The Helena May turns 100: how an exclusive women's club earned its place in Hong Kong's history
Opened 100 years ago, the Helena May has been called many things, not all of them complimentary. Stuart Heaver finds out how the club established for women, by women, earned its place in Hong Kong's history.
Its name may be well known but, as the Helena May celebrates its centenary year, the club remains something of an enigma for many Hongkongers. The institution has been variously described as an exclusive ladies luncheon club, an important charitable body, a safe haven for young women, a harmless relic from the colonial era and even a "virgin's retreat".
The reality behind the impressive front doors of the distinctive purpose-built building at 35 Garden Road challenges many of the most deeply held and often misogynistic stereotypes about expatriate women in Hong Kong. The front doors that for decades were securely locked at 10.30pm to exclude unwanted (and wanted) male guests conceal a modern organisation for, and led by, women that has left an indelible mark on the social development of the city.
was opened, on September 12, 1916, by the wife of then governor Sir Henry May, it was a huge event, featured in all the local newspapers of the day, alongside coverage from Europe of the first world war.
"The formal opening was performed with a golden key in the presence of a large and representative gathering of ladies and gentlemen," reported the China Mail, which noted the speeches of principal benefactors Ho Kom-tong and Ellis Kadoorie, who donated HK$62,000 and HK$25,000, respectively. Ho's granddaughter, Sabrina Ho, is a current member who helps with tours of the club. Descendants of the May family will attend some of this year's centenary events, which include a children's fair, in June, and a "tux and tiara" ball, in September.
The use of Helena May's name was not just a courtesy, due to the status of Sir Henry. She was an invaluable source of charm and diplomacy for her husband - who, while widely regarded as a capable governor, was not over-endowed with charisma - but Helena also led the way in establishing the club, which had its origins in the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), the local branch of which had been founded in 1893 by British missionary Lucy Eyre but did not, at that time, provide accommodation.