HK history: The Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery in Quarry Bay Park has opened.

The Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery in Quarry Bay Park has opened offering visitors a glimpse at Hong Kong's fire-fighting past while conserving the historic vessel.

Director of Leisure & Cultural Services Thomas Chow said the fireboat played an important role in Hong Kong's sea rescue operations over the last half-century. From 1953 to 2002 it took part in numerous fire-fighting and rescue operations, including fires aboard the Seawise University in 1972 and at Aberdeen typhoon shelter in 1986.

Named after the Hong Kong governor who launched it, the boat was one of the most modern fire-fighting vessels of its time with a speed of 12.5 knots per hour and the power to pump two-million litres of water per hour.

The gallery opens from 9am to 5pm daily. It is closed Tuesdays, except on public holidays, and the first two days of the Lunar New Year. Admission is free.