倒影 Still Water |
Harbour-master's Office, 2nd Generation (1861c - 31/7/1866)
中環商貿金融中心，水平如鏡，景緻優美，一份寧靜嘅感覺，由相片中滲透出來。Anthony Marr 收藏品，攝影師相信為 S.W. Haisey，時間約 1864年，或不遲於1865。見第二代「船政廳」（Harbour-master's Office ），位於今日匯豐銀行總行，如果將現址分成東面兩半部，就位於東半部西北角。
今集介紹「船政廳」所在地，不過先簡介場景。
照片見海旁地段 ML104 號，即皇后大道中壹號（獲利樓）、叁號（有利銀行）以及海傍道貳號。 ML104 號為歷代匯豐銀行總行所在，不過，銀行並非如大眾所述 1864年入伙，要到 65年8月1日，才正式搬入上址，匯豐網頁亦有所誤。64年拍攝時，物業已經由 Arthur Abraham David Sassoon (25 May 1840 – 13 March 1912) 代表巴斯家族沙宣洋行（David Sassoon Sons & Co） 持有 。三座建築均落成於1857、58年左右，前舖後倉。當時所有公司正門，係由大道中一面為入口，另一面海傍，並非對客，而是供船隻上落貨物的接口。公司將海傍一面作為門面，係後來要到廿世紀初才普遍。明白呢個道理，大家熟悉，所謂第一代匯豐大樓嘅海傍建築，其實係 1867年，拆卸海傍道貳號貨倉後改建而成，而該新建多層建築，應該係後座用作職員宿舍以及出租之用，並非匯豐銀行寫字樓。至少對第一、二代而言，匯豐銀行辦公大樓正面，係皇后大道中一面。
而現今第四代匯豐銀行總行，同時包括「獲利樓」所在的地皮 （海旁地段104號），以及前大會堂西翼（內地段3566號）。照片見「顛地」噴泉，大致為今日銀行街，近皇后大道口。即是話，噴泉行出海堤（今日德輔道中），再轉左沿電車路行到海傍道貳號盡頭，即今日匯豐銀行總行地盤所在。內地段3566號約 122呎5吋，海旁地段104號約125呎，兩者大致等寬。
至於現今渣打銀行總行 (then ML103)，即照片中皇后大道中伍號 以及海傍道叁號，業主 #禪臣行 (G.T. Siemssen, estab. 1848)。今日「衡怡大廈」(Henley Building, partial ML102) ，即當年皇后大道中柒號。至於「皇九」連商場 Gallery (IL514, ML101 & partial ML102)，即當代大道中玖、拾壹號以及 海傍道肆號。
(A)： [ 第二代 「船政廳」 ]
第二代 「船政廳」（Harbour-master's Office ），位於新寶靈海傍 （Bowring Praya） #大草埔 之上，與 #獲利樓 (Wardley House) 為鄰，以一條無名巷分隔（見照片）。
該幅地皮，早在 1856年填平，57年3月14日，署理量地官 Thomas Larkin Walker 曾推售但流標，之後一直丟空變成草皮。58年，政府又有意將「船政廳」遷離「畢打山」，其實該部門轄下「三板廠」( 舢舨 sampan ; boathouse) 地皮，早已於56年7月21日拍賣（與地契 57年起有岐異），即雪廠街以東 IL514（部份見照片右一。今日部份皇九商場 Galleria）。所以，58年9月7日，量地官招標，於畢打碼頭新填地，興建一所新「船政廳」連「三板廠」，但結果又不了了之。 就在此時，58年下半年(7月或以後)，Pierre Joseph Rossier 於「大草埔」，拍下香港第一批風景相，見此時有一間寮屋，就近往後第二代 「船政廳」，好大可能，寮屋就係臨時「船政廳三板廠」。
將「船政廳」遷離「畢打山」需求持續，當中包括有「裁判司署」( Police Magistrates )重建計劃，見1859年4月：
In reference to the Magistrates' Courts referred to in April, 1859 , and the intention of the Government to pull them down and rebuild them, the Chief Magistrate's Court, it is recorded, was at this time removed to the Harbour Master's old office on the hill in order to allow the work to be carried out. As in the case of the Supreme Court House, the Police Courts continued to be a matter of complaint for a considerable time, and it is interesting to note at this stage what was but recently said upon the subject by a local organ of public opinion (Norton Kyshe)
拖延近一年，60年 3月9日港府再次招標，要興建新「船政廳」及其「三板廠」，知道今次招標工程，最終成事。公告並冇說明，今次工程地盤究竟係邊處。好在，同年 1860年有一張地圖，題為 "City of Victoria shewing the New Pray"。圖中有個細位，值得細味，當中有人用黑筆加插上一個細框，內有筆記 "HM" 字樣。顧名思義，即 Harbour-master 「船政廳」縮寫。黑框位置即今日邊處？如果將今日匯豐總行分成東西兩半，即是東半部（即今日 IL3566）西北角落，亦即是照片所見第二代 「船政廳」。換句話說，並非現今中國銀行大廈位置，丁新豹 就位置上有誤。
工程招標一個多月後，60年4月16日，畢打山「船政廳」亦終由「顛地洋行」（ Dent & Co. ）投得，成為地政編號 IL617。當大家對 第二代「船政廳」始於何年，感到毫無頭緒，只要將零碎片段，按時序重排列一次，加上建築期，就大致推論出，建成時間約 1861年，或不遲於 62年。換句話說， Arnold Wright 就興建時間上有誤。
(B)： [ 籌建大會堂 ]
1860年7月，本港商家對公共事務投入更多，先係鐘樓 (Clock Tower) 以及海員俱樂部 (Sailors' Home)。當時籌備委員會成員有：
- John Dent (Dent & Co)
- Charles Brodersen (Pustau & Co.)
