The Helena May main building

Garden Road facade of the Helena May main building.
The library

The Helena May main building (Chinese: 梅夫人婦女會主樓) is a declared monument of Hong Kong home to the Helena May, a private member club located at No. 35 Garden Road, in Central of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong.[1] The present day building structure remains largely unchanged from its original building structure from 1914.

History

Constructed in 1914, the building was officially opened on 12 September 1916 by Lady May, daughter of Lieutenant General George Digby Barker, British Commanding Officer in China and Hong Kong from 1890 to 1895, as a respite for unaccompanied women arriving in Hong Kong.[2] In 1891, Helena Barker married Sir Francis Henry May, who would become Governor of Hong Kong in 1912. [3]

During World War II, the building was occupied by Axis Japanese forces and later requisitioned by the Royal Air Force at the end of the war until 1947.[2]

In 1985, The Helena May started accepting male members.

Past Chairs After World War II

19 December 1946 - 9 April 1947 Josephine, Lady Young

9 April 1947 - 12 October 1949 Mable M. Annett

12 October 1949 - 9 May 1951 Mary A. Campbell

9 May 1951 - 10 October 1951 Janet Adamson

10 October 1951 - 22 October 1953 E. Frida Dunlop

22 October 1953 - 21 October 1954 Gwendolyn Faber

21 October 1954 - 20 October 1955 Ivy Sykes

References

  1. ↑ "Declared Monuments in Hong Kong - Hong Kong Island: The Helena May". Antiquities and Monuments Office, Government of the Hong Kong SAR. 2005-09-08. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
  2. 1 2 "A Short History of the Helena May 1916 - now". The Helena May. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-11-04.
  3. ↑ Yanne, Andrew; Heller, Gillis (2009). Signs of a Colonial Era. Hong Kong University Press. pp. 62–63. ISBN 978-962-209-944-9.
  • Official website of Helena May
  • Antiquities and Monuments Office: The Exterior of the Main Building, the Helena May
  • "The Helena May turns 100: how an exclusive women's club earned its place in Hong Kong's history". South China Morning Post. 21 February 2016.

Coordinates: 22°16′39″N 114°09′30″E / 22.2775°N 114.1584°E / 22.2775; 114.1584

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