SUNDAY MORNING POST SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2007 11

treettreet ChaterChat legacy CatchickCatchick S er legacy Who was exhibitionex hibition this man Chater? and ampions ChampionsCh andCup Since then, she’s set up a hugely ChaCh ChaterChater Cup A bored new mum’s internet informative website, published a short atterer RRoadoa booklet, and organised several trips and d Chater reunions. Earlier this year, in May, surfing led her to the greatest she helped commemorate Chater’s death at his grave in Hong Kong. She also helped organise the previous year’s gathering of life story never told, writes more than 100 Armenians in Hong Kong. This year she pursued her talks with Father Oshagan Gulgulian, from the Vaudine England church which once played a key role in the young Chater’s life and to which he left part of his fortune – the Armenian church of Calcutta. e’s one of those men they need financial support from within On Chater’s death in 1926, the bulk of HarbourHarbour everyone in Hong Hong Kong – preferably from the hongs his estate went to the Armenian Holy Kong should know who owe most to his vision – if another Nazareth Church in Calcutta, which runs a about, but almost piece in Hong Kong’s history jigsaw is to fall Home for Armenians where elderly reclamationreclamation no one does. Chater into place. members of the community still live. Road, Chater Liz Chater, who lives in Hampshire, The priest met Robert Nield, president Square, Chater traces her roots back to the big man and of the Royal Asiatic Society in Hong Kong, Garden, even has taken on the mantle of lead fact-digger. and Denis Way, co-authors of a fine book Catchick Street, the “We owe thanks to a lady in the south of about PricewaterhouseCoopers called The extension of England, Liz Chater, for much of the Counting House. Liz Chater is hoping these Kennedy Town Praya – who was this current interest in Sir Paul,” said Mr men will be her co-authors of a book on HChater person? Bonsall. Chater – and to that end they all went to The author of a rare study on the She has amassed a raft of material, Calcutta in July. A subsequent trip by Liz Armenians who ventured east to India and tracking down mementoes, grave stones Chater alone helped pin down an the China Coast, Mesrovb Jacob Seth, and key marriage certificates, tracing the agreement from the church to help. wrote in his 1937 book, Armenians in India: vast family tree of Chaters and the larger “Myself, Denis and Robert have a “The future historian of Hong Kong will Armenian community, and bringing [statement of] firm interest of part- find his task as regards the past sixty years a together people similarly interested in the sponsorship from the Armenian Church in sinecure, for the record of Hong Kong will subject. Calcutta, but as a team are still seeking be a replica of the career of Sir Paul “I knew nothing about Sir Paul when I further sponsors. [We’re] hopeful that a ChaterC Garden Chater.” started,” she said. “I had a baby in 2000 and major Hong Kong corporate would like to House hate Yet there is no biography of the man he just slept and slept, so I had a lot of time join in on this unique joint venture on the haterter House r Ga who helped build Hong Kong. on my hands and starting flicking through story of Sir Paul,” Liz Chater said. “I never, ChaC rden Some clues can be gleaned from The the computer on family history pages. ever thought in my wildest dreams that I Chater Legacy, an exhibition now being “I found my father, my grandfather, and would get this far with my little research SMP GRAPHIC held by the Hong Kong Museum of Art. before long I was hooked. The questions project on Sir Paul Chater, and I hope that Due to close in January, the exhibition has kept coming, and one name just kept 2008 will be the year that sees the full been extended to June 2008. leading to another. editorial process begin. Now if I can just more details. She believes the grand old for Chater’s reclamation that created to recover in hospital,” recounted Mr This features a selection of the varied art “When I came to Sir Paul, I realised he find one or two more sponsors – I’ve run man got his leg-up in life by asking for it. Connaught Road along the waterfront – Bonsall at a recent talk. collections that Chater accumulated in his was famous and looked around for a out of stuff to sell on eBay!” “One day he plucked up the courage to though it’s now far inland. But Chater had style, not least with his lifetime, but still leaves a lot of his life in the biography of him – but there was nothing,” Her forebear would have been rightly ask the head of Sassoons whether they He also was the first to suggest to the lavish entertainment at his home, Marble shadows. she said. miffed if he had imagined how hard it would help him if he started as an government that new lands should be Hall. Like Mody’s Buxey Lodge, this Geoffrey Bonsall, adviser to the would be for the place he loved to Exchange broker. acquired beyond Kowloon – namely the mansion has disappeared. museum among many other things, notes recognise his contributions to it. They said yes and Catchick resigned New Territories. Liz Chater’s work has got almost