Chinese School, circa 1848

A fine early view of Hong Kong, dateable to the first decade of colonisation, and apparently pre-dating the erection of St John's Cathedral (1849). Hong Kong was given to the British by the Treaty of Nanking in January 1841, and the island under British rule soon became the preferred entrepôt of western traders, replacing Canton. The development of the waterfront and slopes above proceeded at a rapid pace with the first Governor, Sir Henry Pottinger, overseeing long term building projects and awarding land grants. Amongst the first landmarks would be buildings for the military, Murray Barracks (1843) and Head Quarter House (1846), later re-named Flagstaff House in 1932, both of which have survived.