; ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Gre ater ▁Western ▁Sydney ▁region . ▁Origin ally ▁settled ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 3 ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁government ▁stock ▁farm , ▁River stone ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁oldest ▁towns ▁in ▁Australia . ▁ ▁As ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁census , ▁River stone ▁had ▁an ▁estimated ▁population ▁of ▁ 7 , 2 4 7 . ▁ ▁History ▁Prior ▁to ▁settlement ▁and ▁colon isation ▁of ▁Australia , ▁the ▁area ▁that ▁was ▁to ▁become ▁known ▁as ▁River stone ▁was ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁the ▁Dar ug ▁tribe . ▁Most ▁of ▁these ▁people ▁died ▁due ▁to ▁introduced ▁dise ases ▁following ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁Fle et , ▁and ▁the ▁remainder ▁were ▁largely ▁re located ▁to ▁government ▁far ms ▁and ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁settlement s . ▁ ▁The ▁Sydney ▁C ove ▁region ▁originally ▁settled ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 8 ▁turned ▁out ▁to ▁be ▁un su itable ▁for ▁far ming , ▁and ▁after ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁years ▁of ▁near - f am ine ▁in ▁the ▁col ony , ▁efforts ▁were ▁made ▁to ▁re loc ate ▁food ▁production ▁in land ▁to ▁hopefully ▁more ▁clim atically ▁stable ▁regions . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 0 3 ▁a ▁government ▁stock ▁farm ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁what ▁was ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁River stone / M ars den ▁Park ▁area , ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁abund ant ▁water ▁supply ▁and ▁good ▁gra zing ▁land ▁there . ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 0 ▁Lie ut - Col ▁Maurice ▁Charles ▁O ' Con nell ▁was ▁granted