out of that “although he represented Hong Kong Catchick Paul Chater was born in from the bank. In his first month of trading Catchick Street in Kennedy Town marks hand, leading her into a massive in 1902 at the coronation of King Edward I never, ever thought in Calcutta in 1846 to a family of Armenian he cleared $600 and very quickly he rose to where he was responsible for reclaiming documentation of Armenian graves across VII, he was not Chinese, nor even born in merchants, one of 14 children. But he was be the greatest financial magnate of the 10.5 hectares. Asia, alongside her ongoing Chater Hong Kong”. my wildest dreams that I orphaned by the time he was nine and colony.” He pioneered iron mining in the New research. Yet Catchick Paul Chater was one of would get this far with became a scholarship boy. The China Mail once wondered why a Territories, coal-mining in Tonkin Indo- But why ask others for money; surely those legendary characters, instigator of At 18 he reached Hong Kong, where he young Chater was getting into a sampan at China – hence his award of the Legion the Chater coffers must be overflowing? just about anything that moved in Hong my little research project worked in the Bank of Hindustan, China dusk, night after night, and pottering d’Honneur from a grateful France – and “Yes, Chater left money to the family, Kong at the turn of the last century...... and Japan, staying with the family of his around the harbour of Hong Kong in the initiated cotton-spinning factories. He gave but in the 80 years since his death it has He was a leading figure in the (then Liz Chater, descendant of Sir Paul relatives, the Jordans. shadows of the shore. money to the University of Hong Kong, St dwindled as the families have grown and Royal) Hong Kong Jockey Club, one of the Within a couple of years he was trading He was taking soundings to measure John’s Cathedral and Kowloon Union there is no money left,” she says. first two unofficial members appointed to in gold and bullion on his own account and the depth of different parts of the foreshore Church as well as St Andrew’s in Kowloon. Some individuals at Hong Kong’s the Executive Council, adviser to investing in land. because of his idea that some land Not everything he touched turned to leading companies and clubs – many of governors, and helped found Hongkong His business partners and friends reclamation might make sense – and to gold – while in partnership with Mody, they which owe so much to this man – have Land, Hongkong Electric, and the original included Sir Hormusjee Mody, the Sassoon find water deep enough to handle ocean- suffered the failure in 1908 of the Hong allowed access to their records. But none Hong Kong and Kowloon Wharf and family, William Keswick and John Bell- going steamers. Kong Flour Mill in Junk Bay, otherwise has yet put up the money required for a Godown Company. Irving – the other leading unofficial The result of his searches were the first known as Rennie’s Mill. professional job, which Liz knows she can’t With all the talk lately about the need to member of the Executive Council – and the Kowloon wharfs. He is also credited with “There was already a bad omen at the do on her own. preserve Hong Kong’s heritage, a dedicated entire Freemason community of which he the first reclamations of parts of the opening ceremony when Mody hesitated “It’s a question of finding the right band of historians, urged on by descendant was a prominent member. harbour in Kowloon and Wan Chai, and fell at the top of what was described as, person at the right time – there are funds and eager researcher Liz Chater, thinks it’s By the late 1880s, new ideas or starting a trend that many might wish had ‘an ingenious staircase [like an early for worthy projects in Hong Kong,” said time a book told all about Chater. enterprises didn’t get off the ground stopped with his lifetime. escalator perhaps] consisting of a Peter Stuckey, vice-president of the Royal So far, they’ve managed to get part- without Chater – be it shipping, insurance, Mr Bonsall points out that Connaught succession of wooden steps attached to an Asiatic Society. sponsorship of what should be a thorough utilities or the ground itself. Road is named after the Duke of endless moving belt’. “It will begin to be seen to be in some research, writing and publication job. But Liz Chater has doggedly filled in many Connaught, who laid the foundation stone “Mody had to be taken away by launch company’s interests,” he said. Diplomats tiptoe around adoption powder keg

