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Presented by the Public Records Office (PRO) of the Government Records Service (GRS), the exhibition "Under the Same Roof: Resettlement in the 1950s of Hong Kong" will open tomorrow (December 16) at the Exhibition Hall of the Hong Kong Public Records Building, taking visitors on a tour of the era of squatters and resettlement in the 1950s.
The PRO is the government body designated for preserving the historical records of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The Office is committed to appraising and acquiring records and materials of enduring value and making them available for public access. Since its establishment in 1972, the PRO has acquired historical records from more than 130 government agencies including the Housing Department and its forerunner the Resettlement Department.
Among the Resettlement Department's archival records in the PRO are reports that document the progress of resettlement in the 1950s. These historical records enable the public to understand Hong Kong's developments in regard to resettlement during that period.
The exhibition presents the history of Hong Kong's progress from a place scattered with squatter huts to the building of resettlement blocks by showcasing about 60 exhibits and images. Highlight images depict scenes including squatter huts built in caves and on trees; some of the earliest resettlement estates in Shek Kip Mei, Lei Cheng Uk, Lok Fu and Wong Tai Sin; and the past and present contrasts of Shek Kip Mei, Lei Cheng Uk and Central, where squatter huts or resettlement estates were once built.
Other exhibits include a document analysing the cause and a map on the coverage of the squatter fire at Shek Kip Mei, statistical data on the squatter population, a plan showing the location of resettlement estates and cottage areas and three-dimensional and floor plans of resettlement blocks. The exhibition also shows the steps of how a family moved from a squatter hut to a unit in a resettlement estate and the basic facilities provided in a resettlement estate graphically.
To complement the exhibition, the GRS has also specially developed a new Reference Resource Page entitled "Under the Same Roof" with an interactive guide to help users understand life in squatter areas. In the "What Records Tell Us?" section, the squatter areas are introduced and explained. Through this simple and quick introduction, users are able to better understand the life of squatter residents. The "Image Gallery" section includes more than 140 historical images of the squatter areas and resettlement estates in different regions of Hong Kong, and most of the pictures are being displayed for the first time. The "Online Catalogues and Reference List" section sets out the relevant historical records of the PRO. The Reference Resource Page can be easily accessed via the GRS website (www.grs.gov.hk). Members of the public are welcome to browse the new page.
The exhibition "Under the Same Roof" will be open to the public from Mondays to Fridays (except public holidays), from 9am to 5.45pm. Admission is free.
The PRO is located on 1/F, Hong Kong Public Records Building, 13 Tsui Ping Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon. For enquiries or group visits, please contact the PRO at 2195 7700.
Ends/Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Issued at HKT 14:05
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