Senior Chinese Unofficial Member denotes the highest-ranking ethnically Chinese member of the Legislative Council and Executive Council of Hong Kong under colonial British rule. As Chinese council members were frequently referred to as "Chinese Representatives", the senior member was also known as the "Senior Chinese Representative". In the later years of the colonial rule, many Senior Chinese Unofficial Member also served as Senior Unofficial Member at the same time.
History In colonial Hong Kong government, an Unofficial Member of a council was a member who was not part of the council by virtue of their government office (i.e. not ex-officio). The first Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council who was ethnically Chinese was Ng Choy, a British-trained barrister who later went on to serve as Foreign Minister and acting Premier of the Republic of China. He was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1880.
The first ethnically Chinese Unofficial Member of the Executive Council was Sir Shouson Chow, a US-educated former Qing dynasty official, who was appointed in 1926.
Over the years, there were 22 ethnically Chinese Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council, and 11 of the Executive Council. Nine of them have served on both councils. The longest tenure was that of Sir Kai Ho, who served 24 years on the Legislative Council. Sir Shouson Chow served 10 years on the Executive Council, the longest on that council. The Senior Unofficial Member served as a leader or representative speaking on behalf of all Unofficial Members, and the Senior Chinese Unofficial Member performed an equivalent role for the ethnically Chinese Unofficial Members.
After the Second World War, the ethnically Chinese members of the two councils gradually increased, and as a result the Senior Unofficial Member was often the Senior Chinese Unofficial Member. From 1974 until the abolition of the colonical councils in 1997, the Senior Unofficial Member was always ethnically Chinese. As a result, the term "Senior Chinese Unofficial Member" gradually disappeared from the 1970s.
Executive Council Order Image Senior Chinese Unofficial Member Term start Term end1 Sir Shouson Chow192619362 Robert H. Kotewalllater Sir Robert19361941 Japanese occupation of Hong Kong3 Chau Tsun-ninAlso Senior Unofficial Member in ExCo from 1953later Sir Tsun-Nin194619594 Chau Sik-ninAt the same time Senior Unofficial Member in ExColater Sir Sik-Nin195919625 Richard Charles Lee196219666 Kwan Cho-yiulater Sir Cho-Yiudied in office196619717 Sir Kenneth Fung Ping-fan197119728 Sir Kan Yuet-keungAlso Senior Unofficial Member in ExCo from 1974197219809 Sir Chung Sze-yuenAt the same time Senior Unofficial Member in ExCo1980198810 Lydia DunnAt the same time Senior Unofficial Member in ExColater Baroness Dunn1988199511 Dr. Rosanna Wong Yick-mingAt the same time Senior Unofficial Member in ExColater Dame Rosanna19951997 1997 -Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China
Legislative Council Order Image Senior Chinese Unofficial Member Term start Term end1Ng Choy18801882 Vacant (1882–84)2 Wong Shing188418893 Dr. Ho Kai later Sir Kai189019144 Wei A. Yuk
later Sir Boshan191419175 Lau Chu-pak died suddenly in office191719226 Shouson Chow later Sir Shouson192219317Robert H. Kotewall later Sir Robert193119358 Dr. Ts'o Seen Wan193519379 Chau Tsun-nin later Sir Tsun-Nin1937193910Lo Man-kam later Sir Man-Kam19391941 Japanese occupation of Hong Kong11 Chau Tsun-nin became the senior unofficial member of LegCo in 1950
later Sir Tsun-Nin1946195312 Chau Sik-nin At the same time Senior Unofficial Member in LegCo
later Sir Sik-Nin1953195913 Ngan Shing-kwan At the same time Senior Unofficial Member in LegCo 1959196114 Kwok Chan At the same time Senior Unofficial Member in LegCo 1961196215 Kenneth Fung Ping-fan later Sir Kenneth1962196516 Kwan Cho-yiu later Sir Cho-Yiu1965196617 Kan Yuet-keung Also Senior Unofficial Member in LegCo from 1968
later Sir Yuet-Keung1966197218 Woo Pak-chuen At the same time Senior Unofficial Member in LegCo1972197419 Chung Sze-yuen At the same time Senior Unofficial Member in LegCo
later Sir Sze-Yuen1974197820 Oswald Victor Cheung At the same time Senior Unofficial Member in LegCo
later Sir Oswald1978198121 Dr. Harry Fang Sin-yang later Sir Harry1981198522 Lydia Dunn At the same time Senior Unofficial Member in LegCo
later Baroness Dunn1985198823 Allen Lee At the same time Senior Unofficial Member in LegCo19881992 Concept abolished in 1992
See also Executive Council of Hong Kong Legislative Council of Hong Kong
References 鍾士元，《香港回歸歷程－鍾士元回憶錄》，香港：中文大學出版社，2001年。 鄭棟材,CHINESE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE COUNCILS IN HONG KONG UP TO 1941, 29 April 1968. Hansard, Hong Kong: HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, 1884-1992.