| 1842 | The first Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Henry Pottinger, authorises the construction of a house by A.R. Johnston, Deputy Superintendent of Trade, on Inland Lot No. 82, at the top of Battery Path. |
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| 1842 - 1843 | Construction of the first building on this site, a two-storey stone and brick building with a verandah on three sides, later known as “Johnston’s House”. |
| 1843 - 1846 | The government rents the house at $150 per month as a temporary residence for the Governor. |
| 1846 - 1848 | Used as temporary accommodation for the Supreme Court. |
| 1860 | Expanded into a three-storey building with basement and two corner towers. |
| 1860s - late 1876 | Rented to Heard & Co. and other companies. Used in the 1870s as the Russian Consulate. |
| 1879 | Acquired by E.R. Belilios, a merchant, renamed “Beaconsfield” in 1882, and leased for various uses, including accommodation for the Hongkong & Shanghai Bank and Butterfield & Swire. |
| 1897 - 1911 | Leased by the government for use as offices by the Attorney General, Crown Solicitor, Education Department and Sanitary Department. |
| 1915 | Acquired by the Missions Étrangères de Paris and renamed “French Mission Building”. |
| 1917 | Completion of conversion into a three-storey building of Neo-Classical style, constructed in granite and red bricks with a chapel topped by a cupola added in the north-west corner. |
| Shortly before 1941 | Occupied by Government. |
| 1941 - 1945 | Occupied by Japanese Army. |
| August 1945 | Used as temporary headquarters of provisional Hong Kong Government. |
| 1946 - 1948 | Served as temporary accommodation for the Supreme Court. |
| 1952 | Purchased by Government from Missions Étrangères de Paris for $2.85 million and used as offices for various government departments, including the Education Department (1953–67) and Information Services Department. The building is known as the French Mission Building. |
| 1968 - 1978 (and 1983 - 1987) |
Used as Victoria District Court. |
| 1978 - 1983 | Used as the Supreme Court. |
| 1987 - 1997 | Used by Information Services Department. |
| 1989 | Declared a monument under Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance (Cap.53). |
| 1997 - 2015 | Used as Court of Final Appeal. |