 Western section of Barker Road, seen from the Peak Tower | |
| Length | 1,730 metres (5,660 ft) |
|---|---|
| Location | Victoria Peak, Hong Kong |
| Construction | |
| Completion | 1898 |
Barker Road is a road located on Victoria Peak, Hong Kong at an altitude of approximately 350 metres (1150 ft) above sea level with a length of about 1,7 km (1,1 mi). It starts from the Old Peak Road (below the Peak Tram Upper Terminus) and ends at Magazine Gap on Peak Road.
The road was named after George Digby Barker, a former military commander and acting administrator of Hong Kong between May and December 1891.
The road opened in 1898. The Public Works Department reported in its Annual Report for 1898 [1]
The Barker Road leading from Plantation Road to Magazine Gap was also completed in the year and opened for traffic, the total cost being $26,880.00. The length of this road is 5,660 feet and the ruling gradient 2 in 40, while the steepest gradients being 1 in 20 make it available for rickshaw traffic. […]
Long before completion, the road became a favourite evening walk and already three large building sites have been sold, and the erection of one European residence is well advanced.
From this report it can be seen that Barker Road originally started at Plantation Road close to the Barker Road station (then Plantation Road station). Later the part from the station to the (Old) Peak Road was renamed from Plantation to Barker Road.
On the western end of Barker Road the Barker Road stop of the Peak Tram is located. The tram runs over Barker Road on a bridge creating a narrow tunnel.
Barker Road is located on the steep slopes of Mount Gough. From all lots residents have an undisturbed view onto Victoria Harbour making it a very expensive location. For that reason and due to the difficult terrain not too many houses have been built there. Most houses have been renewed since the first one was built on one lot, so today’s houses mainly are second or third generation.
The following houses are there today (1/2019):
| Barker Road No. | Name of the house | Date of occupation [2] | Generation No. [3] |
| 1 | Barker Road Podium | approx. 2005 | 2 |
| 2 | Sky Court | 1992 | 3 |
| 3 | Residence of the US Consul General | 1987 | 2 |
| 8 | Trollstua | 1945 | 1 |
| 11 | Commanders Residence (Headquarters House) | ? | 2 |
| 12 | Bracken Hill | 1953 | 2 |
| 15 | Victoria House | 1951 | 2 |
| 17 | Victoria Flats | 1923 | 1 |
| 22 | - | 2017 demolished | 2 |
| 23 | Cragside Mansion | 1975 | 2 |
| 27 | Altadena House | 1974 | 2 |
| 28 | Knightsbridge Court | 2013 | 3 |
| 31 | Richmond Houses | 2003 | 3 |
| 35 | Falconridge | 2018 | 3 |
| 37 | - | 1985 | 1 |
| 41 | Barker Villa | 1974 | 1 |
| 43 | Haking Mansions | 2001 | 2 |
| 47 | Villa Blanca | 2016 demolished | 2 |
| Barker Road stop | 1888/1919 | 1 | |
| 51 | Epworth Lodge | 1949 | 2 |
Odd numbers are uphill of Barker Road, even numbers downhill.
The most prominent building on Barker Road was Victoria Hospital. It was located at 15-17, Barker Road. It opened in 1903. In 1923, a maternity ward was added, this is today’s Victoria Flats – the only about 100 years old building on Barker Road. During World War II, the hospital was damaged and looted afterwards. In 1947, the hospital was demolished as it was beyond repair. [4] On this place, Victoria House was built in 1951.
Wan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to the south. The area north of Gloucester Road is often referred to as Wan Chai North.
Victoria Peak is a hill on the western half of Hong Kong Island. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak. With an elevation of 552 m (1,811 ft), it is the highest hill on Hong Kong island, ranked 31 in terms of elevation in Hong Kong.
The Peak Tram is a funicular railway in Hong Kong, which carries both tourists and residents to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island. Running from Garden Road Admiralty to Victoria Peak via the Mid-Levels, it provides the most direct route and offers good views over the harbour and skyscrapers of Hong Kong. Operated since 1888, it was the first funicular railway in Asia.
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Kennedy Road is a road in the Mid-Levels on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is named after Arthur Kennedy, the seventh governor of Hong Kong.
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Mountain Lodge was the former summer residence of the Governor of Hong Kong on Victoria Peak on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The second building was a two-storey Renaissance style home and was demolished in 1946. The site is now the Victoria Peak Garden, a public park. The Gate Lodge, which originally served as living quarters for the keeper of Mountain Lodge, is still extant.
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Hong Kong's original Peak District was named the "Hill District". It included Mount Austin, Mount Gough, Mount Kellett and the area around Magazine Gap. Many homes were for summer use only, to escape the heat of Central, and were referred to as "bungalows". Over time, they were given names, especially when the bungalows were rebuilt in brick or stone as substantial mansions, allowing them to better withstand the damage from typhoons. The accessible land on the Peak was first divided by Government into plots called Farm Lots (FL). Later, Rural Building Lots (RBL) were introduced. All lots were numbered in the order they were made available to the public. By this we can see how The Peak developed.
Garden Road is the lower terminus of the Peak Tram line. It is located on the bottom floor of the St. John's Building on Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong, 28m above sea level.
Barker Road is an intermediate station on the Peak Tram funicular railway line, and is located on Barker Road in the Peak, Central and Western District, Hong Kong, 363 metres (1,191 ft) above sea level. The station opened in 1888 along with the tramline. At this time it was named Plantation Road station as Barker Road was built not before 1898. Today, Barker Road itself passes under the tramway at the uphill end of the station on a bridge.
The Peak Lookout is a restaurant located in a heritage house at Victoria Gap, near the summit of Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is housed in a 19th-century Grade II Historic Building. Originally known as the Old Peak Café, the restaurant has an open terrace overlooking Aberdeen, Pok Fu Lam Country Park and the South China Sea. The Peak Lookout at Terminal 1 of the Hong Kong International Airport opened in November 2012.
The Hongkong Electric Company is one of Hong Kong's two main electricity generation companies, the other being China Light & Power. The company is owned by several companies including Power Assets Holdings, Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings and Qatar Investment Authority. It was the first company to provide electricity in Hong Kong, having run continually since the 19th century.
Several police buildings in Hong Kong are listed as historic monuments. While some of them are still serving their initial purpose, most of them have been decommissioned and have been redeveloped or are awaiting redevelopment.
Lugard Road is a road located on Victoria Peak, Hong Kong, named after Sir Frederick Lugard, Governor of Hong Kong from 1907 to 1912. Located some 400 metres (1,300 ft) above sea level, the road is a popular walking path that forms part of the Hong Kong Trail, and is known for spectacular vistas over Victoria Harbour.
Oi Yuen Villa is a privately owned villa located in Kwu Tung, Sheung Shui, Hong Kong. The building has been listed as a Grade I historic building since June 2017.
Victoria Hospital was a hospital in Hong Kong. Previously called Victoria Jubilee Hospital, the hospital was named to commemorate the jubilee of Queen Victoria. The foundation stone for the hospital was laid on 22 June 1897. Operation commenced on 7 November 1903 and in December 1947. The hospital buildings were severely damaged during the Second World War and it was decided that the buildings should be demolished to make way for civil servant housing.
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