The zone currently known as Bickley Vale was initially home to the Gandangara individuals of the Southern Highlands in spite of the fact that the Muringong, southernmost of the Darug individuals, were likewise known to possess the territory. In 1805, fleece pioneer John Macarthur was allowed 5,000 sections of land (20 km²) at Cowpastures (now Camden). The name was taken from the name of a property situated inside the suburb. Bickley Vale is still essentially a provincial region.