History
For a long time the department was the only channel of communication between the people and the government. It used to be headed by the Registrar General, who was also called the 'Protector of the Chinese'. Fung-Chi Au (T: 區鳳墀, S: 区凤墀, J: au1 fung6 ci4, P: Ōu Fèngchí; 1847-1914), who was the teacher of Chinese literature for Sun Yat-sen, was Secretary of the Hong Kong Department of Chinese Affairs (T: 香港華民政務司署總書記, S: 香港华政务司署总书记, J: hoeng1 gong2 waa4 man4 zing3 mou6 si1 zung2 syu1 gei3, P: Xiānggǎng Huámínzhèngwù Sīshǔzǒngshūji). In 1913 the department was called the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs. It was renamed the Home Affairs Department in 1971 because, according to the government, the department dealt not only with matters relating to the Chinese. The first Secretary for Home Affairs was Donald Luddington.
Read more about this topic: Home Affairs Department
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