboard HMS Sulphur landed in Hong Kong on 25 January 1841. Possession Street still exists to mark the event, although its Chinese name is 水坑口街 ("Mouth of the ditch Street"). Commodore Sir Gordon Bremer raised the Union Jack and claimed Hong Kong as a colony on 26 January 1841. Naval store sheds were erected there in April 1841. The site had been referred to as

152-453: The "HM Victualling Yard" in the Navy's own register. The first naval storekeeper and agent victualler, Thomas McKnight, appointed on 21 March 1842, served until October 1849. Early maps show that major construction was also carried out at another, slightly more westward site, between 1845 and 1855. In fact, the naval authorities demolished the West Point store sheds and surrendered the land to

171-733: The British naval shore establishment in Hong Kong was de-commissioned. The last HMS Tamar on Stonecutters Island is now a government marine facility, now known as the Government Dockyard . The vacated site in Central, Hong Kong Central, now known as the Tamar site , became a valuable piece of real estate and after much debate as to how to best use the site has now become the location of the new Hong Kong Government's Central Government Complex . Post holders included: Post holders included: The following

190-510: The Central Barracks). HM Naval Base was relocated to the northern side of Stonecutter's Island , off Kowloon , prior to the handover in 1997. On 11 April 1997, just over a hundred years since HMS Tamar's definitive arrival for service as a base depot ship (the Tamar had arrived in Hong Kong for conversion on 30 September 1895) and just under a century after her commissioning on 1 October 1897,

209-631: The colonial government in 1854 in exchange for a plot of land where the Admiralty station of the Mass Transit Railway stands. The Second Opium War in China (1856–1860) caused a military build-up, in which the yard expanded westwards in April 1858. A victualling yard was added at what was then the North Barracks. Two officers were initially appointed as responsible for the machinery and spare parts, respectively, needed to maintain and repair ships in

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228-569: The dockyard, and for dry goods and foodstuff in the victualling yard. HMS Tamar , was a 3,650 ton British troopship laid down in 1862 and launched in 1863. She first visited Hong Kong in 1878 with reliefs crews, returned once in 1886. She finally arrived in Victoria City on 11 April 1897. She was stationed permanently in the harbour from 1897 to 1941, when she was scuttled during the Battle of Hong Kong during World War II, to avoid being used by

247-495: The extradition bill to China. 22°16′51″N 114°09′49″E  /  22.28085°N 114.16355°E  / 22.28085; 114.16355 Admiralty Dock HMS Tamar ( Chinese : 添馬艦 ) was the name for the British Royal Navy 's base in Hong Kong from 1897 to 1997. It took its name from HMS Tamar , a ship that was used as the base until replaced by buildings ashore. The British Navy arrived during

266-534: The first speed limit all over Hong Kong. In January 2019, the Central–Wan Chai Bypass opened, providing a parallel expressway route to Harcourt Road, Gloucester Road , Victoria Park Road and Connaught Road Central . The Harcourt Road Flyover at the western part of the road opened on 19 April 1966. To link Harcourt Road with Queen's Road East and Garden Road , the Albany Nullah was decked over and

285-480: The invading Japanese Imperial forces. At the turn of the 20th century, land adjacent to the site was needed for expansion. Unable to obtain it, as the site was surrounded by army barracks, the Navy began work on the construction of a floating basin (sheltered bay) and the reclamation of the east arm of the dockyard, in 1902. This project, involving 160,000 square metres of land reclamation , a 36,000 square metre floating basin to repair and refit vessels afloat, and also

304-593: The site. From 1959 to 1962, the Wellington Barracks were upgraded to better serve the colony and reflect the changing times for the Royal Navy in the Pacific region. Old naval buildings were demolished, and the rubble used as landfill for the reclamation of the dry dock in October 1959. The Royal Navy decided to demolish the Wellington Barracks and build a modern naval facility in Hong Kong. The Prince of Wales Building

323-563: Was completed in 1978 and became the headquarters of the new naval base, HMS Tamar . Shortly before the departure of British forces in 1997, the Tamar basin was reclaimed, and the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China occupied the Prince of Wales Building (now Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building, or collectively with other buildings and the area enclosed by walls,

342-483: Was named after Cecil Harcourt of the Royal Navy who received Hong Kong from Japan after World War II , on 7 April the same year. Harcourt Road was once a waterfront promenade. The road has serious safety problems; 13 car accidents happened at the same curve of the road within six months. Hence on 13 August 1962, a speed limit was placed that traffic cannot exceed 35 km/h when passing that curve; this happened to be

361-473: Was returned to the government. The Admiralty dock finally ceased operating in November 1959 and was demolished soon after. Due to the rapid development of Central and Wan Chai, traffic congestions occurs frequently in the area and diverting traffic uphill to Kennedy Road is inconvenient. So after the reclamation of parts of the dock, Harcourt Road was built and opened to public in 1961 to ease these problems. It

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