Murray Battery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Murray Battery |
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| Chinese: 美利炮台 | |
| Hong Kong | |
 Murray Battery
Location within Hong Kong
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| Coordinates | 22°16′44″N 114°09′29″E / 22.279°N 114.158°E |
| Type | Gun battery |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1841 |
| Built for | War Office |
| In use | 1841-1950 |
| Murray Battery | |||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 美利炮台 | ||||||||
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The Murray Battery was an old artillery battery (a place with big guns) located in Central, Hong Kong. It was built in 1841, not long after the British took control of Hong Kong.
This battery was named after Sir George Murray. Its main job was to protect the government buildings nearby. The Murray Battery was taken down in the 1950s to make way for new government offices.
Contents
History of Murray Battery
Building the Battery
During the First Opium War, the British took over Hong Kong in 1841. A year later, Hong Kong officially became British land after the Treaty of Nanking was signed. The new British government decided to build its main offices and defenses around an area now known as Battery Path.
The Murray Battery was a coastal fortification, meaning it was built to defend the coast. By 1882, it had five large guns that watched over Victoria Harbour. These guns were important for protecting the city from attacks by sea.
Changes Over Time
Over the years, the land around the battery changed a lot. Because of land reclamation (adding new land to the sea), the battery is no longer right on the coastline.
In the late 1800s, the military moved its main gun positions to new, more hidden places on Hong Kong Island. One example is the Lei Yue Mun Fort, which was built in 1887. This meant the guns at Murray Battery were no longer needed for defense.
Before 1856, Murray Battery also marked the edge of where the city's streetlights reached. Any roads to the east of the battery did not have lights.
What Happened to It?
Even though its guns were removed, the battery site remained until the 1950s. At that time, the government of Hong Kong decided to rebuild the area. They wanted to create a new main office building that would bring all government departments together in one place.
So, the Murray Battery was taken down. The new building, called the Former Central Government Offices (CGO), was finished in 1959. The West Wing of the CGO now stands where the battery used to be. Today, you can see a replica (copy) of a cannon near the CGO. This cannon reminds everyone of the old Murray Battery.
See also
- Battery Path
- Murray Barracks and Murray House
