Mission Statement

A Social Club for All Nationalities

The Hong Kong Country Club’s long, proud history began over sixty years ago on 10 April 1961 when it was formally established at the first meeting of the General Committee following a 15-year personal quest by its founder J.R. Jones, a legal adviser to the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. It was a time marked by counterculture, The Beatles, the Vietnam War and the Space Race. Hong Kong was experiencing a surge of refugees from China and the number of factories were rising exponentially, and rickshaws were still in use.

Inspired by the Cercle Sportif Français club in Shanghai, Jones set about creating a club that embodied a cosmopolitan spirit while promoting inclusivity. Unlike many social clubs of the era, which often restricted membership to a particular ethnic group or excluded women, the Hong Kong Country Club aimed to be a social and family club, welcoming members of all backgrounds.

The official opening on 29 January 1962 was marked by a speech from Chief Justice Sir Michael Hogan who stood on the Italian marble stairs of the Club’s entrance and famously declared: “This Club will be a place where all nationalities and communities can meet … Ideas can be interchanged, views expressed, and arguments deployed in an atmosphere conducive to goodwill.” The Club was fully operational by 10 February 1962.

It was an early milestone, one of many since recorded and celebrated throughout the Club’s history. Of course, there have been challenging moments during the past sixty years, but the success of the Club has been due in no small part to its charming, informal, international atmosphere and strong sense of family which clearly reflects many of the personal traits of the founders.