Born in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides in his short life, Phineas Ryrie led a remarkably accomplished life in colonial Hong Kong, leaving a lasting legacy across business, politics, and society. He arrived in Hong Kong in the 1860s, quickly becoming a partner at Turner and Co., and played key roles in the early days of many institutions. Notably, he was HSBC’s first auditor in 1865, a legislative councillor for over two decades, and chaired the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce three times.
He helped establish the Hong Kong Club, the Dairy Farm, and co-founded the Peak Tram with Alexander Finlay Smith, which gave him access to his Peak residence, Craig Ryrie. Passionate about public service, he supported minority and Chinese rights, and was the first chairman of the Jockey Club, despite disapproving of gambling. He was also the driving force behind founding the St Andrew’s Society, serving as its first chieftain for eight years.
On a personal note, he suffered the tragic loss of his wife Edith in 1866, though they had two surviving daughters. He died in 1892 at the age of 64. His only known misstep? Releasing rabbits on Stonecutters Island for sport—an idea foiled by disease. A towering figure, in every sense, it is lamentable that Ryrie is so unknown. Alan’s talk seeks to put matter’s right.
The Speaker
Born in Glasgow, Scotland Alan has enjoyed an extremely varied international career in development planning, the master planning of human settlements, and urban design. For the last 35 years in Hong Kong, he has been a Director of URBIS Limited (a company established in Hong Kong in 1977). He is member and a fellow of several local and international professional institutes.
In Hong Kong, Alan has specialised in the design and implementation of new development areas, urban design, master planning, new town design, and urban renewal projects. Alan also commands extensive international experience. He has worked on many development and design projects in mainland China, Africa, the Middle East and India. His projects have won over 50 design awards and was privileged to win the RTPI Award for Design Excellence in 2017.
Alan has been a member of the Hong Kong St Andrew’s Society (HKSAS) since 1990 and was chieftain in 2015/16. Alan has an avid interest in the history of Hong Kong and the role of Scots in its development. He has undertaken extensive research on the past chieftains of the HKSAS. In 2021, he gave a well-received talk at the Hong Kong Football Club on James Stewart Lockhart (a former colonial secretary and Chieftain of the HKSAS). Alan is continuing further research on the HKSAS chieftains and their profound impact on the historic development of Hong Kong.
PROGRAMME
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm (Reception starts at 6:30 pm)
Admission: $175 for members, $220 for guests /non-members (Light refreshments are included in the admission fee)
Registration: Please email <membership@royalasiaticsociety.org.hk> and provide your membership number, if applicable, at the time of registration. Please kindly complete your registration by advance payment via Stripe's payment links below (using your Credit Card):
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