The stretch of seafront known as Collyer Quay was the result of land reclamation works that were carried out in the 1860s to allow for the erection of office buildings and godowns along the quayside. Prominent buildings lining the busy waterfront in the 1960s included (from left to right): the 15-storey Shell House, the Maritime Building with its classical facade and tower, the similarly styled Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Building; and the Fullerton Building with its distinctive neoclassical design. Along the shoreline was Clifford Pier, opened in 1933 and named after Sir Hugh Charles Clifford, Governor of the Straits Settlements (1927-1929).