- J. H. Beckwith (Jardine, Matheson & Co)
- Douglas Lapraik (Lapraik & Co)
- George Lyall (Lyall, Still & Co)
- C. St. G. Cleverly (surveyor general 官委)
1861年尾，開始討論興建一所服務市民的劇院會堂 （Theatre and Assembly Room），即日後城市大會堂。除招股集資以及政府支持， 63年7月10日，香港唱詩會 （Choral Society 62年成立 。前身為 Madrigal Society 牧歌會）舉辦首個籌款音樂會眾籌。
At the close of the year 1861, the erection of a 'Theatre and Assembly Room' was publicly discussed, a provisional Committee was appointed to make all preliminary arrangements and plana were exhibited at the Club in October 1862, calculated on an expenditure of $34,000. The name of the ' City Hall,' and the combination in one building of a theatre, a library and a suite of assembly rooms, having been agreed upon, the Government made a free grant of the site (February 23, 1864). At a public meeting (May 19, 1864) it was stated that a sum of $20,000 had been obtained by donations, subscriptions and concerts that, a further sum of $80,000 being required, shares had been offered at $100 each ; that Mr. Robert Jardine had generously taken up shares to the amount of $50,000, and that there remained shares of the face value of $30,000 to be taken up by the public. (europe in china, History of Hong Kong, eitel)
大會堂籌建委員會 （Provisional Committee）包括如下：
- Alexander Turing (Dent & Co.)
- Charles W. Murray (Oriental Bank Corporation, Canton 1855; Birley & Co., 1861)
- Henry Noble (United Service Bank 丹拿銀行)
- The Hon. W.H. Rennie (for the Colonial Secretary, 1864 官委)
- R. C. R. Owen, (Hon. Secretary of Sailor’s Home)
- Edward Hutchinson Pollard, Q.C. （著名大律師）
- Charles Frederick Still (Lyall, Still & Co)
- Edward Webb, (Dent & Co)
1863年尾，John Dent 建成並捐獻一座噴泉（Drinking Fountain）予香港。同時12月，大會堂籌建委員會 （Provisional Committee）公佈大會堂初步方案，並透露選址曷公司（A. Heard & Co 上海：瓊記。今日前法國外方傳道會大樓）對落「船政廳」的困難。
The principle difficulty connected with this undertaking has been to procure a site that should be at once suitable for the purpose, and in the gift of Government; it being obvious that the present high value of Land within the limits of the City made it impossible that any sum of money, which the Committee could expect to command, would prove adequate if ground had to be purchased.
An application for a site at the western corner of the Parade Ground, immediately under Messrs. A. Heard & Co.'s office, was promptly and liberally conceded, but, before any formal grant of the Land had been made, it was fortunately discovered that difficulties, previously thought insuperable, to the occupation of the piece of ground now partially occupied by the Harbour Master's Office, were susceptible of removal, and the Committee have the satisfaction of stating that a recommendation for a grant of that site (undoubtedly the most eligible for the purposes of a City Hall in the whole Colony) has, with the approval of the Military Authorities, been forwarded by the local Government to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and that the position of the Drinking Fountain (presented to the City by Mr. John Dent, and now in course of erection) has been determined with special reference to the dimensions and situation of the proposed Building...
...The Provisional Committee in concluding their present report, have thankfully to acknowledge the receipt of various amounts from Mr. John Dent, Mr. C.F. Still, Mr. Edward Webb, the late Mr. Angus Fletcher, the Choral Society of Hongkong and the Trustees of the St. Andrew's School. For their Subscriptions will be received by either of the Trustees - Messrs. Turing, Noble and Owen.
(Circular of the Provisional Committee , 31st December 1863)
港府最終確認選址「船政廳」地皮。1866年8月1日，「船政廳」大樓停止運作，辦事處遷到 Praya West。66年10月28日，大會堂委員會公告股東，有關大會堂建築工程招標最終結果，而第二代 「船政廳」，亦於67年初完成拆卸。大會堂要到 1869年，才由愛丁堡公爵主持開幕禮。
Crumbtracker, FB 21/9/2024
延伸閱讀：-
Alves : "Plan of Victoria Hongkong, from Green Island to North Point, together Sookunpoo, Pokefoolum, the Peninsular of Kowloon, Stone Cutter Island and the Harbour" (1863)
顛地噴泉 1864 - 由皇后大道中望返海面
[ 辨別初代「獲利樓」位置及周邊 ]
[ 初代「獲利樓」]
[Dent‘s Fountain - Who’s Who] (1 of 3)
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