MOUNT DRUITT
Major George Druitt reached the colony with his regiment in 1817. He was appointed by Governor Macquarie as Acting Chief Engineer and Inspector of Works. During the four years in this office, he built many well-known roads eg Old South Head Road, Sydney to Nepean River and Parramatta to Windsor. In his duties he would have almost certainly supervised some of the work of the architect, Francis Greenway. For his services, Governor Macquarie recommended on 31st October 1821 that Major Druitt be granted 1,000 acres out of the Rooty Hill government land. Although the grant was not confirmed until as late as 1837, Major Druitt entered into immediate occupation. The grant was recorded as Mt Druitt and a“handsome looking mansion” was built opposite the present Mt Druitt Park. The home became a social centre for the weekends after his guests had driven from Sydney, as Major Druitt became known for his lavish hospitality. The entrance to Mount Druitt was near the present gateway to the Colyton Public School residence. Major Druitt was notable among the early pioneers as an officer of the 48th Regiment, a Magistrate of the Territory, Roads and Building Engineer for Macquarie and a strong proponent of freedom of the press, trial by jury and self-government for the Colony.

COLYTON
On August 17 1891 William Cox junior received a grant of 800 acres (Melrose) on the southern side of the Western Highway opposite the present Colyton Primary School and the northern side of Ropes Creek. Cox named the grant “Colyton” in honour of his wife’s home “Colyton House” in Devon England. Cox did not live at Colyton at any time, but used it for grazing purposes and wheat-growing. In 1842 the first subdivision of a portion of Cox’s grant was made and the village of Colyton came into being. Further subdivisions were made from time to time but growth was slow. At one time Colyton had 4 public houses to accommodate travellers along the Western road.

BIDWILL
Named after John Carne Bidwill, Government botanist. He was later promoted to the position of Commissioner of Crown Lands for north of Brisbane. While in Queensland he identified the Bunya Bunya Pine and his name is perpetuated in its botanical name of Araucaria Bidwill.

BLACKETT
Probably the first notable occupants of the area were George Forster Blackett and his family. Blackett was the superintendent of the Government Cattle Station at Rooty Hill in Governor Macquarie’s period and was probably the first occupant of the old two storey brick building known as “Government House”.

DHARRUK
Originally the name of one of three tribal and language groups who lived in the vicinity of the settlement of Sydney. Their range extended from the coast, between Port Jackson & Botany Bay, west into the Blue Mountains. The Aboriginal had no written language, and it is not uncommon to find a number of different spellings of the same word therefore the Dharruk name is also spelt Dhurug.

EMERTON
In 1853 William Frederick Emert arrived in Sydney from Siglingen, Wuerttenberg, Germany on board the ship “Helena”. He bought land in the area now known as Emerton and became a naturalised British subject on June 13th 1863. He opened a general store and post office in Mt. Druitt in 1861 and later built a residence known as “Siglingen” in Mt Druitt Road where he lived until his death in 1899. Emert played a major role in the building of the first Wesleyan Church in the area in 1864 and also donated the land and assisted financially with the construction of the Methodist Church adjoining his home.

HASSALL GROVE
Reverend Thomas Hassell was a noted pioneer and clergyman. He came out to Australia with his parents wen he was 4 years old and grew up in the Parramatta district. In May 1813 he opened Australia’s first Sunday school in his fathers house. In 1817 he went back to England to study to enter the Ministry and was the first Australian candidate for ordination. He returned to Australia in 1822 and became Samuel Marsden’s curate at St John’s Parramatta. He married Marsdens eldest daughter in 1822.

HEBERSHAM
In 1829, the Trustees of the Clergy and School Lands in New South Wales leased for seven years an area of 3122 acres at Rooty Hill, on which to establish a village to be called “Hebersham”. Although this village did not materialise, there is ample evidence that plans for its establishment were proceeded with over a period of some years. Selection of the name Hebersham by the Trustees of the Clergy and School Estates was, no doubt based on a wish to perpetuate the name of Bishop Heber of Calcutta whose far flung diocese included the then sparsely populated colony of New South Wales.

LETHBRIDGE PARK
Originally the Lethbridge family estate known as “Flushcombe” extended from the centre of what we now know as Blacktown south to the Great Western Highway. Harriet Lethbridge married Captain Phillip Parker King who was granted 1500 acres west of Ropes Creek. The Lethbridge-King bond was made even more secure when Robert Copeland Lethbridge married King’s sister, Mary, hence the double family names of King-Lethbridge and Lethbridge-King. John King-Lethbridge later purchased some of James Whalan’s grant and erected the homestead “Tregear”.

MINCHINBURY
Captain William Minchin obtained his grant on the same date that Cox gained “Colyton”. This was bounded by the Western Road on the north and by Cox’s grant on the western side. Minchin in 1820 was appointed Superintendent of Police but died the following year. His property was known as “Minchinbury”.

ROOTY HILL
Although named in 1810 there is considerable doubt as to the origin of the name. The area was the centre of the Government stock reserve. One theory advanced is that it was associated with Indian troops which were stationed at “Bungarribee”. It is claimed that the Indian word for wheat, “Ruti”, was adopted because of wheat growing in the area. However the topography of the area would make this impractical particularly when considering the amount of better suited wheat growing land in the surrounding areas.

SHALVEY
Named after the main road in the area, this road being originally a crown subdivisional road. The road probably was named after a Sydney butcher Mr Shalvey who owned land between Jersey Road and Woodstock Avenue. The property was used to graze stock. The name Shalvey was registered on 23/11/73.

TREGEAR
The name of a homestead erected on land granted to James Whalan in 1831 which was later purchased by John King Lethbridge. It was named after the Lethbridge family seat in Cornwall England.

WHALAN
James Whalan was granted 300 acres in 1831 by Governor Darling. This land grant forms a substantial part of the suburb today. James Whalan was the son of Sergeant Charles Whalan, who was in command of the Lighthorse Guard during the whole of Governor Macquarie’s administration and acted as his confidential Orderly Sergeant. During World War 11 Whalan was used as an airstrip by the R.A.A.F It was located where Whalan Reserve now stands. Later after the war (1948 to 1958) the strip was used as part of a racing car track by the Australian Sporting Car Club.