Rare and fragile early land grant, signed by John Hunter (1737-1821), the second governor of the Colony of New South Wales, and witnessed by Henry Waterhouse and Charles Grimes. as well as Henry Scott. This grant of twenty-five acres in the Field of Mars (present-day Ryde) was to James Robbs, and was known as Robbs Farm.

Rare and fragile early land grant, signed by John Hunter (1737-1821), the second governor of the Colony of New South Wales, and witnessed by Henry Waterhouse and Charles Grimes. as well as Henry Scott. This grant of twenty-five acres in the Field of Mars (present-day Ryde) was to James Robbs, and was known as Robbs Farm.

The first land grants had been located near Parramatta, in places where the soil was considered by Governor Phillip to be superior. One of these six chosen areas was the Field of Mars. Even with this carefully plotted settlement of land, many farms failed and on Hunter's arrival in the colony in September 1795 he discovered that much of the early land granted to settlers had been abandoned. "A great number are settled on farms without any means being adopted to ascertain the quality of the soil that is to be cultivated, the consequence of which is, that after a year's labour has been expended it is discovered there is no prospect of such land ever supporting its owner" (Macarthur to Portland 15 September 1796). As these smaller holdings were abandoned, they were often incorporated into bigger estates; and by 1804 most of the land within the favoured Cumberland Plain was under occupation.

Hunter is credited with having regularised the grants system in New South Wales; he issued titles for approximately 200,000 acres. In this grant, James Robbs received twenty-five acres, for a rent of one shilling per year beginning after five years. A witness to the grant is Captain Henry Waterhouse, who also took up land in the district in October of the same year.

Waterhouse was a First Fleeter who accompanied Phillip on many excursions into the country, including the landing at Manly where Phillip was speared. He imported the first merino sheep into the colony from the Cape of Good Hope, and supplied sheep to both John Macarthur and Samuel Marsden. He left Australia in 1800 to return to England.

The other signatory, Charles Grimes, the colony's first surveyor, was also a magistrate and superintendent at Parramatta. In 1796 he had surveyed all the settlements of the newly-opened Cumberland Plains, including the Field of Mars. In 1802 whilst on the Buffalo exploring King's Island and Port Phillip he discovered the Yarra River.