Sir David Akers-Jones

David Akers-Jones lived in Hong Kong for over 60 years, during which time he established himself as a prominent figure in the government structure.

In June 2004 he published memoirs of his time in Hong Kong entitled "Feeling the Stones: Reminiscences by David Akers-Jones" which has been lauded as "A book for everyone with an interest in the recent history of Hong Kong and in an exceptional man who played a major part in that history as he ploughed a distinctive and individual, and sometimes controversial, path from District Officer to Acting Governor to Hong Kong Affairs Advisor"

David Jones was born in Worthing on 14 April 1927, the son of Walter George Jones and Dorothy Akers. He attended Worthing High School for Boys (1937-44) and from there, at the age of 17, became an officer in the Merchant Navy towards the end of the Second World War, sailing with the British India Steam Navigation Company. After four years in the Far East he decided to further his education and in 1949 was given a place at Brasenose College, Oxford.

After graduating he joined the Colonial Civil Service, receiving his first overseas posting to Kuala Lumpur in 1954 where he took the opportunity to learn Chinese.

In 1957 he chose to move to Hong Kong where he entered the Commerce and Industry Department of the Hong Kong Government. Having missed out on a specially laid out course at Cambridge normally attended by Administrative Officers in Hong Kong, Akers-Jones was allowed to return to the UK in 1966 to study local government under Professor Brian Keith-Lucas at Kent University.

After his return to Hong Kong, Akers-Jones held a variety of posts including Secretary for the New Territories and Chief Secretary for Hong Kong (1985-87), as well as a brief spell as Acting Governor following the sudden death of the Governor. Throughout his 30 years in Hong Kong government he was actively involved in the development of the region and had special interests in housing, hospitals, education and welfare. He played a key role in the development of high-rise housing for a large number of refugees from the mainland who had been living in poor conditions in re-settlement camps.

.Following his retirement in 1987 he continued to take an active part in the life of Hong Kong, chairing the Hong Kong Housing Authority from 1988-1993. His efforts to improve the supply of affordable housing may have been overshadowed by the unpopularity he attracted in Hong Kong after his appointment in 1993 as British adviser to the Chinese government during the run up to the handover to mainland China in 1997. As recently as June 2014 he made a speech cogently arguing for reform of the Hong Kong electoral system. He had a number of business intersts in Hong Kong and was also a figurehead in many and diverse charitable organisations.

In recognition of his contribution towards the prosperity and development of Hong Kong and the bettering of the lives of its citizens many honours were bestowed upon him:

CMG (1978), KBE (1985), Hon. Dr. Of Civil Law (DCL) Kent University (1987), Hon. Dr. Of Law (LLD) Chinese University of Hong Kong (1988), and Hon. Dr. of Social Science (DSSc) City University of Hong Kong (1993). He was also a holder of the Grand Bauhinia Medal, the highest award under the Hong Kong honours and awards system instituted in 1997 after the hand-over, to recognise a person's lifelong and highly significant contribution to the well-being of Hong Kong.

David Akers-Jones died on 30 September 1919.