Birchgrove was named after Birchgrove House, built by Lieutenant John Birch, paymaster of the 73rd regiment, around 1812.
He added 'grove' to his surname when naming the house because of the large number of orange trees growing on the original site.
The house was constructed of stone believed to have been quarried on site.

In March 1814, the estate was purchased by merchant trader Roland Warpole Loane.
 By 1818, Loane had returned to land holdings in Tasmania and the estate was leased for many years.
 Loane unsuccessfully attempted to sub-divide the lot into four parcels in 1833.
 In 1838, the estate was purchased along with land in the Balmain estate by Captain John McLean.
Financial difficulties forced McLean to mortgage the estate and additional land, but the Supreme Court finally foreclosed on loans in April 1844.
In 1850, the estate was briefly owned by Henry Watson Parker, who would later become the third premier of New South Wales.
Later the same year, the estate was purchased by Didier Numa Joubert.
Jourbert leased the property to William Salmon Deliotte until 1856.

Between 1856 and 1860, Joubert instructed William Brownrigg to survey the first subdivision of ten lots.
Streets were named after the Joubert family.
Birchgrove House was sold to Jacob Levi Montefiore during the subdivision.
Sale of the allotments fell well short of expectations with three lots remaining unsold by 1866.
 By December 1862, Joubert was forced to surrender his remaining interest to the Bank of New South Wales.

From the 1860s, a number of waterfront businesses appeared in the area including coopers, boat builders and the Morrison & Sinclair shipyard.

By 1878, due to market pressure from prices in nearby Balmain estate, 82 lots of the original subdivision remained unsold.
Additional land was carved from the Birchgrove House when it was sold to John Lowry Adams in 1878.
A syndicate of businessmen purchased the remaining lots of the estate and commissioned architect Ferdinand Reuss to draw up a new plan for subdivision.
 This second subdivision was much more successful with all lots sold within several years.

The local heritage item is Clifton Villa, a three-storey sandstone house in the Gothic style.
The house was built in the late 1860s and is surrounded by a covered verandah.
In the mid-1870s a ballroom was added.
The house's interior features a marble fireplace and cedar woodwork, while the exterior includes a caretaker's cottage that was originally a carriage house.
Clifton Villa is now listed on the Register of the National Estate.

In 1900 Adams subdivided the Birchgrove House grounds into 12 lots.
In 1911 Mary Scot further subdivided Birchgrove House into 5 lots.
The house was eventually demolished in 1967 to make way for units.

The suburb was the location of the Balmain Colliery, Australia's deepest coal mine.

In August 2010, apartments in Louisa Road were engulfed by fire.
No residents were hurt, but the cause of the fire was considered suspicious.
Birchgrove was named after Birchgrove House, built by Lieutenant John Birch, paymaster of the 73rd regiment, around 1812. He added 'grove' to his surname when naming the house because of the large number of orange trees growing on the original site. The house was constructed of stone believed to have been quarried on site.
In March 1814, the estate was purchased by merchant trader Roland Warpole Loane.  By 1818, Loane had returned to land holdings in Tasmania and the estate was leased for many years.  Loane unsuccessfully attempted to sub-divide the lot into four parcels in 1833.  In 1838, the estate was purchased along with land in the Balmain estate by Captain John McLean. Financial difficulties forced McLean to mortgage the estate and additional land, but the Supreme Court finally foreclosed on loans in April 1844. In 1850, the estate was briefly owned by Henry Watson Parker, who would later become the third premier of New South Wales. Later the same year, the estate was purchased by Didier Numa Joubert. Jourbert leased the property to William Salmon Deliotte until 1856.
Between 1856 and 1860, Joubert instructed William Brownrigg to survey the first subdivision of ten lots. Streets were named after the Joubert family. Birchgrove House was sold to Jacob Levi Montefiore during the subdivision. Sale of the allotments fell well short of expectations with three lots remaining unsold by 1866.  By December 1862, Joubert was forced to surrender his remaining interest to the Bank of New South Wales.
From the 1860s, a number of waterfront businesses appeared in the area including coopers, boat builders and the Morrison & Sinclair shipyard.
By 1878, due to market pressure from prices in nearby Balmain estate, 82 lots of the original subdivision remained unsold. Additional land was carved from the Birchgrove House when it was sold to John Lowry Adams in 1878. A syndicate of businessmen purchased the remaining lots of the estate and commissioned architect Ferdinand Reuss to draw up a new plan for subdivision.  This second subdivision was much more successful with all lots sold within several years.
The local heritage item is Clifton Villa, a three-storey sandstone house in the Gothic style. The house was built in the late 1860s and is surrounded by a covered verandah. In the mid-1870s a ballroom was added. The house's interior features a marble fireplace and cedar woodwork, while the exterior includes a caretaker's cottage that was originally a carriage house. Clifton Villa is now listed on the Register of the National Estate.
In 1900 Adams subdivided the Birchgrove House grounds into 12 lots. In 1911 Mary Scot further subdivided Birchgrove House into 5 lots. The house was eventually demolished in 1967 to make way for units.
The suburb was the location of the Balmain Colliery, Australia's deepest coal mine.
In August 2010, apartments in Louisa Road were engulfed by fire. No residents were hurt, but the cause of the fire was considered suspicious.
Birchgrove, New South Wales