Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock

Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock was a Hong Kong dockyard, once among the largest in Asia.

History

The Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company was founded in 1866 by Douglas Lapraik and Thomas Sutherland.[1] It was located on the west Kowloon coast between Hung Hom and Tai Wan, facing Hung Hom Bay in the Victoria Harbour.

The company was known variously as Hong Kong Kowloon and Whampoa Dock Company, Kowloon Docks, and Whampoa Dock. "Whampoa" is derived from the romanized name of the harbor located at Huangpu Island, adjacent to the city of Guangzhou, which was previously romanized as Canton, where the company owned another dockyard.

On the eve of Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the dockyard was heavily bombarded by Japanese aircraft due to its importance, causing many casualties.

In the mid-1960s, the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company was controlled by Douglas Clague through Hutchison International but he was forced to leave following financial difficulties with Hutchison International. Hutchison International was acquired by Li Ka Shing's Cheung Kong Holdings and eventually merged with Whampoa to become Hutchison Whampoa. In 1985, the dockyard land was transformed into a private housing estate, the Whampoa Garden, the second-largest private housing estate in Hong Kong, after Mei Foo Sun Chuen. The only portion of the dockyard that exists is Bulkeley Street. The dockyard is now part of the Whampoa Garden site residential complex.

The dockyard operations merged with Swire's Taikoo Dockyard on the Island to become Hongkong United Dockyards on the new territories western shore of Tsing Yi Island Wok Tai Wan.

Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock helped converted Hong Kong Tramways second and third generation tram cars built by United Electric and English Electric. These cars were eventually retired from 1924 to 1930 as the fourth-generation cars were introduced.

Other facilities:

• Hope Dry Dock in Aberdeen, opened 1867.

Ships

Ships built at this yard include:

• Leyte (1887) gunboat with Spanish and later USN gunboat.
• Manok (1930) Built for La Naviera Filipina, Inc., Cebu, Philippine Islands. Capsized and sank between Silinog and Aliguay Islands off Dapitan, and Apo Island off Dumaguete on Aug 5, 1941.
• Foo-mun-tsai (1881); Built for the Qing government's Canton Customs Authority.[2]
• USS Mariveles (1886)
• Con-rong (1887); French steamer.[2]
• Mellong (1901); Steamer built for German company Norddeutscher Lloyd for river use around Bangkok.[2]

See also

• Cosmopolitan Dock