Named after Sir George Murray,[1] it was built in 1841, shortly after the British took possession of Hong Kong, and served to protect the colonial government's headquarters.

During the First Opium War, the British occupied Hong Kong in 1841 and one year later, the territory was ceded to them in the Treaty of Nanking.

These were removed in the late 19th century, due to the military's relocation and development of artillery batteries in more obscure and outlying areas in Hong Kong Island[3]—namely the Lei Yue Mun Fort built in 1887.

As a result, the battery was demolished and the new (now former) Central Government Offices (CGO) was built in its place, with construction being completed in 1959.

Today, a replica cannon located near the CGO pays tribute to Murray's Battery.