It is 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of City of Parramatta.

Within ten days arrival of the First Fleet in Australia, plat records were made of "The Flats", the extensive tidal wetlands at Homebush Bay.

From 1788 to 1831, land grants in blocks of 100 to 10,000 acres (40 km2) were distributed to the European settlers from the Wanng-al clans holdings.

In 1807, John Blaxland acquired 520 hectares of land, originally reserve grants of Waterhouse, Shortland, Archer and Haslam.

The property was transferred to the Official Assignee of the Insolvent Estate of Edward James Blaxland in 1860 and subsequently leased to the Methodist Church, who established Newington College on the site.

It was hoped that the location of the subdivision in close proximity to the developing State Abattoir and Brickworks would attract people to the area in association with the employment opportunities offered by these establishments.

His report concluded that the site was suitable for a Boys Reformatory or a Benevolent Asylum for Aged Women.

In September 1897 the Crown Solicitor confirmed that 5000 pounds would be paid to John Wetherill to acquire about 19 hectares of land, which included Newington House.

At this time, the hospital was categorised as a state asylum for dependent adults' with infirmity or illness of 'incurable character'.

In 1968, after a series of drawn out negotiations, the Government of the day decided to close the hospital and transfer the property to the then NSW Department of Prisons.

[3] In the late 1990s the site was developed by Mirvac and Lend Lease for the purpose of an athletes' village for the 2000 Summer Olympics.