English: See where this picture was taken. [?]

The original land grant for the site was given to John Busby and was known as Rockwall. On a smaller battleaxe subdivision behind Rockwall house lay another two storey villa called Tarmons, St Vincents College lies approximately on the site of the Tarmons subdivision.

Tarmons was built in 1838 for Sir Maurice O'Connell, the Commander of the military forces of NSW, he lived in the property for 10 years until his death in 1848. Sir Charles Nicholson (a doctor of medicine and founding member and Chancellor of the University of Sydney) purchased the property in 1852 from O'Connell's son for 10 000 pounds. In 1855 Nicholson sold the property to the Sisters of Charity 'on generous purchasing terms' after hearing of their intentions for the site.

The Sisters of Charity took possession of Tarmons in 1856 and St Vincent's Hospital opened in 1858 along with St Vincent's School, which was housed in a new building designed by William Munro. The school was later expanded to include a secondary school as the student population increased and another new adjoining building was constructed in 1863, the design has been attributed to Mortimer Lewis.

The hospital eventually moved to Darlinghurst in 1870 and in 1871 the school was given the name St Vincent's High School, which later changed to St Vincent's (Ladies) College in 1882 and has expanded steadily ever since . The College is the oldest registered girls school in the Commonwealth.