When Hong Kong’s old General Post Office made way for a modern building on Central reclamation
The new, mechanised General Post Office that opened in 1976 is now as much of a landmark as its stunning late-Victorian predecessor. It will also meet the same fate, as demolition looms for the 42-year old structure
“Green Light For Planning of G.P.O.,” ran a South China Morning Post headline on February 28, 1963.
“The Public Works Department has been given authority to plan the Colony’s new General Post Office building […] on the Central Reclamation,” the story continued.
The new building would replace the existing GPO – situated in a Victorian structure on the corner of Pedder Street and Des Voeux Road – which was too small for the colony’s growing postal needs. Progress was slow, however.
“The new General Post Office in Central will boast one of the world’s most modern systems of mechanisation,” reported the Post on February 19, 1973, adding that “The British Post Office will be engaged to give expert advice on the mechanised requirements.” The story explained that the postal centre would boast 15,000 post office boxes over 150,000 square feet, compared with 6,700 boxes in the existing building.
On March 12, 1973, the Post reported, “Whatever nostalgic whims the public may have about Hongkong’s venerable General Post Office building […] the administrators and staff cannot move out of it fast enough.” On March 12, the Postquoted postmaster general M. Addi as saying: “We hope to move into our new Central Post Office building in 1975 and if the present building withstands all the pile-driving that has been going on recently we shall be lucky.”
Despite Addi’s concerns, the old building remained standing until its replacement was inaugurated on August 11, 1976.
