The passing of John H. Pain, OBE

Former Executive Director of Hong Kong Tourist Association, Co-Founder of the Conservancy Association, John Hugh Pain, OBE (1930 – 2018), was buried in Salisbury yesterday. The passing of Mr. Pain marks the closing chapter of a generation of expatriate modernizer in Hong Kong. (Mr Pain passed away in Chelsea London on 27 May 2018.)

 

After serving the military during WWII, Mr Pain came to Hong Kong to explore his career. He gradually build up his career for his works in Hong Kong Tourist Association. During his time as the leading figure of Hong Kong tourism, he introduced the International Dragon Boats Festival and Lunar New Year Fireworks show. Both of them became a regular event in Hong Kong every year.

 

In 1968, he co-founded the Conservancy Association, the first green group in the territory, with his rambling friends, namely Prof Brian Lofts, Jeremy Brown and Agnes Black. They invited Robert N. Rayne, Prof Hu Shiu-ying, Michael A. Webster, Father Naylor……to co-found the green group.

 

His life is a typical example as an English gentleman who has served the military and then contributed to the modernization to this city in the East. With the fading of their generation, the chapter of expatriate modernizer is closed.

前香港旅遊協會總幹事、環保組織長春社創辦人之一的約翰。潘恩(John H. Pain)先生，已於昨日在英格蘭入土為安。潘恩的辭世宣示了外藉現代化推手一代的結束。(潘恩在2018年5月27日，於倫敦與世長辭，享年88歲。)

 

二戰後從軍隊復員，潘恩來到香港發展其事業。他長期擔任推廣香港旅遊業的工作，最後更成為香港旅遊協會的總幹事，並在1970年代末期，成功遊說政府，於維多利亞港舉辦農曆新年烟花匯演，既紓解市民對放爆竹的渴求，並令烟花匯演，成為旅遊之盛事。同時，他亦引入國際龍舟邀請賽。

 

於1968至1969年間，有鑑於環境污染問題日益嚴重，他與幾位熱愛行山的友人，組成洋紫荊小組，探討改善環境的方法，亦即香港首個環保組織 — 長春社的前身。他與前崇基書院院長羅拔。雷恩先生、中文大學生物學胡樹英教授、香港大學內分袐學及兩棲動物專家Brian Lofts教授、香港華仁書院魏志立神父，以及Agnes Black和Michael A. Webers等十人，及後成立了長春社，為香港環保運動走出了第一步。

 

潘恩的一生正如他的不少同輩一樣，在軍隊服役後來到東方為香港這個城市的現代化貢獻心力。隨着這一代人的消逝，外藉現代化推手亦成為歷史。

 

Links:

Spark that lit up the harbor –  Interview with John H. Pain 9/2/1994

John H. Pain Obituary, The Times

John H. Pain Death Announcement, The Telegraph

 

Timeline:

Before 1955

Captain in the Royal Engineers

1955

He went to Hong Kong as ADC to the Commander in Chief, Lieutenant General Sir George Stratton

1957

Join Jardine Mathieson

1964

Join Hong Kong Tourist Association

1968

Co-founded Conservancy Association

1987

Retired from Hong Kong Tourist Association

2003

Return to England