Sir Catchick Paul Chater (8 September 1846 – 27 May 1926) was a distinguished British businessman of Armenian descent based in colonial Hong Kong, ith family origins in Calcutta, India. Early in his career, he worked as an assistant at the Bank of Hindustan, China and Japan before establishing himself as an exchange broker with support from the Sassoon family. He later traded gold bullion and land independently, contributing significantly to Hong Kong's development. Chater was instrumental in plotting the reclamation of Victoria Harbour, conducting sea-bed soundings in a sampan at night, and played a key role in securing lands from the military for the colonial government at a cost of £2 million. In 1868, Chater partnered with Sir Hormusjee Naorojee Mody to form the brokerage firm Chater & Mody. Despite the overall success of their ventures, their Hong Kong Milling Company, also known as Rennie’s Mill, failed in 1908, leading to the suicide of Albert Rennie. Chater’s contributions extended beyond business. In 1886, he helped Patrick Manson establish Dairy Farm and replaced F.D. Sassoon in the Legislative Council. That same year, he founded Kowloon Wharf and Godown, a predecessor to The Wharf (Holdings). In 1889, he co-founded Hongkong Land with James Johnstone Keswick, spearheading the Praya Reclamation Scheme. He also played a key role in introducing electricity to Hong Kong, establishing the Hongkong Electric Company in 1890 after secretly acquiring land in Wan Chai to build one of the world’s earliest power stations. Chater was a passionate sportsman, playing for the Hong Kong Cricket Club 1st XI and being an avid thoroughbred racing enthusiast. He established the Chater Stable in 1872, which achieved numerous victories at the Happy Valley Racecourse. The Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup, part of the Hong Kong Triple Crown, is named in his honor. In 1896, Chater was appointed to the Executive Council, serving until his death in 1926. He was knighted in the 1902 Coronation Honours and personally received the accolade from King Edward VII at Buckingham Palace. Chater’s contributions to Hong Kong’s infrastructure and culture were remarkable. He built an opulent home, Marble Hall, on Conduit Road in 1901, which housed his collection of fine porcelain. To commemorate King Edward VII’s coronation in 1902, he donated a bronze statue of the King, sculpted by George Edward Wade, which was unveiled at Statue Square in 1907. In 1904, Chater also financed the construction of St. Andrew’s Church entirely on his own.

Paul Chater - Wikipedia