Sir Catchick Paul Chater, CMG (8 September 1846 – 27 May 1926) lived a life that can inspire others to become better persons not just for themselves but for society, too. Born as Khachik Pogose Astwachatoor in then-British India, he was one of thirteen children of Miriam and Chater Paul Chater, both of whom were of Armenian descent.
Orphaned at a young age, he became a scholar at the La Martiniere College in Calcutta where he later became its most generous benefactor. His large donation saved the school from certain closure and he was honored by the school by including his name in the school prayer.
In 1864, he moved to Hong Kong and lived with one of his siblings. He first worked at the Bank of Hindustan, China and Japan as an assistant. He later set up a business as an exchange broker wherein he traded land and gold bullion using his own account; his first investors was the Sassoon family. He was instrumental in the planning for reclamation of the Victoria Harbour, which worked to his advantage considering his business interests, as well as in acquiring lands for the government.
In 1868, he co-founded Chater & Mody with Sir Hormusjee Naorojee Mody, which was a largely successful business. In 1886, he assisted Patrick Manson in establishing Dairy Farm and he became a member of the Legislative Council, too.
In 1889, he co-founded Hongkong Land with James Johnstone Keswick; the company was responsible for the colony’s land reclamation project. He was also one of the brains behind the construction of one of the world’s earliest power stations with the establishment of the Hongkong Electric Company in 1890.
In 1896, he was appointed as a member of the Executive Council, a position that he held until 1926. He was knighted in 1902, an honor that he considered as the cream of the crop considering his numerous designations.
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