The barracks were constructed between the 1840s and 1874,[1] and situated within the area bounded by Cotton Tree Drive, Kennedy Road and Queensway.

[1] According to the Hong Kong Heritage Society, a Shinto-style arch was built and a pilau stone was erected by the Japanese Navy during the war.

[5] In March 1977, the Governor of Hong Kong appointed the Victoria Barracks Planning Committee to advise him and the Executive Council on the planning of the area; in September in the same year, the committee published the Report to the Governor-in-Council on the Future Development of Victoria Barracks.

[3] The planning of the redevelopment of the Victoria Barracks had led to the strong public pressure in the late 1970s.

[3] In the report, the committee suggested that the public supported the preservation of the mature trees and the green zones, including the wooded slopes, in the barracks; also, it was suggested that Flagstaff House and other historic buildings should be preserved.