▁ 2 , 5 0 0 ▁acres ▁( 1 0   km ² ) ▁of ▁land ▁in ▁the ▁district , ▁which ▁he ▁named ▁" R iver ston ▁Farm ", ▁after ▁his ▁birth place ▁in ▁Ireland . ▁( The ▁" e " ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁first ▁appeared ▁on ▁railway ▁tim et ables ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 s , ▁an ▁apparent ▁ ▁mis print ▁that ▁has ▁become ▁the ▁accepted ▁sp elling , ▁although ▁the ▁name ▁is ▁still ▁pron ounced ▁as ▁though ▁the ▁" e " ▁is ▁not ▁present ). ▁ ▁Origin ally , ▁be ef ▁cattle ▁far med ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁were ▁driven ▁over land ▁to ▁the ▁Haw kes bury ▁River ▁for ▁transport ▁by ▁sail ing ▁ship ▁to ▁the ▁conv ict ▁settlement ▁at ▁Sydney ▁C ove . ▁The ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁Sydney ▁to ▁Richmond ▁Railway ▁line ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 4 ▁both ▁elimin ated ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁this ▁and ▁opened ▁up ▁the ▁region ▁to ▁non - r ural ▁development . ▁ ▁An ▁important ▁meat works ▁was ▁established ▁there ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁under going ▁various ▁stages ▁of ▁re building ▁and ▁expansion ▁until ▁it ▁closed ▁perman ently ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁a ▁major ▁fire ▁at ▁the ▁River stone ▁Me at works ▁killed ▁six ▁men , ▁who ▁were ▁attempting ▁to ▁lead ▁the ▁animals ▁to ▁safety . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁Federal ▁Government ▁programme ▁to ▁comm emor ate ▁the ▁ 2