After the war of 1812, officials at York (Toronto) were uptight with guarding the city's "back door”. To deal with this opportunity, most of the land granted along the south shore of Lake Simcoe was to men with a military background, the township was closed to ordinary settlement.

In 1816, William Bourchier retired from the British Royal Navy. He wished to seek his fortune in India, but knew that he was eligible for a substantial land grant in Upper Canada, and applied to enter the land south of Lake Simcoe reserved for "Privileged Persons." He was granted 1200 acres in 1818.

Georgina was named in 1818 by the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, Sir Peregrine Maitland, in honour of King George III. Life in Georgina was anything but easy in those early days. Even as the new township grew into its first decade, carrying from the nearest supply centre (Toronto) was extremely difficult. There was no public transportation until 1826 when a coated wagon service ran between Toronto and Holland Landing. Three years later the more routine Yonge Street Stage service began. As life carried into the seventies, eighties, and nineties the railroads and light industry were established further adding to its development.