Thornton Hall was built in the 1870's by Thomas Smith who built the Red Cow Hotel. On his death the property was left to his son, Sydney Smith. Around 1910 it was leased to Henry Lack and became a dairy. By 1941 the whole house and site had been taken over by the Royal Army Engineers Depot. It was later subdivided into four acres and was sold by the Smith family to Read who then sold it to Strong. The Commonwealth Department of Defence compulsorily acquired it from Strong in 1951.
