The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

The Hong Kong International Airport, Kai Tak was opened in 1930 and closed on 6 July 1998. The exhibition seeks to record the development and appearance of the Airport during different periods of time with selected archival records, maps, plans and photographs of the Public Records Office (PRO) of the Government Records Service. Through this exhibition, we can recall our memory about the place where we reunited with or bade farewell to our family members and friends as well as reviewing the development of the airport.

Starting from 19 December 2011, this exhibition will be open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. from Mondays to Fridays (except public holidays) in our Exhibition Hall on 2/F., Hong Kong Public Records Building, 13 Tsui Ping Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon. Admission is free. Complementing the on-site exhibition, an online Reference Resource Page has been developed. It consists of four parts: Timeline, Reference List, Image Gallery and Game. These are useful educational resources for liberal studies, history and civic education and both teachers and students can easily access the Reference Resource Page through the GRS website (www.grs.gov.hk) .

Reference Resource Page of the Exhibition of Archival Holdings on the Kai Tak Airport

The Government Records Service is pleased to announce the launch of a new Educational Resources Portal (www.grs.gov.hk/ws/erp/en/home/index.html) in July 2011. Designed to promote the use of documentary heritage in teaching and studying, the Portal aims to assist teachers to develop their own teaching materials from the holdings of the Public Records Office, give suggestions to students on the search strategy for school projects and provide reference materials in relation to the secondary school curriculum. The Portal consists of five sections: Lessons and Plans, Online Exhibitions, Highlights of PRO Holdings, Digitised Holdings and Game. You are welcome to visit the Portal where you will find a wide variety of historical photographs, documents, posters and useful topical guides and search hints.

New additions to the archives of the Government Records Service :
TNA records relating to Hong Kong

To enhance its existing archival holdings, the Public Records Office (PRO) of the Government Records Service has recently acquired from the National Archives (TNA) of the United Kingdom 693 archival records relating to Hong Kong. These archival records, in the form of microfilm copies and put under six records series, will be available for public inspection starting from 11 October 2010. Members of public are welcome to visit the Search Room of the PRO to inspect these records which have already been included in our online catalogue: http://www.grs.gov.hk/ws/english/ps_online_cata_ar.htm. A brief description of these new archival records is given below.

Brief description of the new additions

The 693 records are selected from six records series of TNA, namely "CO 537: Colonial Office and predecessors: Confidential General and Confidential Original Correspondence", "CO 967: Colonial Office: Private Office Papers", "CO 968: Colonial Office and Commonwealth Office: Defence Department and successors: Original Correspondence", "CO 1035: Colonial Office: Intelligence and Security Departments: Registered Files", "FCO 21: Foreign Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Far Eastern Department: registered Files", "FCO 40: Commonwealth Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Hong Kong Departments: Registered Files, Hong Kong, British Honduras, British Indian Ocean Territories and the Seychelles". They are now grouped into six corresponding records series under the Hong Kong Manuscript Series (HKMS) of PRO, as follows -

HKMS 184: Microfilm of Confidential General and Confidential Original Correspondence, Colonial Office

This series comprise 177 files selected from CO 537: Colonial Office and predecessors: Confidential General and Confidential Original Correspondence. They are related to political, intelligence, security and social-economic matters involving Hong Kong. The covering period of most of the files is from 1945 to 1952.

HKMS 185: Microfilm of Private Office Papers, Colonial Office

This series comprise 14 files selected from CO 967: Colonial Office: Private Office Papers. They are related to the appointment of Hong Kong governors, colonial administration in war-time etc. The covering period of these records is between 1941 and 1964.

HKMS 186: Microfilm of Original Correspondence, Defence Department and successors, Colonial Office and Commonwealth Office

This series comprise 31 files selected from CO 968: Colonial Office and Commonwealth Office: Defence Department and successors: Original Correspondence. They are related to defence and security matters of Hong Kong from 1941 to 1965.

HKMS 187: Microfilm of Registered Files (ISD Series) of Intelligence & Security Departments, Colonial Office

This series comprise 6 files selected from CO 1035: Colonial Office: Intelligence and Security Departments: Registered Files. The subjects of these files touch on intelligence service, trade and cultural relations with Soviet Bloc, etc. The covering period of the files is between1955 to1965.

HKMS 188: Microfilm of Registered Files of Far Eastern Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

This series comprise 85 files selected from FCO 21: Foreign Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Far Eastern Department: registered Files. They cover various subjects including internal political situation in Hong Kong, UK policy towards Hong Kong, future of Hong Kong, Kowloon Walled City etc. The covering period of files in this series is from 1967 to 1978.

HKMS 189: Microfilm of Registered Files of Hong Kong Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

This series comprise 380 files selected from FCO 40: Commonwealth Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Hong Kong Departments: Registered Files, Hong Kong, British Honduras, British Indian Ocean Territories and the Seychelles. They are related to Hong Kong's internal affairs from 1967 to 1974.

For enquiries, please contact PRO of the Government Records Service (Tel : 2195 7728)