Aboriginal culture The area now known as Ermington was associated with the
Wallumettagal/Wallumedegal people. References also note that the area had been controlled by the Wongal/Wangal people.
European settlement Ermington was originally part of the
Field of Mars area. In February 1792,
Governor Arthur Phillip granted parcels of land on the northern bank of
Parramatta River in the Field of Mars to eight marines: Isaac Archer, John Carver, John Colthread, Thomas Cottrell, James Manning, Alexander McDonald, Thomas Swinnerton and Thomas Tining. Most of the parcels were about in size, except for McDonald's which was 130 acres (apparently because he was married). The settlers used their land to grow wheat, maize and vegetables. Alexander McDonald's grant extended northward from
Parramatta River to approximately present-day Stevens Street, and westward to present-day Spurway Street. His house is still standing near Parramatta River at 15-17 Honor Street. In 1809 he acquired an extra . He used his land to grow wheat, which he ground, dressed and sold to a baker in Sydney. After McDonald's death, his widow sold part of the land of about 45 acres to Seargent George MacDonald (no relation), who in turn sold it to Henry Bowerman and Charles Campbell. Bowerman named his estate
Marion developing an orchard and vineyard on the land, and he built the
Marion homestead on the hill where present-day Rydalmere East Public School with sweeping views of Parramatta River now stands. Mrs Bowerman put the estate up for sale in 1857, though it was 1862 before she actually disposed of it at auction. Jamed Hartwell Williams, a well known colonist and long time American Consul resided at 'Marion' for several years in the early 1870s. The estate passed into the hands of developers in the 1880s who renamed it the 'Broadoaks Estate' and 'Broadoaks House'. The remainder of McDonald's land was purchased by E. B. Miller, who built
Rose Farm in Honor Street. From the 1830s, the Ermington region became an important source of fruit for early Sydney, and it was a busy place in the packing season. Produce such as oranges, lemons, apples and apricots was carted down to Pennant Hills Wharf, and small boats including the
Amy and the
Growers Friend would transport it on to the markets in Sydney. Blue metal from the quarry in present-day Dundas Valley was also transported to Sydney for road building. Further south, parts of the lower area adjacent to the Parramatta River were filled in the early 1930s in anticipation of a residential subdivision, also to be known as the
Broadoaks Estate. However, these plans were stifled by the
Great Depression. In 1943, the site was occupied by the Ermington Naval Storage Depot. Seven large nissen-style storage and repair warehouses were constructed to serve as a supplies store for the
United States Army during
World War II. The
Royal Australian Navy continued to use the site for several years after the war to store non-explosive materials, and Prix Car Services used it to hold cars in the 1990s. In 1945, the Australian government acquired many of the orchards and nurseries in Ermington, commenced large-scale subdivision and built hundreds of Housing and War Commission dwellings to accommodate returned servicemen and their families. There are still substantial Housing Commission holdings near the intersection of Spurway and Bartlett Streets. During the 1970s, to the chagrin of the local residents, much of the area occupied by
George Kendall Riverside Park (then called George Kendall Reserve) was used as a landfill site. Eventually the operation was decommissioned and the site revegetated. Since the Sydney property boom in the early 2000s, a wave of young families have settled in Ermington in search for affordable houses, while the continued development of
Parramatta attracts professional workers. In 2006/07, the site of the former Ermington Naval Storage Depot was cleared and
Stockland commenced development of its
Riverwalk estate, featuring high-market housing beside the
Parramatta River. ==Commercial area==