Our 160 year timeline
Discover HSBC's origins and its development into one of the world’s largest financial services organisations.
Explore the five eras below to uncover 160 years of great stories.
Explore the eras
Era 1: 1865 - 1899
Foundation and branching out
Era 2: 1900 - 1949
Growth and challenges
Era 3: 1950- 1979
New opportunities
Era 4: 1980 - 1999
Global reach
Era 5: 2000 - present
A new century
1865 - Established in Hong Kong
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HSBC opens for business in Hong Kong on 3 March 1865. We are owned and managed locally, which enables us to respond to local business needs more quickly than the foreign banks that are headquartered overseas. Our directors include merchants from around the world, giving us a strong global outlook. Investors quickly snap up the HKD250 shares to raise a founding capital of HKD5 million.
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Our first head office, Wardley House (centre), located at One Queen's Road on the waterfront of Hong Kong's Central district. Offices also open in Shanghai (April) and London (July)
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Our founder, Thomas Sutherland, was a dynamic young Scotsman aged just 30 years old when established HSBC. He spotted the gap in the market for a local bank with international reach
1865 - Established in Hong Kong
An early HSBC share certificate. The founding capital was HKD5 million consisting of 20,000 shares at HKD250 each. They were quickly snapped up
Our first head office, Wardley House (centre), located at One Queen's Road on the waterfront of Hong Kong's Central district. Offices also open in Shanghai (April) and London (July)
Our founder, Thomas Sutherland, was a dynamic young Scotsman aged just 30 years old when established HSBC. He spotted the gap in the market for a local bank with international reach
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1866 -Yokohama branch opens
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Trade finance is our core business. We follow the flow of commerce and expand rapidly across Asia, opening a branch in the busy port of Yokohama (pictured) in 1866. Additional branches include Calcutta (1867), Saigon (1870) and Manila (1875). We also issue banknotes in key markets to stimulate and accelerate trade
1866 -Yokohama branch opens
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1874 - China's first public loan launched
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We issue China’s first public loan in 1874 in Foochow and quickly develop a strong reputation for government and municipal loans in Asia. These loans finance key infrastructure such as railway construction and waterworks. We also act as banker to the government of Hong Kong and handle British government accounts in China, Japan, Penang and Singapore.
1874 - China's first public loan launched
An article of agreement between Chang Chi Tung, Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi, and HSBC's Chief Manager Thomas Jackson. It relates to a loan of more than HKD1.5 million made to the Chinese government in 1884
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1880 - New York City branch opens
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We open a new branch on Wall Street in New York City, a decade after opening in San Francisco (branch pictured centre). US-China trade was accelerating rapidly at this time thanks to improved shipping services.
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The two US offices link up with our branches in Asia and London, Lyon (1881) and Hamburg (1889). This growing network – spread across different continents – powers our global connectivity
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We select Lyon instead of Paris because it was the largest importer of raw silk in Europe. It's the perfect location to link up clients at both ends of the trade route. Silk is a central commodity at this time, as reflected in this illustration of a silk weaver from one of our banknotes.
1880 - New York City branch opens
San Francisco street scene with HSBC's office located on the junction in the centre of the photograph
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1886 - First purpose-built head office
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We outgrow our Wardley House premises and replace it with our first tailor-made head office. The construction project is the largest ever undertaken in Hong Kong and the new building features modern conveniences such as gas lighting and elevators.
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Postcard showing the distinct architecture of the Queen's Road and Des Voeux Road entrances of our 1886 head office
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View of the elegant banking hall showing a customer counter and the staff desk behind
1886 - First purpose-built head office
Postcard showing the distinct architecture of the Queen's Road and Des Voeux Road entrances of our 1886 head office
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