Russell Lea is a small suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.

Russell Lea is located 8 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Canada Bay.

All land between Iron Cove and Hen and Chicken Bay, totalling some 600 ha (1,500 acres), was granted to Harris from the Crown.

Two years prior to the surgeon's death in 1838, Harris sold Five Dock Farm to the prominent Sydney auctioneer Mr Samuel Lyons.

Aged 84, the widowed Harris had achieved a prominent public profile, leaving an estate worth an estimated 150,000 pounds.

As a young man he accompanied his family to the colony, settling a station in the then remote state of South Australia.

In addition to stock handling, farming, horse breaking and shepherding, Barton proved himself adequate as a butcher, blacksmith, builder, carpenter, contractor and stonemason.

[3] It was during this time he erected the imposing Victorian Italianate mansion Russell Lea, whose estate occupied the suburb which bears its name.