Five Dock is located 10 kilometers west of the Sydney central business district; it is in the local government area of the City of Canada Bay and is part of the inner-west region. While the origins of the name Five Dock remain clouded, the first written mention was in February 1805 in the Sydney Gazette, but the name most likely dates back to the days of first settlement and it appears that Five Dock was named for its shape along the Parramatta River. At the North East end of the bay there appeared to be five natural worn indentations that looked like docks hence Five Dock.
In 1794 land on the peninsula was granted to privates and NCO’s of the NSW Corps as farmland. However attempts to settle this area were unsuccessful. In 1806 Governor King gave a grant of land to John Harris of 6 square kilometers and the large property was known as Five Dock Farm.