Annangrove is located in the Baulkham Hills shire on the north western outskirts of Sydney. The suburb derived its name from "Annangrove House", a residence originally belonging to Edward Charles Johnston, son of Colonel Johnston of Annandale. Popular opinion would have it that the Johnston family received the first land grant in the region upon Annangrove Ridge as early as 1804, as a reward for Major Johnston who aided the suppression of a convict uprising at Vinegar Hill. However recent study exposes this as a myth, suggesting the first connection of the area with the Johnston family to be as late as 1893.

Officially European settlement occurred in the region with three land grants of 1823. Albeit loggers had already exploited this fine timbered region, particularly seeking the ironbark, red and white mahogany and turpentine. The original land grants were taken up by James O'Hara, Michael Cantwell and Thomas Sanders Junior. Conditions applied upon these grants, necessitating the clearing and cultivation of land within a period of five years. The 1828 inspection of O'Hara's property confirms the conditions were met, but also reveals the region's earliest European pioneers kept a small number of animals, and were involved in mixed farming.

It was not until after the Robertson Land Act of 1861 opened up the country for free selection that the Annangrove region was fully claimed. However the area developed slowly. Root rot, shallow soil and prevalent sandstone, reduced most crop attempts to failure. It was eventually deduced that citrus was a consistently successful crop. This discovery precipitated a surge in settlement during the closing decades of the nineteenth century. Annangrove and neighbouring Kenthurst rapidly became an extensive citrus orchard. By the 1890s a healthy trade with New Zealand had developed, and the region earned a reputation for quality citrus.

In 1895 a J.D. Verdon requested the name of the area be changed to "Annan Grove" after Johnston`s property, as it was previously known as "Rouse Hill Road". He also requested a receiving Post Office for the area. This requisition included a profile of the community, revealing the population to consist of eight households and one adult, the one adult being a teacher. "Annan Grove" was officially approved in 1896, and by World War One, "Annangrove" had become the preferred usage.

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