In early British maps, Kwun Chung was a river valley north of a series of hills called Napiers Range with a namesake village and cultivation.

In 1839, Qing official Lin Zexu ordered the construction of a fortification in the area to defend against possible British attacks.

When the First Opium War broke out, the fortification, along with another fort in Tsim Sha Tsui, saw action against British forces during the Battle of Kowloon.

[1] The fort, along with the hill it was based on, were both demolished for development during the early period of British rule in Kowloon; the rock and sand leftover from the demolition were used for land reclamation in the area situated northwest of Jordan Road.

Due to its strategic position, the British garrison in Hong Kong chose the hill south of Austin Road to build the Whitfield Barracks and Kowloon West II Battery.