Prominent Hong Kong People
In our “Click!” quiz in the last issue of EL, we showed you a photo of St Andrew’s Church in Kowloon. Constructed in 1906, the church was financed entirely by prominent businessman Sir Catchick Paul Chater (1846-1926). Here are a few facts about this interesting historical figure.
8 Things About Paul Chater
#1 He was born in Calcutta to Armenian parents, and named Khachik Pogose Astwachatoorean. Orphaned at age seven, he moved to Hong Kong with his sister’s family.
#2 He was a key figure in plotting the reclamation of Victoria Harbour, going out at night in a sampan to take sea-bed soundings.
#3 In 1889, he co-founded property investment company Hongkong Land, which today has a portfolio estimated at around US$35 billion.
#4 Chater was a sports enthusiast, playing for the Hong Kong Cricket Club 1st XI and being a regular at the horseraces at Happy Valley. A Group One race was named in his honour, The Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup (2024 winner: Rebel’s Romance).
#5 He was knighted in 1902, receiving the honour in person from King Edward VII at Buckingham Palace.
#6 Marble Hall was the name of Chater’s sumptuous private residence, located at 1 Conduit Road, and made from imported European marble. One visitor to the house was Royal Navy Commander Charles Drage, whose description of the opulent abode has a sting in the tail: “He has a lovely house full of wonderful china, and gave us an excellent meal with superlative wine. His collection of china is well known and, though much of it is said to be faked, the pieces are really beautiful, but the furnishing of the rest of the house is in atrocious taste.”
#7 Various Hong Kong landmarks are named after Chater, including Chater Garden (pictured), Chater House, Chater Road and Catchick Street.
#8 Aside from building the aforementioned church in Kowloon, Chater was known for his enormous philanthropical donations, including one to the University of Hong Kong, and another to save his childhood school in India, La Martiniere College, from closure.
This article on Paul Chater first appeared in the March 2025 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe, so you never miss a copy!
