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Jan 1, 1500
The Dharuk tribe
The land was home territory to the people of the Dharuk tribe. -
Period: Jan 1, 1500 to
The Dharuk tribe
The land was home territory to the people of the Dharuk tribe. -
When Calmsley Became a Farm
Land Grant of 80 hectares to John Jamieson a Scottish immigrant, who was the Superintendent of Government Stock. He named the property Coulmesly Hill, but the spelling was later changed to Calmsley Hill. -
Land Grant
A further Land Grant of 120 hectares at Calmsley Hill to John Jamieson. -
More Land Grant
1823 – a further Land Grant of 40 hectares at Calmesly Hill to John Jamieson. Cattle and sheep grazed on the land. -
Renting huts
3 huts and a dairy were built on the farm at a cost of £100. -
Change of Owner
John Jamieson died. Calmesly Hill farm was taken over by William Jamieson (born 1828), a Grandson of John. -
Change of Owner
John Dengate of Coomsley Hill bought the farm for £1,300 and farmed the land until his death in 1886. The land passed to his executors Edwin and Henry Dengate. -
Change of Owner
Patrick James Cashman of Fivedock bought the property for £3,000. -
Change of Owner
James Clarke of Dulwich Hill bought the property for £3,500. -
Change of Owner
James Clarke died, and his executors sold the property back to Patrick James Cashman for £3,145. -
Change of Owner
Patrick James Cashman died, and his widow, Mary, sold the farm to Robert McIntyre for £4,500 in 1921. -
Change of Owner
John Maurice Garnock, a wool and skin merchant, purchased the farm for £5,700. -
Change of Owner
Calmsley Hill was sold to Edward Dryland Horden, one of the Anthony Horden dynasty of merchants, for £6,450. Two of the trees on the farm, a Peppercorn tree and a Moreton Bay Fig, are believed to have been planted by the Horden family. -
Change of Owner and Improvement
Calmsley Hill was sold to the Big Brother Movement for £12,750. The Big Brother Movement was established in 1925 as a scheme to help young British migrants settle in Australia. The farm served as a reception and accommodation area for groups of up to 40 young men at a time who were trained in farm work. The Big Brother Movement built up the dairy herd, established a piggery, poultry farm, orchard garden under irrigation, and built a steel water tower which still exists on the City Farm. -
Zoned as Open Space
The land was zoned as open space in the state government’s Sydney Regional Outline Plan. -
Suppies
The Big Brother Movement sold most of the farm to the State Planning Authority. The land became part of the Horsley Park Services Corridor, bringing electricity, gas and water to western Sydney. Parts of the farm were also leased for dairy farming. -
Education
Fairfield City Council took up the lease on the land and created Fairfield City Farm which conducted educational programs. -
Education
A soil conservation education program was started. -
Permaculture Garden
The City Landcare in Your Own Backyard garden was opened, which is now commonly referred to as the Permaculture Garden. -
Sydney Olympics
Sydney Olympics 2000 Mountain Bike competition was staged at the City Farm. -
Rename
City Farm entered lease agreement with Western Sydney Parklands Trust and Calmsley Hill was adopted as the new name of the site.
