Suddenly, you are transported back to 1791. Prospect is a settlement for emancipated convicts. Prospect’s story is deeply rooted in the early days of the New South Wales colony. Prospect is one of Sydney’s oldest suburbs. It derives its name from Prospect Hill. People could get a great view of the surrounding countryside from the hill.
In those early days, settlers transformed the landscape. They cleared land for livestock. They constructed churches, inns, schools, and shops. Prospect was a hive of activity. Even a large reservoir would later be built.
Before European settlement, the Darug people, including the Warmuli, called this land home. They followed a traditional lifestyle. However, as settlement expanded, their way of life was severely impacted. Prospect Hill became a frontier. It was a site of organized resistance by Aboriginal people.
Lieutenant Watkin Tench likely named Prospect Hill in April 1790. By July 1791, thirteen land grants were given to emancipated convicts. These Prospect Hill farmers were known for their productivity. David Collins noted this in January 1794.
Prospect became a boundary. It divided colonists and Indigenous Australians. Tensions escalated. By 1797, guerrilla warfare broke out between settlers and Aboriginal people. Pemulwuy led the Aboriginal people. He was a member of the Bidjigal tribe. Pemulwuy launched raids on settlements in the Parramatta and Prospect Hill areas. Despite British military expeditions, he remained uncaught.
William Lawson received 500 acres at Prospect after 1808. He built a large house. He named it Veteran Hall. Lawson had a commission in the NSW Veterans Company. Most of this property was submerged in the Prospect Reservoir in the 1880s. Veteran Hall remained above water. The army used it in 1912. The larger rooms were subdivided. This led to the myth of a “forty-roomed mansion.” The house was demolished in 1926.
Nelson Lawson built “Greystanes House” before 1837. He was the son of explorer William Lawson. It stood on the western side of Prospect Hill. The long drive was lined with English trees. Elms, hawthorns, holly, and woodbine mingled with jacarandas. The house boasted a wide verandah with four pillars. Its foundations were stone, the roof slate, and the doors red cedar. It was richly furnished. Many soirees took place here. Honoria Lawson died in 1845. Nelson remarried but died in 1849. The property then reverted to his father. Greystanes House was demolished in the 1940s.
Farming thrived here from 1806 to 1888. Then, the Prospect Reservoir was built. The Governor of New South Wales appointed a commission in 1867. They recommended a scheme for Sydney’s water supply. Construction began on the Upper Nepean Scheme by 1869. The Upper Canal fed water by gravity into a reservoir at Prospect. Prospect Reservoir was built in the 1880s. It was completed in 1888. Edward Orpen Moriarty is credited with the Upper Nepean Scheme.
By the 1870s, livestock dominated the Prospect Hill area. Cereal grain production collapsed. The dwellings of early settlers disappeared. Their exact locations became difficult to pinpoint.
On 30 January 2004, the eastern part of Prospect became Pemulwuy. It was named after the Indigenous leader. This area included the quarry gap. Most of Prospect Hill is no longer within Prospect.
Quarrying companies mined dolerite on Prospect Hill. They used it for roadstone. The Prospect quarry is now part of Pemulwuy. It features an intrusion of dolerite rock. Quarrying ended in 2007. The quarry gap transformed into a light industry area. Prospect Highway now winds through it.
Prospect offers glimpses into the past. The Royal Cricketers Arms Inn was built in 1877. It stands as one of the few roadside inns. It is one of the last buildings of Prospect Village.
Prospect is a suburb with a rich history. It reflects the development of Sydney. From its Indigenous roots to its colonial past.