The Camperdown elm occupies the front garden of one of Richmond's earliest residential sites. The property formed part of Rural Section 41 and was developed during the late nineteenth century. It was occupied by James Tulloch during the 1890s, and a 1910 photograph records a wedding party assembled in front of the residence.

Based on the perspective of the photograph, the photographer was standing at approximately the location now occupied by the Camperdown elm. The tree is not visible, suggesting it had either not yet been planted or was still a very young specimen. This is consistent with an estimated planting date of the early twentieth century (c.1905).

The property was subdivided in 1903, when the original house is believed to have been relocated to nearby Tweed Street, while the North Avon Road frontage, including the site of the present tree, remained. The photograph provides a valuable historical reference, linking the tree with one of the earliest documented periods of occupation of the property (Hammer, J.R., 2026).