Daniel Egan, a member of the NSW Parliament, purchased two 40-acre (16 ha) parcels of land on 5 October 1857.

[3] Many of the streets in Beacon Hill are named after notable battles, military men or places where Australian troops served in World War II.

Views of almost the entire eastern half of the Sydney region may be had from the summit which is approximately 152 metres (500 ft) above sea level.

Views extend from the southern outskirts of Sydney, west to the Blue Mountains and north to Gosford and the Central Coast.

The lookout is popular with locals on New Year's Eve when the firework displays across Sydney Harbour are clearly visible, approximately 11 kilometres (7 mi) to the south.

The views to the north are over the eastern sections of the Garigal National Park, to Cromer and beyond into the suburbs of Elanora, Narrabeen and Ingleside.

[5] On 13 October 2017, Paul Toole, Minister for Lands and Forestry transferred responsibility for the Trust to Northern Beaches Council.