North Shore, between Lavender Bay and Careening Bay extending about inland, which comprised Milsons Point and the future site of Luna Park. "It was a block of 120 acres which had been originally granted to Robert Ryan, a private soldier who arrived in the First Fleet, and had passed via Charles Grimes the surveyor-general to its new owner". James Milson settled on there in 1806 "where by the grace of Robert Campbell, he grazed his herd and built his house". From 1822 onwards Milson signed a lease for this land paying A£8 per year but later disputed Campbell's claim to it. Although another 12-year lease was signed in 1830 Campbell eventually sued Milson for trespass. No part of this grant passed into the hands of Milson "until well after the death of Campbell" (in 1846). In 1830 Jamaican ex-convict Billy Blue commenced the first ferry service across Sydney Harbour. Seven years later a regular wharf and waterman's service was operating from the site. In 1842 Milsons Point was declared a public landing place and by 1860 a regular vehicular ferry service was operating between Milsons Point and Fort Macquarie. In 1886 a tram service commenced between the newly constructed terminus at Milsons Point and North Sydney. In 1890 the North Shore Railway Line was opened between Hornsby and . Three years later the site was quarried to prepare for the construction of the North Shore Railway Line extension from St Leonards to Milsons Point which followed the shoreline of Lavender Bay. A train station was located at the tip of Milsons Point adjacent to the existing wharf and tram terminus which became the major transport hub of the north In 1915 in preparation for building a bridge across the harbour a new temporary station and ferry wharf was completed further back on the line in Lavender Bay. From the mid 1800s the area on top of the cliff above the site was developed for housing. Directly above the site was Northcliff House which was demolished in the 1920s however the fig trees in the park on the cliff top are believed to be remnants of this period. In 1916 a plan for the bridge across Sydney Harbour was accepted by the Parliamentary Works Committee. The tender for the construction of the new bridge was awarded to English engineering firm Dorman Long and Company in 1924. Work began on the bridge