The Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company was founded in 1866 by
Douglas Lapraik and
Thomas Sutherland. It was located on the west Kowloon coast between
Hung Hom and
Tai Wan, facing
Hung Hom Bay in the
Victoria Harbour. The company was known variously as
Hong Kong Kowloon and Whampoa Dock Company,
Kowloon Docks, and
Whampoa Dock. "Whampoa" is derived from the
romanized name of the harbor located at
Huangpu Island, adjacent to the city of
Guangzhou, which was previously romanized as
Canton, where the company owned another dockyard. On the eve of
Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the dockyard was heavily bombarded by Japanese
aircraft due to its importance, causing many
casualties. In the mid-1960s, the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company was controlled by
Douglas Clague through
Hutchison International but he was forced to leave following financial difficulties with Hutchison International. Hutchison International was acquired by
Li Ka Shing's Cheung Kong Holdings and eventually merged with Whampoa to become
Hutchison Whampoa. In 1985, the dockyard land was transformed into a
private housing estate, the
Whampoa Garden, the second-largest private housing estate in Hong Kong, after
Mei Foo Sun Chuen. The only portion of the dockyard that exists is Bulkeley Street. The dockyard is now part of the Whampoa Garden site residential complex. The dockyard operations merged with
Swire's
Taikoo Dockyard on the Island to become
Hongkong United Dockyards on the new territories western shore of
Tsing Yi Island Wok Tai Wan.
Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock helped converted
Hong Kong Tramways second and third generation tram cars built by
United Electric and English Electric. These cars were eventually retired from 1924 to 1930 as the fourth-generation cars were introduced. Other facilities: • Hope Dry Dock in
Aberdeen, opened 1867. ==Ships==