Weather Radar

The Hong Kong Observatory's history with weather radar started in 1959 when a Decca 41 weather radar was first installed at Tate's Cairn (大老山), at an altitude of about 580 m above mean sea level

Typhoon Wanda, struck at about 8am, Saturday, September 1, 1962, was one of the most destructive typhoons in the history of Hong Kong.

This is the image of Wanda, captured by Decca 41.

Responsible for 130 fatalities and 600 injured, Wanda was the second worst typhoon in Hong Kong. The catastrophic typhoon that strike Hong Kong on September 2, 1937 killed 11,000 pepole!

Rubber Dam for Flood Control

Rubber dam for irrigation and flood control: 1978, Tai Po Tau (大埔頭), 37m x 38.1m, supplied by Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd.

Rubber Dam for Water Supply System

Rubber dam for water supply scheme: 1960s, Plover Cove (船灣淡水湖), three inflatable dams were constructed; these were also the first three ever constructed in Hong Kong.

Royal Nomenclature

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: 1978, granted by Queen Elizabeth II; title dropped in 1997

Royal Nomenclature

Hong Kong Yacht Club: 1894, granted by Queen Victoria; royal title remaining

Royal Nomenclature

Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers): 1951, granted by King George V; disbanded in September 1995

Royal Nomenclature - Police

Hong Kong Police: 1969, granted by Queen Elizabeth II; title dropped in 1997

Royal Nomenclature

Hong Kong Observatory: 1912, granted by King George V; title dropped in 1997

Royal Nomenclature

Hong Kong Golf Club: 1889, club founded with royal title granted by Queen Victoria; title dropped in 1996

Royal Nomenclature - Auxiliary Police

Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force: 1969, granted by Queen Elizabeth II; title dropped in 1997

Royal Nomenclature

Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force: 1951, granted by King George V; disbanded on April 1,1993.

Rolls Royce

Rolls Royce, running in Hong Kong: year unknown, model unknown, owned by Li Po Chun (李寶椿)

Rolls Royce

Rolls Royce fleet of owned by the Peninsula Hotel: 1970, seven Silver Shadow

Road

1844, Hollywood Road (荷李活道)

1908 photo of the corner of Hollywood Street and Wyndham Street. The building is the former headquarters and milk distributing centre of Dairy Farm Ice and Cold Storage Co, established in 1892. The present appearance of the southern section was the result of this extensive renovation which was completed in 1913. The building was gave to the government in 1980 and currently houses the Foreign Correspondents' Club (外國記者協會) and the Fringe Club in (藝穗會).

Rickshaw

1870, imported by American businessman from Japan


They were a popular form of transport for many years, peaking at more than 7,000 in the early part of the 20th century. These two modes vied for customers depending on their budget, haste, or terrain to be negotiated.

Reservoir

1863, the Pok Fu Lam Reservoir; expanded to current capacity of 68 million gallons in 1871


In 1863, the Pok Fu Lam Reservoir and the first water main from Pok Fu Lam Reservoir to Bonham Road was built. However, the storage capacity of the reservoir was reduced from the original 30 million gallons to 2 million gallons (equivalent to 9,000 m3). The Pok Fu Lam Reservoir could at best provide 4 days of water to the community. Once completed the reservoir was found to be grossly inadequate. In 1871 the expansion project of the Pok Fu Lam Reservoir was commenced. In 1877, after the completion of several expansion projects, the reservoir’s capacity had increased to 68 million gallons, which was 34 times of its capacity originally built.

Reservoirs in Hong Kong

Reservoir / year in supply / storage capacity (m3)
Pok Fu Lam / 1877 / 233,000
Tai Tam Upper / 1889 / 1,490,000
Tai Tam Byewash / 1904 / 80,000
Tai Tam Intermediate / 1907 / 686,000
Kowloon / 1910 / 1,578,000
Tai Tam Tuk / 1917 / 6,047,000
Shek Lei Pui / 1925 / 374,000
Reception / 1926 / 121,000
Aberdeen (2 Res.) / 1931 / 1,259,000
Kowloon Byewash / 1931 / 800,000
Shing Mun (Jubilee) / 1936 / 13,279,000
Tai Lam Chung / 1957 / 20,490,000
Shek Pik / 1963 / 24,461,000
Lower Shing Mun / 1965 / 4,299,000
Plover Cove / 1968 / 229,729,000
High Island / 1978 / 281,124,000

Photo caption: Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Masonry Bridge; grade II listed building

Regional Council (區域市政局)

1985, established to provide for the New Territories what the Urban Council did for Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.


Cheung Yan Lung, the first Chairman of the Regional Council