HK Shelley Street Central-Mid-Levels escalators n Elgin Street a

HK Mid-levels Shelley Street Central Escalator visitors Dec-2010

Shelley Street () is a street in Central, Hong Kong. It is a

ladder street Ladder Street ( zh, t=樓梯街) is a List of streets and roads in Hong Kong, street in the Central and Western District of Hong Kong, consisting entirely of steps and landings formed by granite slabs or concrete paving. It was so named beca ...

and the

Central–Mid-Levels escalator The Central–Mid-Levels escalator and walkway system in Hong Kong is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world. The system covers over in distance and traverses an elevation of over from bottom to top. It opened in 1993 to p ...

s run along the entire length of the street.

Name

The street is named after

Adolphus Edward Shelley Adolphus Edward Shelley (1812 – May 29, 1854) was an early British colonial official and the first Auditor-General in British Hong Kong. Early life Shelley was the third son of Sir John Shelley, 6th Baronet in Michelgrove, Sussex, England. He ...

, an early

British colonial The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) or alternatively referred to as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are the fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom that, while not forming p ...

administrator. The second son of

Sir John Shelley, 6th Baronet Sir John Shelley, 6th Baronet (18 December 1771 – 28 March 1852) was an English landowner, Member of Parliament and amateur cricketer. Career He was the son of Sir John Shelley, 5th Baronet by Wilhelmina, the daughter of John Newnham of Mare ...

, he arrived unemployed in Hong Kong from India in June 1844 with vague recommendation letters from Lord Stanley, the then

Secretary of State for War and the Colonies The Secretary of State for War and the Colonies was a British cabinet-level position responsible for the army and the British colonies (other than India). The Secretary was supported by an Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. Hist ...

, and soon became

Auditor General An auditor general, also known in some countries as a comptroller general or comptroller and auditor general, is a senior civil servant charged with improving government accountability by auditing and reporting on the government's operations. Freq ...

until 1846. Shelley was described in a private letter by Sir

John Francis Davis Sir John Francis Davis, 1st Baronet (16 July 179513 November 1890) was a British diplomat and sinologist who served as second Governor of Hong Kong from 1844 to 1848. Davis was the first President of Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong. Backgro ...

, the second

Governor of Hong Kong The governor of Hong Kong was the representative of the United Kingdom, British The Crown, Crown in British Hong Kong, Hong Kong from 1843 to 1997. In this capacity, the governor was president of the Executive Council of Hong Kong, Executiv ...

, to Lord Grey as "dissipated, in debt, negligent, guilty of falsehood, and quite unfit for the high office". In an 1844 letter to

James Matheson Sir James Nicolas Sutherland Matheson, 1st Baronet, FRS (17 November 179631 December 1878), was a Scottish opium trader and taipan. Born in Shiness, Lairg, Sutherland, Scotland, he was the son of Captain Donald Matheson. He attended Edinburgh ...

, Alexander Matheson described Shelley as a "swindler". He is said to have escaped Hong Kong because of poor investments, and in 1847, he was appointed Assistant Auditor-General of Accounts of

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

Location

Shelley Street runs uphill from

Hollywood Road Hollywood Road ( Chinese: 荷李活道) is a street in Central and Sheung Wan, on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The street runs between Central and Sheung Wan, with Wyndham Street, Arbuthnot Road, Ladder Street, Upper Lascar Row, and Old Bai ...

to Robinson Road in

Mid-Levels Mid-Levels () is an affluent residential area on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is located between Victoria Peak and Central. Residents are predominantly more affluent Hong Kong locals and expatriate professionals. It has a population ...

. On the way, it intersects Tsun Wing Lane,

Staunton Street Staunton Street () is a street in Central, Hong Kong, Central and Sheung Wan, on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Together with the upper section of Elgin Street, Hong Kong, Elgin Street, it is the heart of the SoHo, Hong Kong, Soho entertainment ...

, Elgin Street,

Caine Road Caine Road ( Chinese: 堅道) is a road running through Mid-Levels, Hong Kong. It connects Bonham Road to the west (at the junction with Hospital Road and Seymour Road), and Arbuthnot Road, Glenealy and Upper Albert Road to the east. The roa ...

, Leung Fai Terrace, Prince's Terrace,

Rednaxela Terrace Rednaxela Terrace (; ) is a pedestrian-only street in Mid-Levels, Hong Kong. It is long and junctions Shelley Street to the west and Peel Street to the east. Name Although there are no official conclusions to the origin of the name, it is be ...

("Alexander" spelled backward), Mosque Street, and

Mosque Junction A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were simple p ...

History

Until the early 20th century, the area was mostly inhabited by Portuguese people working as clerks in the main British companies. The Club Lusitano, a gathering place of the local Portuguese community, was located on Shelley Street below Caine Road until 1866, when it was moved to its present location at

Ice House Street Ice House Street () is a one-way street in Central, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Named after the structure previously located on it that housed the city's only source of ice, it stretches from Lower Albert Road to Connaught Road. The st ...

(according to other sources, the club was located at Shelley Street from December 1866 to 1920). The

s opened in 1993.

Features

The lower part of the street is part of the

SoHo SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...

entertainment area and houses many restaurants, bars, and shops. The upper part of the street is mostly residential. Jamia Mosque is located near the top of the street at its junction with Mosque Street. It was built in 1849 and was the first mosque in Hong Kong.Antiquities and Monuments Office: Jamia Mosque
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References

External links