Ingleburn - the origin of the name is not certain. It is thought that the first white settler in the area, Richard Atkins, may have named his grant Ingleburn in 1793 after his hometown of Ingleburn in Devon, England. Atkins became NSW's second Advocate General after David Collins, returning to England with Bligh in 1809. Alternatively, the name may be derived from the Gaelic 'inge' (bend) and 'burn' (river). There are two very distinct bends in the Georges River where it forms Ingleburn's eastern boundary. Gov. Lachlan Macquarie was born and bred in the Gaelic-speaking Scottish Highlands and could have named the area during his first visit to it in 1810. Brief history: originally known as Soldier Flat, because this was where four soldiers of the NSW Corps took up farm grants in 1809. These men were William Hall, William Neale, Joshua Alliot and Timothy Loughlin. In 1826, Neale's 80-acre grant was bought by an ex-convict called David Noonan as part of a number of purchases which created a farm of some 193 acres where the current town centre is located. In 1841, Mary Ruse, the daughter of famous pioneer James Ruse, purchased the farm for herself. With the coming of the railway, a platform was built on the old Neale property, at the current site. Originally called Macquarie Fields, its name was changed to Ingleburn when the new village of Macquarie Fields was separated as part of a new subdivision. Many of Ingleburn's earlier streets have English connections, however many of the newer streets are named after birds and those towards the Georges River are named after makes of cars. In 1939, the Australian Government purchased some 648 acres for about £
20,000 from a Farmer MacDonald, for the Bardia Barracks. The land was part of the Denham Court Estate. In 1952, a further 320 acres were bought from Farmer MacDonald, again for about £20,000. Some of this land is now occupied by the Australian Headquarters of the Jehovah's Witnesses. The Camp is no longer used by the Military and while many buildings have been removed those that remain are in a derelict state and continue to be vandalised. A memorial pays tribute to the people who trained here and those who lost their lives in active service. (source - http://www.australiaforeveryone.com.au/sydney/nsw_sydney_ss3.htm, Photo - Ingleburn Weir)