|  At a public meeting held in Hong Kong in June 1851, a proposal that a club with a turfed playing field be built on the military parade ground south of the waterfront led to the launch of one of the first cricket clubs outside England.
The club was to be known as The Hong Kong Cricket Club and one of its objects was "to promote the game of cricket, tennis, croquet and other athletic sports". The Chater Road ground (now known as Chater Gardens) served the HKCC for 124 years. The first pavilion was built in the north-east corner of the ground (opposite the since-demolished Furama Hotel). This was soon replaced on the same site by a more solid building. Then, diagonally opposite, an extensive structure was built (near the old Bank of China). Finally, in 1923, the last Clubhouse was erected, opposite the Hong Kong Club in Chater Road. The ground became a focal point of the City of Victoria and, although a private club and used primarily for cricket, it was thrown open for the public to access and for the staging of important events. Apart from a short break during the Japanese Occupation, the Club thrived, adding Lawn Bowls to its main sports in 1936 along with Squash in the 1950s. In 1975, the Club gave up its world-famous site in the middle of bustling Central District and moved to the greener Wong Nai Chung Gap. The new design allowed for a more family atmosphere and boasted a 25 metre swimming pool, four squash courts, more tennis courts and a multi-use Sports Annexe. Food & Beverage operations have since been expanded to include the Long Room for fine dining, Spinners Coffee Shop, The Willow Room Chinese Restaurant, Chater Tavern, Sportsman's, Boundary Bar and The Annexe. DotCod, the Club's Central Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar, opened in 2000. The Restaurant is situated in Prince's Building, very close to the original ground at Chater Road, and is open to the public. |