Early European accounts of settlement in the
Ryde area would indicate that the area on the northern side of the
Parramatta River extending from
Sydney Cove to
Parramatta was that of the Wallumedegal, the territory of the Wallumede people, with the Aboriginal name Wallumetta. The Wallumedegal clan is thought to have been a clan of the
Dharug speaking area. Brush Farm was part of a land grant made in 1794 (in two adjoining lots, one (north) to Zadoc Pettit, the other (south) to Thomas Bride, both privates in the
NSW Corps) which was acquired by
William Cox in 1801–3, adding them to adjoining property to consolidate his land holdings an estate of over , named Brush Farm. Misuse of regimental funds saw Cox deported to England and his estate transferred to a number of prominent local citizens who acted as Cox's trustees and administered the sale of his property. When Gregory Blaxland and his older brother, John decided in 1804 to emigrate to New South Wales they both negotiated with the British government for grants of land of their own choosing, an assignment of convicts and passage for their families and stock. In return, they would become permanent settlers and take with them a stipulated amount of money. The Blaxlands were from a wealthy family.
Sir Joseph Banks was a family friend and from him the brothers learned that NSW needed high-quality, free settlers. John negotiated to receive , 60 "useful convicts...for 18 months", passage for himself and family and six Spanish sheep. He committed to invest not less than 6000 pounds in the colony. Gregory's terms were half of John's as he had managed to raise only
A£3,000. It was decided Gregory would sail first and he and his wife, Elizabeth, their three children, two female servants and one overseer departed on the "William Pitt" on 4 August 1805, arriving in
Sydney on 11 April 1806. with a flourishing vineyard. Within a year, he had entered an agreement with D'Arcy Wentworth, then the government surgeon at Parramatta, to buy the original nine farms consisting of of land known as Brush Farm and previously owned by William Cox. In 1816, the Royal Society for the Arts in England offered medals for wine from New South Wales. As early as that year, Blaxland was sending wine to Governor Macquarie to keep him informed about the possibility of an Australian wine industry. Probably before 1819 (beginning of constructing today's Brush Farm House), he planted another vineyard on the steep slopes of the escarpment (south of Brush Farm house and east of today's Marsden Road, part today of Brush Farm Park). This required terracing and he used knowledge gleaned from his earlier Madeira stop over. In this vineyard, he planted other grape varieties including Shiraz and Pinot, wine grapes from France. Blaxland certainly knew of the grape varieties brought back to Australia in 1817 by John, James and
William Macarthur and of their plantings at
Camden Park, although their first vintage was not until 1824. A shale mine/quarry on the farm probably produced cement mortar used in construction of the house. The central core of the house was built (Buttrey, 2006 (38) says 1819–21, noting the original house was a four-room, two storey dwelling with entrance hall and upper hall, on sandstone foundations with brick walls, over a cellar), east and west wings added during the 1820s with stables and outbuildings, landscaped grounds with a carriage loop. For many years, due to its elevated position, a site on the property was used as a signal station to relay messages on ship arrivals at South Head. These were relayed via Observatory Hill and
Gladesville to Government House at Parramatta. and was an enthusiastic promoter of an Australian wine industry. Landscape consultant Geoffrey Britton has identified two areas of terracing by doing aerial photographic analysis, one south of the house within today's Brush Farm Park, the other to its south-west, west of Marsden Road. A signal station operated from the property to Gregory's brother
John Blaxland's farm at Newington, Silverwater, across the Parramatta River. This was one of a system of signal stations along the Harbour and River promontories and high points. The house was officially opened on 7 April 2007. Council intend to use the building as a centre for cultural and community events, including art exhibitions, meetings and wedding functions (McClymont, 2008, scribed by Stuart Read). In 2008 and 2009, a landscape plan allowing partial reinstatement of Brush Farm House's pleasure garden, reinstatement of its carriage drive and loop before the house, modified car parking behind the house, new fencing and plantings was approved and implemented. This includes a timber platform behind the house on which a marquee can be placed for future functions. The house has progressively been opened up for community uses, including art and heritage exhibitions, meetings, tours. Council intends promoting part of the upstairs as "start-up business" spaces for small enterprises. == Description ==