William Louey
William Sui-tak Louey | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 July 1909 Melbourne, Australia |
| Died | 9 December 1962 (aged 53) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, Businessman |
| Known for | Founder and Chief Manager of Kowloon Motor Bus Company |
William Sui-tak Louey (; born 7 July 1909 – passed away 9 December 1962) was a prominent entrepreneur in Hong Kong and the original founder and Chief Manager of the Kowloon Motor Bus Company.
Early life and career
Louey was born in Melbourne into a family of Chinese Australian descent. During his childhood, he relocated to China where he received his education at Holy Trinity College in Guangzhou. His father and uncle established the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (KMB) in Hong Kong in 1922. Upon completing his studies, Louey joined KMB as assistant manager and advanced to the position of Chief Manager by 1933.[1]
During that period, multiple independent bus operators were active. Louey acquired several of these companies and obtained the franchise rights to run bus services across Kowloon and the New Territories in 1933, whereas China Motor Bus (CMB) maintained service rights on Hong Kong Island. Together with Tang Shiu Kin, Lui Leung, Tam Woon-tong, and Lam Ming-fan, he rebranded the firm as 'Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited' (KMB).[1] The original fleet consisted of 106 small single-deck buses featuring two seating classes: cushioned first class and wooden second class.[2]
Operations were suspended during the Pacific War and the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. After World War II, Louey expanded the vehicle count from roughly 100 to over 700 units. Prior to his passing, he placed an order for more than 100 buses from Britain, raising the total fleet size to 895.[3] In early December 1962, amid labor strikes by employees, Louey announced pay raises for bus drivers.
Public service
Louey held leadership roles such as chairman of the Rotary Club of Kowloon and the Kowloon Residents' Association. He also served as deputy director of the Civil Aid Service, founded the Kowloon Chamber of Commerce, and participated on both the Advisory Committee on Public Transport and the Committee on Technical Education. Appointed as a Justice of the Peace in 1957, he was elected to the Urban Council in 1952 alongside Reform Club member Brook Bernacchi but lost his seat in the subsequent year.
Between 1956 and 1957, Louey acted as President of the Hong Kong Football Association with backing from South China Athletic Association. On 6 October 1956, he won election against Chan Shu-woon, who was supported by Eastern Athletic Association, by a margin of 43 to 9 votes. At the same time, he held the presidency of the Asian Football Confederation.
Personal life and death
On 22 December 1958, Louey was wounded during an armed robbery at his home on Waterloo Road, Kowloon. He suffered a non-fatal gunshot injury to his abdomen and received treatment at Kowloon Hospital.
Louey passed away suddenly due to an acute heart attack at his residence on 9 December 1962 at age 53. He had two sons—Ronald Kwok-wah Louey and Kwok-kwan Louey—and two daughters named Kwok-chun and Kwok-wan. Both sons pursued education in Australia; Kwok-kwan later joined Kowloon Motor Bus professionally. His funeral took place at All Saints' Cathedral in Kowloon on 12 December with attendance from government dignitaries and KMB personnel. His ashes were repatriated to Australia. A moment of silence was observed in his memory at all Football Association matches on 15 and 16 December.