Letters | Hong Kong unearths Kowloon’s forgotten past in precious relic of early urbanisation
- From wells and streams to pumping stations and on to reservoirs and filter beds, the evolution of Kowloon’s waterworks was driven by urbanisation
- The Bishop Hill reservoir reveals the peninsula’s forgotten past and must be preserved
Urbanisation is undoubtedly intertwined with a stable and hygienic water supply. The reservoir at Bishop Hill, as a part of the Kowloon Waterworks Gravitation Scheme, should be interpreted as a relic of Kowloon’s initial development. Beside its long history and architectural merits, people should also be acquainted with its historical significance in bearing witness to the peninsula’s early growth, which helps to justify its conservation.
The townscape of then “Kaulung” (the part of Kowloon Peninsula south of present-day Boundary Street) was rather primitive in the initial years after it was ceded to the British Empire in 1860. It was deployed as a military base and had a limited population of around 4,000 in 1871. As it was not equipped with a public water supply system, residents acquired water from wells or streams.
The peninsula’s subsequent growth gave rise to the need to enhance its waterworks. The population of Kowloon doubled every decade during the 1870s to the 1900s. The surge could be mainly attributed to the flourishing trading, shipping and boatbuilding industries. Job opportunities hence arisen attracted migrants.
To keep pace with such growth, three wells were constructed in the north of Yau Ma Tei in 1895. A pumping station supplied water to households with meters installed. These were the first waterworks in Kowloon and laid the foundation for the present water tariff system. Despite its historical value, the pumping station was demolished.