The British Military Hospital was a hospital in Hong Kong for the use of the British garrison

Hong Kong Garrison

The Hong Kong Garrison was a British and Commonwealth force that protected Hong Kong.In December 1941 during the Battle of Hong Kong in the Second World War, the Japanese Army attacked Hong Kong and after a brief but violent series of engagements the garrison surrendered.- Kowloon Brigade :**C.O...

. It was located at Bowen Road for over 60 years, from 1907 to 1967. It was built between 1903 and 1906, and officially opened on 1 July 1907.

Often referred to simply as the Bowen Road Hospital, the first generation hospital was a 150 bed hospital constructed of red brick. It consisted of two blocks, each of 3 storeys, configured with wards and a central administrative block and had commanding views of the harbour

Victoria Harbour

Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea were instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent...

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During the Japanese occupation

Japanese occupation of Hong Kong

The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began after the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Young, surrendered the territory of Hong Kong to Japan on 25 December 1941 after 18 days of fierce fighting by British and Canadian defenders against overwhelming Japanese Imperial forces. The occupation lasted...

, a portion of the Hospital was used for the care of prisoners of war

Prisoner of war

A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...

. It continued in use until 1967, when it was turned over to the colonial government. The facility was moved to a site in Kowloon

Kowloon

Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...

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Post de-commissioning

Between 1967 and 1972, it became the temporary location for the new Island School

Island School

Island School is a co-educational non-profit international school in Hong Kong. The campus is situated in the Mid-Levels district of Hong Kong on 20 Borrett Road...

, which had obtained a 5-year lease from the Government. The east wing is now home to the (Jewish International) Carmel School, and the Canadian International School

Canadian International School of Hong Kong

Canadian International School of Hong Kong is a leading international school in Aberdeen, Hong Kong. Founded in 1991, CDNIS ranks as one of the city’s most esteemed and well-respected international schools, and is recognized as one of the leading schools in Asia...

 occupied the west wing of the building from 1994 to 1999, when the Canadian school moved to new premises in Aberdeen.

Former hospital buildings on the adjacent site on Borrett Road, vacated in 1969, were used by the Chinese International School

Chinese International School

Chinese International School is a private school offering the years Reception-Year 13 in Hong Kong. It is famous for its bilingual programme taught in English and Chinese , outstanding academic programme and excellent matriculation. Students come from diverse backgrounds, with over 30...

 during the 1980s. 10 Borrett Road became the first home to the West Island School, from 1991 to 1994, and is being used by the Island School.

In the 1986 Mid Levels Plan, the site was zoned to become open space. In May 2001, the Town Planning Board re-zoned it to "government, community and institutional use" on the recommendation of the Planning Department and the Antiquities and Monuments Office, allowing the buildings to be preserved.

King's Park

In 1967, a new 15-storey British Military Hospital was opened in the King's Park area, on a site to the east of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong

Queen Elizabeth Hospital , QE in short, is a hospital at King's Park in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was named after Queen Elizabeth II. The hospital is a major hospital in southern Kowloon. This hospital has around 1,800 beds. It has more or less 350 physicians and surgeons...

, to replace the Bowen Road Hospital. It used to provide medical treatment for servicemen and their dependants, and returning soldiers from Vietnam

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

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When the British armed forces suffered a 15% reduction between 1975 and 1978, the Government proposed to use the hospital as an overspill for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which was in undercapacity. It would buy bedspace and treatment from the Hospital, but the high cost was criticised as lacking in transparency, and unreasonably high.

Within the Joint Liaison Group

Sino-British Joint Liaison Group

Sino-British Joint Liaison Group or simply Joint Liaision Group was a meeting group between the Governments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the People's Republic of China after signing of Sino-British Joint Declaration , a treaty for the transfer of sovereignty of...

, there was a consensus to demolish it. It was officially closed on 30 June 1996 as the British Garrison scaled down from more than 10,000 personnel to about 3,000 due to the approach of 1997.

Post de-commissioning

Between 1996 and 1999, the Hospital was turned over to the Philippine Consulate-General as a refuge for dismissed domestic workers, for a token lease of HK$1.

The 7.4 hectare site had an estimated market value of HK$

Hong Kong dollar

The Hong Kong dollar is the currency of the jurisdiction. It is the eighth most traded currency in the world. In English, it is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively HK$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...

5.6 billion in 1995. The site is now a private housing estate

Private housing estate

A private housing estate is a term in Hong Kong that refers to a housing estate developed by a private developer, as opposed to a public housing estate built by the Hong Kong Housing Authority or the Hong Kong Housing Society. It usually is characterised with a cluster of high-rise buildings,...

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