Sir Sik-nin Chau (; 13 April 1903 – 30 November 1985) was a prominent Hong Kong doctor, politician and businessman during the first decades after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He was the

Senior Unofficial Member The Senior Unofficial Member, later Senior Member and, finally, Convenor of the Non-official Members, was the highest-ranking unofficial member of the Legislative Council (LegCo) and Executive Council (ExCo) of British Hong Kong, which wa ...

of the

Executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dire ...

and

Legislative A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as p ...

Councils of Hong Kong from 1959 to 1962 and from 1953 to 1959 respectively.

Biography

Chau was born in April 1903 in Hong Kong. He was educated at the St. Stephen's College and entered the

University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU was also the fi ...

in 1918. After he graduated in medicine in 1924, he went abroad for further study in Vienna and London, where he obtained the Diploma in Ophthalmic Medicine and Surgery and Diploma in Laryngology and Otology. He returned to Hong Kong to practise with those specialist qualifications. He was well-versed in healing eye, ear, and throat. Chau joined the Department of Surgery at the

for three years as lecturer in ophthalmology. He was also member of the Interim Committee which operated for the first few months after the British restoration of Hong Kong from the Japanese from 1946 to 1947. He was subsequently appointed by the Chancellor to succeed Sir Man-kam Lo on the University Council in 1956. He was also the vice-president of the Alumni Association of the university. He received the honorary degree of

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL. ...

by the university in 1961. Chau became a member of the

Urban Council The Urban Council (UrbCo) was a municipal council in Hong Kong responsible for municipal services on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon (including New Kowloon). These services were provided by the council's executive arm, the Urban Services ...

from 1936 to 1941 and served on Government Medical Board and the Board of Education before the war. After the war, he was appointed an unofficial member of the

Legislative Council of Hong Kong The Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (LegCo) is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong. It sits under China's " one country, two systems" constitutional arrangement, and is the power centre of Hong Kong ...

from 1946 to 1959 and was appointed to the Executive Council in 1948. He was the

of the two councils between 1953 and 1959 and between 1959 and 1962 respectively. Furthermore, he was elected deputy chairman of the

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), previously known as the Empire Parliamentary Association, is an organisation which works to support good governance, democracy and human rights. In 1989 the patron of the CPA was the Head of ...

in Hong Kong from 1953 to 1959. Chau was honoured with the

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in 1950 and was knighted in 1960. In business, he was chairman and director of numerous public companies, including the

Dairy Farm Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a history that ...

. He founded the Hong Kong Chinese Bank and became the first chairman. He served as the chairman of the Working Party on the formation of the

Federation of Hong Kong Industries The Federation of Hong Kong Industries (FHKI; ) is a business organization for the industrial companies in Hong Kong established under the Federation of Hong Kong Industries Ordinance, of the laws of Hong Kong, in 1960. Objectives The objectives ...

in 1960 and was the first chairman of the Federation from 1961 to 1966. He was also founding chairman the Hong Kong Management Association from 1960 and 1969, as well as honorary president of a number of unions or associations of manufacturers. He was appointed the first chairman of the

Hong Kong Trade Development Council The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 as the international marketing dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. The organisation has 50 offices around the world, including ...

when it was first established in 1966. In 1967, he established the Sir Sik-nin Chau Foundation for Industrial Development to support the promotion of industrial quality standards, industrial research and surveys and technical education. Chau served as chairman on some community institutions such as the Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corporation, a builder of low-cost residential cottages and flats, the Hong Kong Model Housing Society, as well as services at the Hong Kong Anti-Tuberculosis Association, the Ruttonjee Sanatorium, and the

Grantham Hospital Grantham Hospital is a specialist cardiothoracic hospital located at Wong Chuk Hang and is part of the Hong Kong West Cluster. It is a tertiary referral centre providing specialist service in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, paediatric cardi ...

. Chau was the first Chinese steward of the

Hong Kong Jockey Club The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong, having been founded in 1884. In 1959, it was granted a Royal Charter and renamed The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (). The institution reverted to its original name ...

in 1935 and was elected as member of the Board of Stewards in November 1946. Chau died in

Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, or HKSH, is a private hospital established in 1922 in Happy Valley, Hong Kong. The hospital has more than 500 beds and various room types and facilities. It also has a 24 hours outpatient consultation service. ...

on 30 November 1985 at the age of 83. His cousin Sir Tsun-nin Chau was also member of the Executive and Legislative Councils. His son Chau Kai-bong was a famous socialite in Hong Kong.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chau, Sik-nin 1903 births 1985 deaths Alumni of the University of Hong Kong Alumni of St. John's Hall, University of Hong Kong Academic staff of the University of Hong Kong Members of the Executive Council of Hong Kong Members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong Members of the Urban Council of Hong Kong Hong Kong bankers Hong Kong medical doctors Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Knights Bachelor