William Rutledge, also known as Billy Rutledge, (January 1806 – 1 June 1876) was a politician in colonial Victoria (Australia), a member of the Victorian Legislative Council, and later, of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. Rutledge was the eldest son of James Rutledge, of Ballymagirl (near Bawnboy),

County Cavan County Cavan ( ; gle, Contae an Chabháin) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Border Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is base ...

, Ireland, and Martha, ''née'' Forster, of Longford, and reached Sydney, New South Wales aboard the ''Harriet'' in December 1829. Rutledge took sheep overland to Port Phillip District in 1838. He purchased several lots at the early Melbourne land sales and commenced a partnership with Benjamin Baxter, financing him to build cottages in the Port Phillip area at £650 each. At Kilmore Rutledge established a tenant community on a special survey, and although he never took it up he became known as the town's founder and gave land for a Roman Catholic church. In fact all of

Charles Bonney Charles Bonney (31 October 1813 – 15 March 1897) was a pioneer and politician in Australia. Early life Bonney was the youngest son of the Rev. George Bonney, a fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge, and his wife Susanna, née Knight. He was born ...

, later a famous explorer of South Australia, Dr Richard Julian Hamlyn and the partners

Frederick Armand Powlett Frederick Armand Powlett (6 January 1811 – 9 June 1865) was a Treasurer of Victoria and inaugural president of the Melbourne Cricket Club. Powlett was born in Shropshire, England, the son of the Reverend Charles Powlett and descendant of crick ...

and John Green preceded Rutledge at Kilmore.

discovered the station for European use on about March 21, 1837 along with pioneering the Sydney Road on the same journey. pp105–120 Rutledge visited Port Fairy in 1843 and soon bought a mercantile firm. He became a magistrate the following year. On 15 September 1851 Rutledge was elected member for Villiers and Heytesbury in the Victorian Legislative Council He was sworn-in November 1851 and held the seat until March 1854. Rutledge was elected to the first Victorian Legislative Assembly for the Electoral district of Villiers and Heytesbury in November 1856, a seat he held until August 1859.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rutledge, William 1806 births 1876 deaths Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Irish emigrants to colonial Australia 19th-century Australian politicians