Event Detail

25
Apr
2023

HK's Forgotten Reservoir - The Water Supply of Kowloon

Tymon Mellor
Tuesday, 25 Apr 2023
18:30 - 20:30
The Executive Centre - Level 35, Two Pacific Place

The near demolition of the forgotten century-old underground water reservoir at Bishop Hill in Shek Kip Mei, with its glorious cathedral-like arches, made headline news in December 2020.  With widespread calls for its preservation, it has now been designated as a Grade 1 historical building by the Antiquities Advisory Board. 

In this talk, Tymon Mellor discusses the pivotal role of water in the development of the Kowloon Peninsula.  He recounts the early history of Kowloon and its water supply, and the politics and the technical problems to be overcome.  The presentation uses archive maps, images and contemporary documents to show how the initial Kowloon water supply was planned and constructed covering the period of 1860 to 1910. 
 
This includes the historical and social context of Hong Kong around the early 1900s when the Shek Kip Mei reservoir was built.  He touches on the cultural significance and the architectural pertinence of this now-famous reservoir, reminiscent of great Roman reservoirs from two millennia before.
 
Tymon Mellor was educated at the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom.  He is a well-known Civil and Structural Engineer in Hong Kong, with over 30 years’ experience of working on major infrastructure and railway projects.  His experience covers tunnel design and construction, construction management, and engineering issues related to implementing modern railway systems.   He is presently a Director of Rollem Asia.  Tymon is an expert on Hong Kong’s urban development, particularly of its airports and water works, since the territory’s foundation in the 19th Century.


Members of the RGS, their guests and others are most welcome to attend this event, which is HK$200 for RGS Members and HK$250 for guests and others.
 

The Royal Geographical Society - Hong Kong wishes to express its thanks to
The Executive Centre as the Venue Sponsor of this talk.



The opinions expressed in this talk are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of the Royal Geographical Society - Hong Kong.

See other events in 2021