Until 1788, the Richmond area was home to the Darug , an Aboriginal tribe . In 1789, European settlers came to this area for the first time, known as Richmond Hill . Named by Governor Arthur Phillip in honor of Charles Lennox , the third Duke of Richmond . With the arrival of 22 settlers in 1794, Richmond became the third European settlement in Australia, after Sydney and Parramatta . By 1799, Richmond was already producing half the colony's grain.