Hong Kong Submarine Mining Establishment

The Hong Kong Submarine Mining Establishment was built on the land adjacent to the main Victoria and Wellington Military Barracks.  Although now heavily redeveloped the original S.M.E. was close to what was known as Harcourt Garden on the  land adjacent to Police Headquarters.  Established in 1878, at about the same time as the SME in Singapore and Ceylon (Sri Lanka), it would remain active until at least 1907 when the submarine mining transferred from the Royal Engineers to the Royal Navy.

The R.E. building in this plan from 1898 are for the Royal Engineers operating the Submarine Mining.

The shows the Submarine Mining Establishment and is taken from a map of Hong Kong held by the National Archives in Kew.  Their reference for this document is Wo 78/2865.  The submarine mining pier, in the centre of the image,  ran out from the building and is now all reclaimed land land from about 1900.

National Archives records in respect of Hong Kong Submarine Mining Station.

• 1845: Un-named Battery of six guns at this site.  (WO 78/479).
• 1851: Wellington Battery of nine guns (32-pdr SB?).  (WO 78/456).
• 1854: Battery of nine 32-pdr SB guns.  (WO 1/481).
• 1875: No guns mounted at Wellington Battery.  (WO 78/2362).
• 1882: Battery on map, no guns noted.  (MPHH 1/465).
• 1887: The area used by the Battery authorised to become the site of a Submarine Mining Barracks.  (WO 78/3276) Wellington Barracks area.