 With the Hawkesbury area being notoriously flood prone, the five towns were established to provide security and accommodation to those settlers whose farms were exposed to flooding from the Nepean, Hawkesbury and Georges Rivers, and to act as depots for shipments of grain and produce to and from the district.Richmond became a focal point in the region as an important market town and social centre.Between 1819 and 1857 the region remained flood free and experienced a peak in prosperity, with the town growing steadily as a result.