Ball in the City Hall on St. Andrew’s Day.

Scarce c.19th hand coloured engraving depicting the ball in the City Hall, on St Andrew’s Day Hong Kong in 1887.

In the early c.19th, Canton served as the hub of China’s foreign trade and the principal base for the expatriate trading community. During the 1830s, multiple St. Andrew’s Dinners were held in the city to mark St. Andrew’s Day, reflecting the presence and cohesion of the Scottish community. This group had close ties to Jardine, Matheson & Co., a prominent trading firm established by Scotsmen. The company played a significant role in shaping both Canton and, later, Hong Kong, where it established its headquarters at East Point following the British occupation of the colony in 1841.  From the 1850s, St. Andrew’s Dinners were hosted at East Point before being relocated to the Hong Kong Club in Central, which at the time was situated at the corner of Queen’s Road Central and Wyndham Street.  In 1877, the format of the event evolved into an annual ball. Initially organised by an ad-hoc committee, the responsibility for the ball was assumed in 1882 by the newly formed St. Andrew’s Society. The Society went on to organise not only the St. Andrew’s Ball but also Burns Night celebrations.  The Society later established the St. Andrew’s Challenge Quaich, a sporting tradition now held annually at the Happy Valley Racecourse.

From the original edition of The Graphic.

Collections:
State Library New South Wales: CALL NUMBERS TF00009
National Library Australia: Bib ID 2855507
State Library Victoria: Record ID 9910359523607636
Met Museum New York: Accession Number: 28.111.12
Royal Academy: Record number 14/3950