general and his foreign ministry supported “sooner or later” new parents would be Dutch consulate in awkward position of having him. found for the girl, who was thriving in her But this statement did nothing to shield foster environment. She speaks Cantonese to defend envoy, writes Barclay Crawford him from the outcry that continued for and English and – contrary to reports in the most of last week in the Netherlands and Netherlands – Dutch. hen Hong Kong’s Korean coach who took the nation to the World South Korea. One of the main demands “We tried to avoid causing a diplomatic community revealed a little Cup semi-finals] made Koreans love the was that the couple offer a proper incident between the two countries,” the girl had been given up by her Netherlands but this has destroyed that”. explanation for their actions. Their diplomat said. “We tried to keep it as a adopted parents – and that The common theme was that the country’s argument that the matter was private and personal incident between the family and the father was a senior Dutch policy of allowing babies to be sent not for public view was unacceptable, tried not to upgrade it. We try to make very Wdiplomat – they had little idea of the outcry overseas should end. critics in the Netherlands declared, cautious comments.” the tale would spark in the Netherlands Diplomats from both sides were because of the public role Mr Poeteray A source from the Dutch side said that and their homeland. But the consulates privately fuming. The Koreans were holds with the consulate general in Hong while they were not aware of the full general of both nations knew the moment naturally angry that one of their own had Kong. circumstances, Mr Poeteray had been the story was revealed in last weekend’s been left in such a desperate predicament, The consulate general and the foreign devastated by the decision to give up the Sunday Morning Post that they were sitting especially as the issue of Korean children ministry, which had maintained their child. “We are dealing with devastated on a powder keg which could quickly ignite being adopted overseas is controversial. On position that the matter was a private issue people, because of their relationship with into a full-scale diplomatic incident the Dutch side, officials were bewildered for the family, ordered Mr Poeteray on the child, and what they have done to the between the two nations. Mr Poeteray had not told the full story. Wednesday to issue a statement to the child,” the source said. “He’s not a De Telegraaf in the Netherlands accused “We can see how people are reacting to popular daily De Telegraaf in the criminal. He’s a very decent man.” the senior diplomat, Raymond Poeteray, this there [the Netherlands],” one said. “It’s Netherlands and to the South China But Hilbrand Westra, chairman of 55, and his wife, Meta, of throwing the girl terrible and awful, and I know how to Morning Post explaining his actions. Raymond and Meta Poeteray at a party in Hong Kong last month. Photo: SMP Pictures Adoption United International and one of away like household rubbish, and many translate those accusations, and I know Mr Poeteray flew to the Netherlands the 4,200 Korean adoptees in the Netherlands, readers of this paper expressed opinions what they mean for Mr Poeteray.” following day. now eight, had improved markedly since discuss the situation. Consuls have also said that while Mr Poeteray may, on the which were just as extreme. “These Eight days ago, when contacted by the However, this has since done nothing to she left the family and was displaying no met the girl. surface, be a decent man, there were still heartless people obviously have neither Post, Mr Poeteray chose to remain silent on quell the anger, especially after he claimed signs of physical or mental disabilities or The diplomat also played down reports many issues in the case that needed to be consciences nor principles,” reader Renata why he had given up the child his family his daughter was suffering from a severe problems, Dr Cheung said. that one of the reasons she had been given resolved. Lopez of Wan Chai wrote yesterday. “Their had cared for since they adopted her from fear of bonding when the family handed A senior diplomat within the Korean up was because she refused to eat the “The ministry and consul cannot reprehensible act shows them to be an orphanage in Taegu, South Korea, in her over to the Social Welfare Department mission said it had been inundated with family’s food. continue to defend Mr Poeteray, and they despicable human beings. The Dutch January 2000, when she was four months last year. inquiries from around the world from “One of the reasons was she was not must make sure all the available foreign service will surely not want them old. Particularly damning were comments couples prepared to adopt the child. The willing to eat the food. But that is often the information about his decision is representing a civilised country like The diplomat would only say the family by lawmaker for the social welfare sector diplomat revealed they had been aware of case with children, they don’t want to eat a revealed,” he said. “This guy is in public Holland.” had suffered a “terrible trauma” and was Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung, who has the situation between the Poeterays and particular type of food. There are other office, he represents the Netherlands In Korea, one angry newspaper reader trying “hard to deal with it”. discussed the girl’s situation with Director the girl for some time and had even met Mr issues here as well,” the diplomat said. overseas, and he cannot hide behind the wrote: “Guus Hiddink [the Dutch football Mr Poeteray also claimed the consulate of Social Welfare Stephen Fisher. The girl, Poeteray on at least two occasions to The diplomat was confident that fact that privacy should protect him.”