Brook Bernacchi
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Brook Antony Bernacchi (; 22 January 1922 – 22 September 1996) was a lawyer and politician in Hong Kong. He was the long-time chairman of the Reform Club of Hong Kong, the then quasi-opposition party in the colony and the longest serving elected officeholder in Hong Kong history, sitting on the Urban Council of Hong Kong, from 1952 to 1981, 1983 to 1986 and 1989 to 1995. He was well known for his efforts of pushing direct elections and political reform in Hong Kong.


Early life

Bernacchi was born in London in 1922 and was educated in
Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...
and
Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
. He was called to the Bar in 1943 and joined the
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during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. He arrived in Hong Kong as part of the liberation forces in 1945 and joined the Hong Kong Bar Association in 1946 and was its chairman in 1963. He also became
Queen's Counsel A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...
in 1960.


Political career

In 1949, Bernacchi founded the Reform Club of Hong Kong, a political organisation consisting mostly of expatriates in the midst of the discussion on the
Young Plan The Young Plan was a 1929 attempt to settle issues surrounding the World War I reparations obligations that Germany owed under the terms of Treaty of Versailles. Developed to replace the 1924 Dawes Plan, the Young Plan was negotiated in Paris f ...
, a proposed constitutional reform put forward by
Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Mark Aitchison Young Sir Mark Aitchison Young ( zh, t=楊慕琦; 30 June 1886 – 12 May 1974) was a British colonial administrator, who is best remembered for his service as the Governor of Hong Kong at the time of the Battle of Hong Kong, Japanese invasion of t ...
. He represented the club to run in the first Urban Council election in the post-war period, in 1952, and went on to hold the position for most of his public life. The club, under Bernacchi's chairmanship, was involved in grassroots politics, calling for public housing for all, as thousands of refugees flooded into Hong Kong from the Communist uprising in China. He gained a reputation for outspokenness. For instance, he opposed
Financial Secretary Financial secretary is an administrative and executive government position within the governance of a state, corporation, private or public organization, small group or other body with financial assets. A financial secretary oversees policy con ...
Sir Philip Haddon-Cave and his " positive non-interventionism", criticising him for cutting expenditure on the overdue housing programme. He also helped set up various groups including the Society for the Aid and Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers and the Discharged Prisoners Aid Society. For his public services, he was awarded officer of the
Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(OBE) in 1965. He and Elsie Elliott, another Reform Club Urban Councillor and a prominent social activist, were both questioned after the 1966 Kowloon Riots as they were indirectly involved in the riots by speaking for the protesters. He was also criticised for his dictatorial style of chairing the club. Elliott resigned from the club after receiving a stern rebuke from Bernacchi for her self-appointed delegation to London in May 1966. Bernacchi showed rare support to the colonial government during the 1967 leftist riot and endorsed an outright crackdown. Bernacchi had also been one of the leading voices for constitutional reform in Hong Kong since the 1950s. In 1978, he wrote to the Foreign Secretary
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that half of the Hong Kong population, 62 percent of those aged 18 to 34, "positively want a measure of elected representation" in the
Legislative Council A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...
. He warned the British government that "if the voice of the people is not taken heed of now" there could be "disturbances". The warning received little attention from the government. Seeing the increasing frustration with the limited franchise and the unwillingness of the government to introduce more elected offices, Bernacchi threatened to boycott the Urban Council elections in 1979. He later on stepped down in 1981, saying he wanted "no more to do with it" when the Government drew back from a pledge of universal suffrage. He also asked rhetorically, "how can one purport to represent nearly six million people in Hong Kong when you have been elected by only 6,000 voters?" He nevertheless led the club again in the following election, failing to win his seat, but was returned in
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. In the 1986 election, Bernacchi again lost his seat, to Cheung Wai-ping, in Shau Kei Wan, before returning yet again in 1989. In 1994, he became one of two foreigners appointed Hong Kong district affairs advisers to Beijing. As political reform and electoral politics developed rapidly in the last years of colonial rule, Bernacchi announced his retirement from the council in 1995, complaining that the council was becoming increasingly politicised.


Personal life and death

He married Patricia Sheelagh Heath in 1970. He had three stepchildren, Robert Whitehead, SC (formerly vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association), Dr. Ian Whitehead and Mrs. Sarah Driver (née Whitehead). He became the first Westerner to settle on
Lantau Island Lantau Island (also Lantao Island, Lan Tao or Lan Tau) is the largest island in Hong Kong, located west of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, and is part of the New Territories. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the ...
in 1948. Having been inspired by the tea farms he visited in
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during the
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, he set up a commercial tea plantation at
Ngong Ping Ngong Ping () is a highland in the western part of Lantau Island, Hong Kong. It hosts Po Lin Monastery and Tian Tan Buddha amidst the hills which is about 34 m tall. There are several hills nearby which are also an attraction to tourists. It is ...
next to the Po Lin Monastery. In 1973, he became a chairman of New Lantao Motor Bus Company Ltd. He was also one of the original founders of the Hong Kong Sea School, in Stanley, Hong Kong, which was set up to train young disadvantaged boys for a career in the Navy. Bernacchi developed a
brain tumour A brain tumor (sometimes referred to as brain cancer) occurs when a group of cells within the brain turn cancerous and grow out of control, creating a mass. There are two main types of tumors: malignant (cancerous) tumors and benign (non-cancero ...
in 1961 which was diagnosed as benign but which left him with impaired use of his left arm and a limp. He died on 22 September 1996, aged 74. Prior to his death, he was the longest standing and most senior member of the Bar.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernacchi, Brook 1922 births 1996 deaths Lawyers from London People educated at Westminster School, London Alumni of the University of Cambridge Officers of the Order of the British Empire Barristers of Hong Kong Hong Kong Queen's Counsel 20th-century King's Counsel Royal Marines officers Royal Marines personnel of World War II Bernacchi, Brook Antony Bernacchi, Brook Antony District councillors of Eastern District Deaths from brain cancer in the United Kingdom 20th-century English lawyers British expatriates in Hong Kong Military personnel from London